Chiefs starting Patrick Mahomes vs. Texans a potentially costly mistake

The Kansas City Chiefs will have talismanic starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Saturday against the Houston Texans. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that Mahomes would start despite suffering an anle injury in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, per ESPN's Adam Teicher.

While the move makes sense on the surface, Kansas City could come to regret taking such a massive risk with their franchise quarterback.

Mahomes is the driving force behind what has been an otherwise staid Chiefs offense. Travis Kelce has been lackluster, the wide receiver corps can best be described as "bleh," and the run game has averaged less than four yards per carry outside of Mahomes. He is the reason this team has a remotely functional offense, and his ability to make magic happen is the biggest reason why they're 13-1 this season.

On the surface, playing Mahomes in this game makes sense; the Texans haven't been as good as they were last year, but they're still a solid team and a good barometer for a postseason push this year. Hollywood Brown is going to make his season debut, and you want him to get used to working with Mahomes in game scenarios before the postseason, and you only have three more weeks to do that in.

But this is a high-risk move, and it's one that risks the Chiefs' postseason hopes. Ankle injuries are tricky, nagging things that have a tendency to get re-aggravated if you step wrong or get hit the wrong way. And Mahomes is Mahomes because of his ability to move and get out of the pocket and make plays on the run. He does things no other human being can do on a football field, but if he's doing those things on a bum ankle, it risks what could be a one-week or two-week absence turning into a massive absence.

On top of that, the Chiefs are playing in the midst of a shortened schedule the next two weeks. They play Saturday against the Texans, and follow that up with a Christmas Day game on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's a really short turnaround to face a really good defense with the potential to get Mahomes on his back foot all game, and exacerbate his ankle injury into something that's a legitimate problem.

So, the question is, do you chase the short term wins and try to keep the offense rolling? Or do you realize that your focus should be on the big picture this season, and that the only way you're going to actually make a Super Bowl run in a postseason field with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Buffalo, Houston, and probably Denver in it is to have a fully functional Mahomes in your lineup?

I know what I'd choose: sit Mahomes now, and keep my Super Bowl dreams alive to fight another day, even if it means taking a loss or two in the process.

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Chiefs starting Patrick Mahomes vs. Texans despite ankle injury a potentially costly mistake

By Sam Westmoreland | 3:05 PM EST