Chiefs vs. Texans 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch NFL playoffs online

The first game of the Wild Card round features two teams that many expected to miss the playoffs just a couple months ago. The Houston Texans host the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that promises some hard-hitting defense on both sides.

The Chiefs were left for dead after starting the season 1-5 and losing Jamaal Charles to a torn ACL. Instead of folding up the season, Andy Reid rallied the troops to 10 straight wins, wrapping up the No. 5 seed with a chance to win the AFC West going into the final week.

How did the Chiefs have such a dramatic turnaround? It's not a complex question — they simply stuck to the basics, which is playing tough defense and having Alex Smith guide the offense to manageable leads. Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware performed reasonably well in place of Charles, while Jeremy Maclin quickly formed a strong connection with Smith in his first season with the Chiefs.

However, the real story is the defense, which is seventh in total yards allowed per game, second in interceptions and giving up just 17.9 points per game. Marcus Peters had one of the best rookie seasons by a cornerback in recent memory, tying the league lead with eight interceptions. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are expected to get Justin Houston back this week, which is yet another matchup nightmare for Houston's offensive line.

The Texans won the AFC South despite playing four quarterbacks and losing Arian Foster in Week 7. The offense has been carried by DeAndre Hopkins, who evolved from promising receiver to superstar in his third year. Hopkins finished third in the league with 111 catches and 1,521 yards, and was tied for seventh with 11 touchdowns. No matter who was under center that week, he made sure to get the ball to Hopkins, and Hopkins almost always delivered. Hopkins vs. Peters could be the most fun individual matchup of the weekend.

As with the Chiefs, the real story in Houston is a dominant defense. J.J. Watt won Defensive Player of the Year last season and could repeat after leading the league with 17.5 sacks despite playing with a broken hand down the stretch. Whitney Mercilus enjoyed a breakout season with 12 sacks, and Jadeveon Clowney was playing well before suffering a foot injury in Week 16. He missed the regular season finale and appears to be questionable this week.

The Texans have another injury that's far more concerning. Stud left tackle Duane Brown tore his quad in Week 17, ending his season. That leaves a big hole on Brian Hoyer's blind side, and with Houston set to return for Kansas City, head coach Bill O'Brien will have his hands full finding a solution to keep Hoyer upright.

The Chiefs are trying to get a historical monkey off their back on Saturday. They haven't won a playoff game since the 1993 season, getting seven appearances during that span. Their last playoff loss was particularly painful, blowing a 38-10 third quarter lead to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2013 Wild Card round. Reid, Smith and company will surely try to atone for that meltdown this weekend.