The Houston Texans are in total control, up 10-0, against the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs at halftime of "Sunday Night Football." It's the first time the Chiefs have been shut out at home in the first half since their 2018 AFC Championship game loss to the Patriots.
The Chiefs quickly began the night behind the metaphorical eight-ball with backup left tackle Wanya Morris suffering a leg injury on the very first play that knocked him out for the rest of the night. As a result, Kansas City's first three drives ended in punts.
Both of Houston's scoring drives were jump-started by big plays downfield by Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins. Quarterback C.J. Stroud's first deep strike to Collins came off of a play-action bomb down the middle a field on a jump ball Collins corralled over Chiefs No. 1 corner Trent McDuffie. McDuffie suffered a knee injury on the play and was ruled as questionable to return. That drive ended with the first points of the night on a 35-yard field goal.
The following drive, Stroud was surrounded by three Chiefs defenders along the right sideline before he opted to heave a cross-body throw to the middle of the field. Collins mirrored his quarterback on the scramble drill and came back to the ball to make the unlikely catch. Tight end Cade Stover provided him with a key block, which sprung Collins free down the right sideline for a gain of 53 all the way down to the Chiefs' 7. He finished the half with 121 yards receiving on just four catches.
Rookie running back Woody Marks scored the game's first touchdown from 9 yards out on third-and-goal after the Chiefs' blitz left him all alone. Stroud lofted a floater his way, and Marks easily snagged the football to waltz into the end zone untouched. That put the Texans up 10-0 with 9:24 left in the half. Stroud finished the half with 171 yards passing and a touchdown while completing 12 of his 19 passes.
Mahomes' attempt to answer didn't land after Texans safety Jalen Pitre made one of the most acrobatic plays of the 2025 season. Pitre deflected Mahomes' pass intended for wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster into the air, ran back behind the airborne football to haul it in for the game's first takeaway via an interception with 8:34 left in the half.
Kansas City attempted a 43-yard field goal with a minute left in the half, but kicker Harrison Butker missed it on a doink off the right upright. Mahomes finished the half with 58 yards passing and an interception while completing 8 of his 12 throws.
Will the Chiefs be able to slow down Stroud and Collins when they begin the second half with the ball, or will Houston bury Kansas City with another score? Stay tuned to our live blog below to find out.
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Houston lost a total of two yards when it was all said and done on their second drive after the second Kansas City turnover on downs. The Texans' punt traveled down to the Chiefs' 8, so Kansas City needs to travel 92 yards to tie the game with 3:53 left to play.
Feeling even more pressure down seven, the Chiefs went for it again on fourth down from their 41 on a fouth-and-5. Once again, the Texans pass rush pressured Mahomes into incompletion to wide receiver Rashee Rice for another turnover downs. Houston likely needs just a single down to get within field goal range to back up multiple scores. The Texans lead 17-10 with 5:26 left to play.
Houston gets back on top 17-10 with 6:56 left to play on a five-yard rushing touchdown from running back Dare Ogunbowale. It was a bruising run that included a couple of broken tackles en route to the end zone. The Texans made the Chiefs fully pay for their choice to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 31 by taking the turnover on downs and turning into seven points. Kansas City has 6:56 left to play down by seven.
Kansas City rolled the dice in a defensive slugfest on fourth-and-1- from their own 31, and it didn't work. Patrick Mahomes threw a wobbling throw under pressure slightly behind wide receiver Rashee Rice, and the football fell incomplete. Now, the Texans begin their next drive in field goal range in a 10-10 game with 10:18 left to play. That decision is jarring considering Houston had punted on their first five drives of the second half.
Houston cornerback Kamari Lassiter acted as the intended receiver on Patrick Mahomes' third-and-6 heave. Mahomes throwing off of his back foot caused an underthrow that right to Lassiter. The Texans offense will start their next drive at their own 16 in a 10-10 game to begin the fourth quarter.
Three consecutive Texans punts to begin the half have allowed the Chiefs to get back in it. Harrison Butker's 36-yard field goal ties the game at 10 with 1:50 left in the third quarter.
Kansas City is now without their top cornerback.
Stroud opened the second half with four straight incompletions as the Chiefs continue to shrink his pocket. That's resulted in back to back three-and-outs for Houston to begin the half. The Chiefs take over at their own 4 after the latest Texans punt trailing 10-7 with 9:03 left in the third quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-1 at the 2, Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt plunged into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown on a shotgun handoff. That play felt like it was the Chiefs' season, and Kansas City still has some life left. They trail the Texans 10-7 with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud had Xavier Hutchinson open over the middle on third-and-14 well beyond the sticks, but he sailed the pass for an incompletion. Kansas City will take the field for the first time trailing 10-0 at their own 44.
It just hasn't been the Chiefs' year in 2025.
Texans safety Jalen Pitre deflected Patrick Mahomes' pass intended for wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster into the air, ran back behind the airborne football to reel it in for the game's first takeaway. Houston takes over on their own 43 up 10-0 with 8:34 left to play.
The Chiefs left Texans rookie running back Woody Marks alone after blitzing on third-and-goal, and that allowed quarterback C.J. Stroud to loft a touch pass to him unhindered. Marks then jogged into the end zone untouched for a nine-yard score, the first touchdown of the night. The Texans lead 10-0 with 9:24 left in the half.
Stroud's cross-body throw found Collins right between the numbers off the scramble, and after tight end Cade Stover provided Collins with a key block, Houston ended up with a 53-yard gain down to the Chiefs' 7. Collins is up to 103 yards receiving on three catches early.
Houston picked up a first down on a tush push sneak by tight end Cade Stover, but an offensive offsides penalty nullified the play. Facing a fourth-and-5, the Texans banged through a 35-yard field goal for the first points of the night. Houston leads Kansas City 3-0 with 4:18 left in the first quarter.
Stroud launched a play-action bomb to wide receiver Nico Collins for a diving, 46-yard gain down to the Chiefs' 21. More bad injury luck for Kansas City as top corner Trent McDuffie suffered an injury upon bringing Collins down to the ground.
Houston picked up one first down, via a defensive holding penalty, before being forced to punt. Given the cold weather and the strengths of these defenses, a low-scoring affair could certainly occur. No score with 9:16 left in the first quarter, and the Chiefs will start their second drive at their own 25.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit tight end Noah Gray right in the hands over the middle of the field, and he dropped the ball. Rough start to the night for the Chiefs
Week 14 was Morris' first start of the season, and now undrafted rookie Esa Pole is in at left tackle for Kansas City
Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL in passing yards per game outside the pocket (73.4) this season, but the Houston Texans are allowing an NFL-low 11 passing yards per game outside the pocket. A big key to that stat for Houston is their Pro Bowl edge rusher duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter: their 44.0 sacks in the last two years are the most in the NFL by a duo.
Houston is No. 1 in both scoring defense (16.5 points per game allowed) and total defense (265.7 total yards per game allowed). No team in the Super Bowl era, since 1966, has missed the playoffs with both the top scoring and total defense.
Kansas City won all 12 of their one-score games in 2024, the most such wins all-time including the playoffs. In 2025, they're just 1-6, a figure that includes a 31-28 defeat at the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving in Week 13. That's despite Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdowns, his first career loss with at least four touchdowns thrown and no interceptions.
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Kansas City is 5-1 at home this season while they are just 1-5 on the road in 2025. They've lost four road games in a row, which is tied for the longest such streak under head coach Andy Reid.
Mahomes' six losses in 2023 are tied for the most in a season of his career along with 2023, a year that ended with the Chiefs hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy. Mahomes is seeking his 112th win since becoming a full-time starting quarterback in 2018, including the playoffs. That would tie Tom Brady for the most every by a quarterback in an eight-year span.
| Most losses in a season, Patrick Mahomes' career as starter | W-L | Season result |
|---|---|---|
2025 | 6-6 | ? |
2023 | 10-6 | W, Super Bowl |
2021 | 12-5 | L, AFC championship |
The 2024 Texans became the first team ever to lose a playoff game after outgaining an opponent by 100 or more total yards while committing no turnovers. The previous such teams to do so were 49-0 in the postseason.
Kansas City won the Week 16 matchup 27-19, a game Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud had two interceptions in. The Texans also won the AFC divisional round matchup 23-14 after sacking Stroud eight times. In that playoff game, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had 117 yards receiving and a touchdown on seven catches.
| Head-to-head last season | Texans | Chiefs |
|---|---|---|
Wins | 0 | 2 |
PPG | 16.5 | 25.0 |
Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
Times sacked | 10 | 4 |
