When Patrick Mahomes shook hands with C.J. Stroud at midfield at the conclusion of their Dec. 21 game, cameras caught Mahomes telling Stroud that they'd see them in the playoffs. Those words have become customary for players and coaches acknowledging respect for one another.

As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face the Houston Texans on Saturday in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, the quarterback battle between KC’s Patrick Mahomes and Houston’s C.J. Stroud will be under the microscope — for obvious reasons.