Chiefs secret weapon won’t see the field but will leave Texans as tortured poets

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin their drive for a three straight Super Bowl title on Saturday, when they welcome the Houston Texans to Arrowhead Stadium for a marquee Divisional Round showdown. Patrick Mahomes and Co. may have rolled to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 15-2 regular-season record, but their performance was a bit shakier than that mark would suggest, and there's some reason to think that DeMeco Ryans' team can pull what would be a monumental upset. Houston's defense is one of the most physical in the league, and CJ Stroud and Nico Collins can strike from anywhere on the field.

Unfortunately for the Texans, all of that looks like it'll be in vain. Because while Houston has some very talented players and an excellent coaching staff, they don't have anything that can match up with the Chiefs' secret weapon.

Taylor Swift's attendance is a great sign for Chiefs chances against Texans

While we've yet to get official confirmation, it looks like Taylor Swift is expected to be on hand at Arrowhead to cheer on boyfriend Travis Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs on Saturday afternoon. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show this week, Kelce was asked, "Is there going to be an aura in that place, a little bit extra? You know what we're talking about."

"Oh yeah, you know it, baby," Kelce replied. "It's playoff football, man."

Swift won't be taking the field this weekend, but her presence is a very good sign for Chiefs fans. The pop star has attended 19 games since she and Kelce began dating, and Kansas City is 16-3 overall, including 3-0 in the playoffs. And while we would never recommend placing a bet based on who will or will not be in the stands, the Chiefs are also 11-7-1 against the spread over that span, a 60.5 winning percentage that's better than what most professional handicappers can pull off.

All kidding aside, Swift obviously won't determine the outcome of this game one way or the other. But it is a reminder of just how tough Mahomes, Kelce and Co. have been to beat of late, especially at home and especially in the playoffs — i.e., the games Swift is most likely to attend. The Texans flirted with pulling the upset at Arrowhead during the regular season, taking a tie game into the third quarter before falling apart down the stretch. They have the ability to make this a very competitive game, but they'll need to keep their cool to reach the first conference championship game in franchise history.