Costly turnovers and fourth-down gamble sink Chiefs against Texans
Despite a dominant defensive performance, the offense failed Kansas City in a 20-10 loss to Houston, dropping to 6-7 entering Week 15.
The Kansas City Chiefs fell to 6-7 on Sunday, suffering another setback in a season that continues to unravel.
Down three starting offensive linemen, and forced to play an undrafted rookie at left tackle after Wanya Morris exited on the first snap, the Chiefs clawed back to tie the Houston Texans before turnovers and a costly fourth-down gamble tilted the game.
Their 20-10 loss dropped their playoff chances to 16 percent, leaving a grim hope of defending their three-time AFC Championship title. It is likely a season to forget in quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ prime, with Kansas City currently the 10 seed in the AFC. It marked their fourth loss in the last five games.
“You’re just getting late in the season,” Mahomes said. “You’re not getting these opportunities back, and that’s a good football team, but we had chances, and we didn’t execute at the right time to win it.”
The Chiefs have now dropped games to all five of the current conference playoff teams they have played, leaving little room for tiebreakers, even if they win their four remaining games.
The tipping point came early in the fourth quarter, when head coach Andy Reid kept the offense on the field for a fourth and one at his own 31-yard line, despite his defense having allowed just 17 total yards and forcing five straight punts to open the second half.
Mahomes had just scrambled nine yards following two-straight incompletions, and in a 10-10 ballgame, Reid’s backup offensive line left his quarterback under duress. Hurried in the pocket, and air-tight coverage did not allow wide receiver Rashee Rice to haul it in.
“I thought we could get it; that was the decision,” head coach Andy Reid said. “I was confident we could do that. It’s important that you take advantage of opportunities. I thought it was an opportunity. I was wrong, no? I mean, hindsight, it was wrong. We’ve been pretty good on fourth downs. I messed that one up.”
Entering Week 14, the Chiefs had converted over 80 percent of their fourth downs. In Reid’s defense, some of the analytic models say to go for it there, but there is no doubt the failed conversion changed the momentum of the game in a game and season-altering way. The defense was playing so well that they deserved to keep the game alive rather than see a short field.
The Texans marched down the field for a six-play drive, nearly doubling their second-half yardage to steal all of the momentum for a 17-10 lead.
It boiled down to another fourth-down conversion on the ensuing drive, and Rice did not make good on the previous failed attempt. Under loads of pressure again, Mahomes slipped away just enough to find Rice at midfield, but it slipped right through the third-year wide receiver’s hands.
“I’m going to go to those guys in big moments,” Mahomes said. “Those guys have made big plays in Super Bowls, they’ve made big plays in AFC Championship Games. Obviously, it didn’t go our way today. I have a lot to do with that myself.”
Houston took over in plus-territory once again, and this time the Chiefs’ defense dominated yet again, forcing their sixth punt of the second half.
The Chiefs got one last crack at a seven-point fourth-quarter comeback, but it was all for naught after tight end Travis Kelce let a ball slip through his hands and into linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s.
With that all but sealing their fate, Reid spoke after the game on the mood of the locker room.
“They’re upset,” Reid said. “They put it all out there, and it didn’t work out for them. The guys that had some mishaps there. They were upset. These guys take responsibility for things. You keep going, but we put everything into these games – every game. So, when you lose, you should be upset. That’s why you try to enjoy the wins when you have an opportunity, but there is a lot of time and effort that goes into it.”
It was a brutal ending to the game, and perhaps the Chiefs’ season. Chewing all but 30 seconds off the clock, Houston kicked through a chip shot field goal to make a 20-10 lead.
Al-Shaair’s interception was Mahomes’ third of the game. Both teams struggled to move the ball all evening, and Kansas City outgained Houston, but it is hard to win games in the NFL when you lose the turnover battle 3-0.
There is no doubt that Mahomes turned lemons into lemonade at times, but statistically speaking, it was one of the worst of his career. The nine-year veteran went 14-for-33 with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. That said, PFF recorded Mahomes as pressured on 50 percent of his drop-backs and had six drops from his pass catchers.
“Listen, these are great players,” Reid said. “I mean, we got to make sure we catch the ball. They know that. They’re trying. It’s not a lack of effort there. (The) ball went through their hands, and it happens, but those guys are great players.”
The most successful plays of the game were the ones that involved Mahomes’ legs. With his playoff chances dwindling, he took seven carries for 59 yards.
Neither Chiefs running back did much. Both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco had 30 yards on a combined 21 carries.
