Chiefs report card: Did the season become a failure with loss to Texans?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs drop to 6-7 after 20-10 loss to Texans; Mahomes threw three interceptions.
- Defense produced second-half surge with sacks and pressures but lacked support.
- Special teams miscues and offense drops on fourth downs cost critical drives.
The Chiefs’ playoff hopes may have come to end with a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football” at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Against a powerful Texans defense, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions. The Chiefs’ defense played valiantly, especially in the second half.
But it wasn’t enough to prevent KC from falling to 6-7. Here’s some deeper analysis of the game, including our weekly report card grades:
KC STAR OF THE GAME
Defensive lineman Chris Jones played his best game of the year. He recorded a sack, another tackle for loss, deflected a pass, was credited with four quarterback hurries and was a menace throughout the evening to keep the Chiefs in the game.
Next: The Chiefs return to AFC West action when the Los Angeles Chargers play at GEHA Field at Arrowhead on Sunday, Dec. 14. Kickoff is set for noon, and the game will be televised on CBS (Channel 5 in Kansas City).
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: F
Ten straight Mahomes passes fell incomplete or were intercepted in the second half, spelling doom and wasting an excellent defensive performance.
Let’s start at the beginning.
The Chiefs were going to have issues against the rugged Texans anyway. But the first-play, game-ending knee injury to Wanya Morris, necessitating the entry of Esa Pole into a game for the first time, didn’t help matters.
Early on, the shifting lineup affected KC’s rhythm and rushed the passing offense. At one point during the first half, Mahomes had time to allow routes to develop — and he hit Xavier Worthy for a 22-yard gain. Things opened up after halftime, and a big play on the first touchdown drive was a 35-yard completion to Hollywood Brown.
Mahomes was oh, so close to hitting a 52-yard perfectly thrown bomb to Tyquan Thornton. But then the Chiefs suddenly couldn’t buy a break. The Texans’ game-winning drive was set up when the Chiefs went for a fourth-and-1 from their own 31.
Bread-and-butter back Kareem Hunt wasn’t on the field. No back was, as the Chiefs went from empty and Mahomes forced a pass into coverage. Incomplete. The next fourth-down failure came on Rashee Rice’s drop. That’s two big drops in critical situations for Rice.
A three-interception game for Mahomes made this one of the worst games of his career. His 19.8 passer rating Sunday was, by far, a career low.
Rushing offense: C
The Texans are good against the rush, as well. The best thing the Chiefs had going for them early was Mahomes’ scrambles.
Isiah Pacheco got the start and saw ample early action, but the big short-yardage attempts, including the Chiefs’ first touchdown, went to Hunt. His 2-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 was a lesson in power running.
Mahomes led the way with 59 rushing yards overall Sunday, and it’s usually not a good thing when he leads the team in rushing.
Passing defense: B
What a second half. Sacks by Jones and George Karlaftis and constant pressure on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got the Chiefs back into the game.
But things didn’t start well. The Chiefs were dealt another injury blow when cornerback Trent McDuffie suffered a knee injury on a 43-yard completion to Nico Collins in the first quarter. McDuffie didn’t return to the game.
Another frustrating moment for the Chiefs: Safety Mike Edwards missed a chance at a deflected interception. The Texans didn’t miss theirs, as Jalen Pitre came up with a second-quarter pick.
The Chiefs’ 11-quarter streak without a sack came to an end when Ashton Gillotte and Jerry Tillery combined to bring down C.J. Stroud in the first quarter.
Rushing defense: B
The Chiefs were all over Woody Marks and the Texans’ running game. Cornerback Jaylen Watson delivered a big hit on an end-around to force a punt.
The Chiefs battled on this side of the ball throughout the game but didn’t get enough help from the offense.
Special teams: D
Just when you thought the Harrison Butker’s shanks were behind him, he doinked a 43-yard field-goal attempt when the Chiefs desperately needed points.
Butker came back and curled a 36-yarder around the left upright to tie the game in the third quarter.
With Nikko Remigio on the inactive list, receiver Xavier Worthy handled punt-return duties.
Punter Matt Araiza looked like he’d set a team record for punts in a game when he punted to end the Chiefs’ first three possessions.
This story was originally published December 7, 2025 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Chiefs report card: Did the season become a failure with loss to Texans?."