Texans Stun Chiefs 20–10 Behind Dominant Defense and C.J. Stroud (Ap Photo/Ed Zurga)
The Houston Texans walked into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night refusing to treat their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs as anything other than the next task on the schedule. That approach paid off with a composed, physical performance that ended with a 20–10 win and a significant lift to their postseason outlook.
Coach DeMeco Ryans said his team kept the moment in perspective, even with plenty on the line. The Chiefs had dominated the AFC for nearly a decade, eliminated the Texans from the playoffs last season and remained a symbolic hurdle for any contender in the conference. None of that mattered, Ryans insisted. “It was our next game,” he said. “We needed to come out and execute. Play good football. And we did.”
They did enough in every phase. C.J. Stroud threw for 203 yards and a touchdown, leaning on a defense that once again played like the best unit in the league. Houston limited Patrick Mahomes to 14 completions on 33 attempts for 160 yards, forced three interceptions and never allowed the Chiefs to find a rhythm. Nico Collins delivered four catches for 121 yards, and Dare Ogunbowale punched in the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, as per ABC13 Houston.
With the win, the Texans improved to 8–5 and kept pace with Jacksonville in a tight AFC South race. “We did what we came to do,” Ryans said. “It was just about accomplishing your mission. It wasn’t anything extra on top for winning this game. We just knew we had to get the win no matter what it took.”
For Mahomes, the night was a grind behind an injury-riddled offensive line. Kansas City managed just 98 yards in the first half and went into the break trailing 10–0. It was only the fourth time in the Mahomes era and just the second time in a regular season game that the Chiefs failed to score before halftime. Mahomes acknowledged the missed chances.
“You’re getting late in the season. You’re not going to get these opportunities back,” he said. “That’s a good football team, but we had chances and we didn’t execute at the right time to win it.” Kansas City fell to 6–7, marking its worst record through 13 games since 2012. The defending AFC champions have fought through injuries and inconsistency all season, and Sunday’s game reflected every struggle at once.
Houston controlled the first half behind Stroud’s connection with Collins. A 46-yard throw set up a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal, and a 53-yard strike put the Texans in position for a short touchdown pass to Woody Marks. Meanwhile, the Chiefs lost left tackle Wanya Morris and standout cornerback Trent McDuffie to injuries. “Listen, they battled,” coach Andy Reid said.
“Some of the guys in there hadn’t practiced much.” Still, Kansas City clawed back. The Chiefs’ defense forced Stroud into eight straight incompletions to open the second half. Kareem Hunt’s touchdown run and Harrison Butker’s field goal tied the game at 10–10, setting up a tense fourth quarter.
That final stretch came down to two critical fourth-down decisions. With the game tied, Houston punted on fourth-and-1 from its own 35. Kansas City faced fourth-and-1 at its own 31 minutes later and chose to go for it. Mahomes’ pass fell incomplete, and six plays later Ogunbowale powered in from five yards out for the lead.
The Chiefs had another chance, but Rashee Rice dropped a wide-open fourth-down pass. Their last drive ended with Mahomes’ third interception of the night, sealing Houston’s win. Despite the loss, Kansas City players tried to stay hopeful. “We’ve still got an opportunity. Even though it’s a slim opportunity, we have an opportunity,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said.
“For us, the door is still open. It might be a 10 percent chance. It might be a 5 percent chance. But as long as we have an opportunity and a chance, we can control that, and let the cards fall where they fall.” Houston, meanwhile, heads into the season’s final stretch looking like a team that believes its best football is still ahead.
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