Chiefs’ playoff hopes dwindle as Patrick Mahomes throws three interceptions in loss to Texans
In an era where explosive offense is key to success Sunday Night Football was a defensive masterclass by both the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs However the Texans the number one defense in the league showcased why they re top of the heap this season in a - preeminence on the road This challenge had massive playoff implications for both teams as the Texans are now - after winning their fifth straight competition while the Chiefs fall below at - with only four games remaining on the schedule CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS COMKansas City winners of three straight AFC championships now sits th in the conference and faces just a chance of reaching the postseason It didn t matter how hostile the ecosystem was or the fact that the Chiefs were treating this contest like it was the playoffs Houston s defense delivered as it has week after week and it started promptly in this one Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense ran only total plays on their first three drives all of which ended with punts Then Mahomes threw an interception on a pass intended for Juju Smith-Schuster as Jalen Pitre jumped the track deflected the pass and managed to find it in the air to secure the ball to his chest as he hit the ground BRITTANY MAHOMES BACKS PATRICK MAHOMES AS KEVIN DURANT SLAMS CHIEFS STAR'S CRITICSMeanwhile C J Stroud and the Texans offense a group that struggled in the playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium last year did well in the eyes of pressure on their first insufficient drives After securing the first points of the encounter with a field goal on their second drive Stroud orchestrated a -yard march down the field for the tournament s first touchdown a nine-yard pass to rookie running back Woody Marks to make it a - championship A key play on that drive was a second-and- pass after escaping pressure where Nico Collins got open for his quarterback and took his catch yards to set up the Texans in great position in the red zone As the half ended - the Texans had to know that Mahomes and the Chiefs would come out firing in the third quarter That doesn t mean they were entirely prepared for it After forcing a three-and-out Mahomes eventually got something going as the Chiefs went eight plays and yards for their own touchdown It was Kareem Hunt urgent a Danielle Hunter tackle behind the line on a fourth-and- play at the goal line Hunt punched it in and it was a new ball contest The Chiefs would tie it with a Harrison Butker -yard field goal but the count would stay locked at - as both teams continued to make fantastic defensive efforts The turning point in this contest though came when the Chiefs decided to get greedy on fourth-and- from their own -yard line Andy Reid has dependably trusted Mahomes to get the job done but he wasn t able to as his pass for Rashee Rice went incomplete Houston flipped momentum and they made it work in their favor Stroud made a tremendous play on third-and- as Chiefs star defensive lineman Chris Jones who already sacked him in this tournament was barreling down looking for another Stroud worked to his right eluding Jones and fired a strike to Jayden Higgins to extend the drive A meager plays later Dare Ogunbowale who rarely sees the field other than special teams scored from five yards out after Marks came out of the challenge after a big hit Now - in favor of Houston Mahomes and the Chiefs were even more desperate as the clock continued to tick But once again they weren t able to get the job done on fourth down as Rashee Rice dropped what looked like a good ball that would ve kept the drive alive The game-sealing play was the Texans third interception on Mahomes as he threw a ball behind his trusty tight end Travis Kelce While it was a catchable pass Kelce had trouble hauling it in and it hung up too much as linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair snagged it to flip the field once again Marks picked up a crucial first down on the following drive and the Texans walked the clock down until Ka'imi Fairbairn buried the final dagger as his made field goal drained the last amount of hope for this match on the Chiefs' end In the box total Mahomes had a brutal performance with -of- for yards and his three picks He was the gang s leading rusher on the ground too with yards on seven carries For the Texans Stroud was -of- for yards and one touchdown with Collins finishing four for yards on his eight targets Marks had rushing yards on carries as well Follow Fox News Digital s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter
