Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are in uncharted territory this NFL season, scrabbling to stay in the playoff picture after a rare display of struggles on the field.
The Chiefs’ star quarterback endured one of the most gruelling games of his career on Sunday night, as Kansas City fell 20- 10 at home to the Houston Texans.
The defeat officially ends their chances of winning the AFC West, a title they’ve dominated for nine successive times.
Mahomes’ performance was uncharacteristically poor. He completed just 14 of 33 passes for 160 yards and failed to throw a single touchdown.
To make matters worse, he threw three interceptions, his first game this season with multiple picks and the first time since December 11, 2022, against the Denver Broncos.
OFF KELCE’S HANDS INTO AL-SHAAIR’S GRASP.
HOUvsKC on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/An7H5798nE— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2025
His completion rate of 42.4 per cent was also a career low, pressing one of the rare occasions the Chiefs quarterback has plodded so visibly.
Yet, the loss wasn’t entirely on Mahomes. Kansas City’s offence plodded with six dropped passes during the game.
Most especially, tight end Travis Kelce had an expensive drop with just over three twinkles left, which would have given the Chiefs a chance to tie the score.
The ball slipped from Kelce’s hands straight into Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Sheair’s, effectively sealing the game for Houston.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice also dropped a pivotal fourth-down pass with just over five twinkles left, which would have extended a drive and kept Kansas City in the contest.
To add to the Chiefs’ straits, obnoxious lineman Wanya Morris suffered a left knee injury on the veritably first play of the game, dismembering the platoon’s meter from the onset.
The Texans capitalised on the miscalculations, executing a short seven-play, 16-yard drive that consumed over three twinkles before a field goal extended their lead, leaving the Chiefs with too little time to respond.
Mahomes’ Struggles Put Chiefs on the Back Foot
This loss ends Kansas City’s remarkable nine-year run of AFC West division titles, the longest in NFL history.
The crown will now go to either the Denver Broncos or Los Angeles Dishes, and for the first time in nearly a decade, the Chiefs are fighting just to keep their playoff hopes alive.
With a 6- 7 record after 13 games, Kansas City faces its worst launch since 2012. To make the postseason, they will probably need to win every remaining game and count on favourable results away, a lofty order after last season’s Super Bowl disappointment.
The defeat was also watched by Travis Kelce’s fiancée, 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift, making her first appearance at GEHA Field since November 23.
Her presence added a touch of star-studded glamour to a game that otherwise left Chiefs fans disappointed.
Chiefs’ Night Highlights Team Challenges
Sunday night’s game was a reminder that, indeed, elite NFL brigades can face tough nights. Between Mahomes’ rare struggles, expensive drops, and early injuries, Kansas City’s path to the playoffs is now uncertain.
The platoon must regroup snappily if they’re to salvage the remainder of the season and avoid another early exit from postseason contention.
For the Chiefs and their suckers, it’s a sobering reality check that dominance in the NFL is noway guaranteed, and indeed the stylish quarterbacks can face a night to forget.
