Andy Reid acknowledged and denied rumors that Eric Fisher sat out of Kansas City's first matchup with the Texans due to a fear of J.J. Watt. Chiefs fans surely hope that's the nadir for their 2013 top overall pick and that Fisher can stand up to Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones, fresh off surviving Watt for a few snaps in the wild-card round.
That popular clip of Fisher playing aggressively against the fallen Watt belies the degree of help Fisher could need to keep Jones away from KC quarterback Alex Smith on Saturday.
JJ Watt's foot slipped on the turf, took a little abuse after going down pic.twitter.com/7RUXTCKLGp
— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) January 9, 2016MORE: Chiefs at Patriots betting line | Picks straight up | Picks against the spread
Most of Fisher's snaps didn't come against Watt, who labored through a groin injury and missed about half the game. The Chiefs left tackle still managed to yield a sack and two more QB pressures overall on just 27 pass block snaps, via Pro Football Focus data. Jones reportedly spent some time last weekend on synthetic marijuana but appears set to face Fisher on a high percentage of snaps this Saturday.
Jones finished third in pressures and led the NFL in sacks specifically from a 4-3 right defensive end alignment, via PFF, where he spent more than 80 percent of his snaps this season. Smith has taken the fifth-most sacks in the NFL with significantly fewer dropbacks than the players ahead of him in that category.
Jeremy Maclin suffered a high ankle sprain early in the wild-card win and ostensibly would be limited in the event he can go by 4:35 p.m. Saturday. This puts a strain on every facet of the Chiefs' pass offense, including the quick passing game. KC found some success hitting WR Albert Wilson on screens against the Texans while TE Travis Kelce topped 100 through the air.
Since Chiefs OL at big disadvantage to Texans DL, expect to compensate w/ quick hits to Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce pic.twitter.com/AGbAJpFrak
— Thomas Emerick (@ThomasEmerick) January 9, 2016Smith finished fourth in QB rushing yards this season and has done a good job of using that threat to free up targets to move the chains. A flurry of quick pressure could make his movement less controlled and calculated.
MORE: Bill Belichick is sick and tired of your Chandler Jones questions
Chiefs center Mitch Morse has impressed as a rookie but missed the wild-card round with a concussion. This further complicates protection against Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, known to destroy interior offensive lines with Jamie Collins on the well-timed A-gap blitz.
While Fisher has improved markedly since rejoining the starting offensive line, Jones will give the former No. 1 pick a test to gauge just how far he has bounced back.
Kansas City visits New England for a 4:35 p.m. ET Saturday kickoff.
Footage from second GIF via NFL Game Pass.