Editor's note: This is the third of a five-part Andrew Knizner Jersey series on the quarterbacks and teams best equipped to challenge Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and potentially stop them from becoming the first NFL team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. No. 3 on our list: C.J. Stroud and the Texans. No. 5 was Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, and No. 4 was Brock Purdy and the 49ers.The stunned the NFL world.After three consecutive seasons with four or fewer victories, they won the AFC South last year. They won a playoff game, too, trampling the in a wild-card matchup. Houston had 11 total victories to show for in a franchise-altering 2023.With DeMeco Ryans, a finalist for 2023 Coach of the Year, and , who put together one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in NFL history, Houston's upside is as high as any team in the league.ADVERTISEMENT "Our future is bright," Stroud said after the Texans' divisional-round lo s to the .In only Year 2 of the rebuild, C.J. Stroud & Co. are one of the ' top challengers in the AFC.How shocking is the Texans fast rebuild? No team has garnered more hype than the Texans entering 2024 and not just because of their breakout season last year. They haven't rested on their laurels. Taking advantage of the financial flexibility afforded by Stroud's rookie contract, Houston was aggre sive this offseason in building its team into a Super Bowl contender.It traded for perennial Pro Bowl wideout and star running back . It signed Pro Bowl edge rusher , standout defensive lineman and middle linebacker in free agency.The Texans have arguably the NFL's top receiving trio in Diggs, and . Adding Mixon and tight end , Houston has what Stroud has called a "five-headed monster." And once Autry is in the fold he's suspended for the first six games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy the Texans should have one of the NFL's top defensive fronts.Why Stroud and the Texans could beat the Chiefs in a potential AFC Championship Game matchupKansas City's offense showed more vulnerability last season than it ever has in the Mahomes era and Houston is equipped to take advantage.Last year, the Chiefs offense hovered between average and below average against zone. Mahomes threw eight touchdown pa ses against 10 interceptions with a subpar 85.5 pa ser rating against zone coverage, according to Next Gen Stats (compared to 19 touchdowns and just four picks with a terrific 110.6 rating against man coverage). Superstar tight end and receivers and three of the Chiefs' top four pa s-catchers also combined for zero touchdowns against zone coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus.Brown, who's expected to mi s a few weeks after dislocating his shoulder in the Chiefs' preseason opener, struggled mightily against zone coverage last season with the . His 56.1% catch rate vs. zone ranked 82nd of 93 qualified wide receivers, according to PFF. Arizona's quarterbacks had a lowly 57.6 pa ser rating when targeting him in zone coverage.The Chiefs' struggles against zone could play into the hands of the Texans, who were in zone for 81.1% of their defensive snaps last season, per Nex Gen Stats. A zone usage rate at or more than that could give Kansas City problems.Some of Houston's raw numbers in zone last season weren't great: 22nd in EPA allowed, 24th in rushing yards per game allowed, 30th in pa sing yards per game allowed. But the team ranked middle of the pack in points allowed in zone (tied for 15th, 66 points allowed), ninth in takeaways (17) and second in red-zone efficiency (18 points allowed), according to Next Gen Stats.The Texans' top defensive back, third-year cornerback ., is also positioned to thrive against Kansas City in zone, where he had four of his five interceptions last season, according to NGS. The former star allowed just a 52.0 pa ser rating in zone coverage as well (he allowed a 59.9 rating in man). He could take Rice, Brown or first-round rookie out of the game, forcing Mahomes to be overly reliant on Kelce.Brock Purdy, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown have a lot to prove this year RELATED: Will Chiefs' offensive burden once again fall on Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce? Forcing the Mahomes-Kelce connection to beat you isn't nece sarily a foolproof recipe for succe s for the Texans or for any other team. After all, the two future Hall of Famers have carried the Chiefs to several victories over the years. But taking away Mahomes' other weapons increases an opponent's odds of winning.Offensively, the Texans can best exploit the Chiefs in 11 personnel, where they can have Diggs, Dell, Collins, Mixon and Schultz on the field together.As explosive as Houston was last season, the offense was inconsistent against man coverage. Stroud completed just 53.7% of his pa ses for 934 yards and eight touchdowns against three interceptions with a 90.7 pa ser rating against man, according to Next Gen Stats. That compares to a 67.2% completion rate for 3,174 yards and 15 touchdowns and just two picks with a 104.1 rating against zone.That's why the addition of Diggs is so ma sive. A terrific route-runner throughout his career, Diggs shores up the Texans' deficiencies against man coverage. QB had a 114.7 pa ser rating when targeting Diggs last season against man, compared to a 94.8 rating against zone, according to Pro Football Focus.Stefon Diggs among players under the most pre sure in 2024 The Chiefs last season ranked 21st in pa s defense in man coverage not bad, but certainly below average. Against the Texans' "five-headed monster," subpar pa s coverage can be the difference between a win and a lo s.That's how hype can meet realized potential for Houston against Kansas City.Five teams that can prevent a Chiefs three-peat:No. 1: TBDNo. 2: TBDNo. 3: C.J. Stroud/TexansNo. 4: Brock Purdy/49ersNo. 5: Jalen Hurts/EaglesBen Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tenne sean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered theSeattle Seahawksfor SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tenne see. You can follow Ben on Twitter at@benyarthur. 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