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy led the Chiefs with three catches for 55 yards. Rice caught just four of his eight targets for 34 yards, while Kelce hauled in just one of five targets for eight yards. Drops were an issue for each of them, and tight end Noah Gray also registered two drops.
The Chiefs were shut out and took a 10-0 deficit into the second half after punting three times, turning it over once and had a doinked field goal off the goal post by kicker Harrison Butker on a 43-yard attempt.
Upon losing Morris, rookie left tackle Esa Pole stepped in admirably, but they were an offense in disarray. They mustered just 43 total yards up until the 72-yard drive that ended in the Butker miss. Butker was trotted out onto the field after a third-and-five from the Houston 22 ended in a sack by Denico Autrey.
“Obviously not where you want to be, but I thought Esa (Pole) played his tail off for being a guy that had to get activated and be on the roster and go up against one of the best pass rushes in the league,” Mahomes said. “(I) thought he did a great job giving me time to throw the ball down the field in big situations.”
Houston came into the game as the NFL’s number one defense, allowing just barely more than 16 points per game. While the first half did not go as planned, Kansas City was still in a manageable position to come out firing in the second half.
And they did just that.
A quick three-and-out, upon defensive tackle Chris Jones making his presence felt, Mahomes found Hollywood Brown for a 35-yard pass deep down the right side of the field to set the Chiefs up on the first offensive play of the half.
Ironically, the Chiefs pulled within three just a few plays later on a fourth-down attempt after Hunt punched it in from two yards out to make it a 10-7 game. The unit went 4-of-14 on third downs and 1-for-3 on fourth-down conversions by the end of it, but this call ended in a seven, their only touchdown of the game.
Amid all the defensive stops, Kansas City moved the ball well on the next two drives, too. One ended in a punt after marching 40 yards, and the other tied the game with a Butker 36-yarder.
Unfortunately for Mahomes and the offense, that is where the scoring stopped. Despite the continued defensive prowess, they threw two interceptions and turned it over on downs on their following four offensive drives.
“I thought defensively we played a very sound football game, especially that second half, Chris Jones and (Nick) Bolton leading the way,” Reid said. “There was some fine football there, but we just need to take advantage of it offensively, and we weren’t able to do that.”
The Chiefs held Houston’s rushing attack to 2.6 yards per carry, and C.J. Stroud completed 15 of his 31 passes, but the former Ohio State quarterback did just enough when it mattered the most.
It was explosive plays to Nico Collins that made the difference in the Texans’ two first-half scoring drives. A 46-yard pass propelled the 3-0 lead, and on the next drive, it was a 53-yarder to Collins to make way for 10-0. Collins and the rest of their weapons were bottled up after that, but he finished with four catches for 121 yards.
Jones willed the Chiefs to their defensive performance, which was highlighted by one sack, four quarterback hits, and one batted pass. He was in the backfield all game, as he and his teammates allowed just 268 yards and 14 first downs. Even the 20 points were impressive considering the short fields from turnovers and turnovers on downs.
“We were able to see what they were doing, make some adjustments as a defense and get after
It,” Jones said of the dominant second-half performance.
The defense posted three sacks after getting skunked the previous two weeks. Aside from Jones, defensive linemen George Karlaftis tallied one, while Ashton Gillotte and Jerry Tillery split another.
Linebacker Nick Bolton led the team in tackles with 12 and two tackles for a loss. His counterpart, Drue Tranquill, racked up 10 himself with the duo clogging up the middle of the field. It cannot be understated how well they and the defensive backs flew downhill to make tackles, keeping the team in the game and Houston’s offense behind the sticks.
It should also be noted that their performance was without cornerback Trent McDuffie, who went down early in the game after banging up his knee on one of the Collins’ deep passes.
Kansas City’s defense did everything possible to keep the season afloat, but an offensive line held together by backups and plagued by mistakes could not match it.
“I’m proud of the way the defense fought with all of the disadvantages we put them in, they (the defense) kept giving us chances,” Mahomes said. “That’s all we can ask for them. Offensively, I have to be better at not turning the football over, getting us into better plays in certain situations, and then giving guys chances down the field.”
Below .500, with playoff odds slipping away and injuries mounting, the Chiefs enter the final four weeks needing a perfect finish and a whole lot of help.
“Listen, it’s never over,” Reid said. “You keep battling. I’ve been doing this a long time, seen some things, so you keep going.”
INJURIES
Both left tackle Wanya Morris and cornerback Trent McDuffie exited with knee injuries before being ruled out.
UP NEXT
Kansas City stays home to host the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) in Week 15. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. CT on Dec. 14.