KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For a proud football team and a city that has endured so many frustrating moments, so many prime opportunities that eluded their grasp, Saturday represents a chance to make history against one of the toughest opponents in the modern NFL era.

The AFC South champion Texans have reached his stage of the playoffs five times previously, and are winless in five previous AFC divisional round games. They are the lone team in the AFC South that has never advanced to the AFC championship game.

Exactly a year ago, in the cold in Baltimore, the Texans’ resurgent season ended against the Ravens. It was four years after the Texans lost in the most painful of manners, squandering a 24-0 lead and being blown out 51-31 in the divisional round as the Kansas City Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl.

And, now, a Texans franchise galvanized by the leadership of coach DeMeco Ryans, the skill of quarterback C.J. Stroud and one of the most aggressive, athletic and opportunities defenses in the game gets another chance against the defending Super Bowl champion, top-seeded, 15-2 Chiefs team headlined by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

For a team rebuilt in Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio’s shared vision, including a dominant pass rush led by Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. and a ballhawking secondary boosted by the presence of All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., this moment, Saturday’s AFC divisional round playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium, represents an incredibly important moment.

“That’s what you come here for,” said Anderson, a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year drafted third overall last year, one selection after Stroud. “That’s what they’ve been rebuilding for is moments like this. It’s not for the regular season. It’s for moments like this. We’ve got all the right pieces. We’ve got all the right guys and coaching staff. We’ve just got to go out there and make it happen.”

What’s happened in the past doesn’t have to be prologue for the Texans, even though few outside of their locker room have predicted a victory. They’re an 8 1/2 point underdog to the Chiefs, whose dominance has been defined by Mahomes’ excellence and uncanny ability to find a way to make plays from the most difficult of angles regardless of personnel or opponent.

”We’re excited about the opportunity we have,” Ryans said. “We understand what’s in front of us. Great team, KC has done a great job for the past few years of really dominating the league, being there at the end. Great coaching staff, great players, great team, all the way across the board, so it’s a really tough challenge for us.

“We know it’s a tough, tough team to beat. It’s going to take everything that we have. It’s going to take all four quarters. Similar to our last game, we just have to stay the course, remain persistent throughout the game, and find a way to win in those critical moments.”

In The Trenches