The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football, 20-10, dropping back below .500, at 6-7.
First Half
The Chiefs had another frustrating offensive half of football, as the Chiefs could not put up a single point, and the Texans led 10-0 heading into the locker rooms. The defense did the best that they could, forcing a punt and field goal before allowing a touchdown off of a tough holding call that extended Houston’s drive.
The defense would force another punt and not allow any points on the Texans final drive of the half, but the offense generated just 41 total yards in 16 plays, up until about five and a half minutes remaining in the half. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the team on a 12 play, 72-yard drive which put the team in field goal range.
Unfortunately, kicker Harrison Butker missed the 43-yarder, making him just three for five from 40-49 yards out this season. As a result, Kansas City faced a 10-point halftime deficit.
Second Half
The third quarter saw the team come out swinging, as after the defense forced a three-and-out, the offense finally got things going on a quick eight play touchdown drive to narrow the margin to just three.
After three combined punts, the team hit a field goal to tie things up at 10 with 1:50 left in the third quarter. The defense then forced their fourth straight three-and-out of the third quarter and the team got the ball back with all of the momentum.
However, things went sour after the third quarter explosion, as Mahomes threw his second interception of the night. The defense kept fighting though, forcing a punt and giving the offense the ball yet again.
That’s when things turned ugly. After an aggressive nine-yard run by Mahomes on third down made it fourth and one, head coach Andy Reid, with the game tied at 10 with just over 10 minutes to go and the Chiefs at their own 31, decided to go for it.
Sadly for Kansas City, wide receiver Rashee Rice dropped a perfect ball across the middle and the Texans, with a short field, finally broke through for a touchdown and a seven point lead. The offense, with a chance to tie it late, turned it over on downs for a second straight drive, but another huge defensive stop gave the offense one last chance with just under four minutes to play.
That’s when disaster struck, as tight end Travis Kelce dropped the ball on first down before bobbling it on second which resulted in an interception that would lead to Houston running the clock down and kicking a field goal before winning the game 20-10.
Key Statistics
The defense did great, but the offense did not, as Mahomes ended the night going 14/33 with three interceptions, capping things off with a 10 incompletions straight, the longest such streak of his NFL career. However, many did not blame Mahomes for the loss, as the receivers dropped a number of balls, including Kelce whose bobble directly resulted in Mahomes’ third interception on the night, sealing the game for Houston.
Another bad sign was seen in the rushing game, as Mahomes led the team with seven rushes for 59 yards while running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both totaled 30 individual yards. With the rushing game not having a whole lot of success, things were once again put on the back of Mahomes, who could only do so much as the Houston defense, a defense regarded by many as the best in the league, feasted all night.
The offensive line also faced issues, as their fourth starter up front had to come out on the first play, that being offensive tackle Wanya Morris. It was now only the center, Creed Humphrey, remaining as a starter on the offensive line for the Chiefs. This helped the Texans total two sacks, two tackles for losses, eight hits on the quarterback and seven total pass deflections, another reason for Mahomes’ low completion percentage.
The Chiefs defense was also able to have a lot of success, specifically in the back field, three sacks, six tackles for loss and 10 hits on the quarterback, C.J. Stroud.
The Outlook
The Chiefs now sit at 6-7 and have a very small chance of making the playoffs. The Chiefs will need quite a lot to happen, but the season isn’t over yet. Kansas City first of all needs to win its last four games against the Chargers at home, the Titans on the road, the Broncos at home and then the Raiders on the road.
The Chiefs also need the Chargers to lose to the Cowboys or Texans plus lose to the Broncos, as well as the Colts, who the Chiefs have the head-to-head advantage against, to lose two games of their four final games, that being at the Seahawks, hosting the 49ers, hosting the Jaguars and at the Texans.
The Chiefs will of course need a huge turn around to occur for themselves, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. There’s still much potential with the wide receiver core, but the depleted offensive line is still a huge concern for Kansas City.