Patrick Mahomes endures a night to forget, compounded by a brutal Travis Kelce drop, leaving the Chiefs teetering on the edge of missing the playoffs — a dramatic collapse that shakes fans, ignites debate, and threatens to rewrite Kansas City’s season.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are in an unfamiliar spot: fighting for their lives this season.
Mahomes had one of the worst performances of his career Sunday night during the Chiefs’ 20-10 home loss to the Texans, which knocked them out of contention to win the AFC West.
Kansas City’s star quarterback finished the game completing a mere 14-of-33 passes for 160 yards without a single touchdown throw.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) walks off the field after the game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
To make matters worse, Mahomes threw three interceptions, marking the first time this season he’s done so and the first time since Dec. 11, 2022, against the Broncos that he’s thrown three picks.
And his 42.4 completion percentage was a career low for Mahomes.
But not all of it was his fault, as Kansas City had six drops on the night.
“You’re getting late in the season. You’re not going to get these opportunities back,” Mahomes told reporters. “That’s a good football team, but we had chances and we didn’t execute at the right time to win it.”
The ugly result was punctuated by a miscue by Travis Kelce that sealed the loss for Kansas City.
With just over 3:30 left in the game and the Chiefs having one final chance to tie the score, Mahomes dropped back and passed to Kelce, who had the ball hit off his hands and went right into the hands of linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for an interception.
Rashee Rice also had a brutal drop on a fourth-down pass over the middle that would have led to a first down with just over five minutes left to play and the Chiefs down just 17-10.
Kansas City also saw offensive lineman Wanya Morris go down with a left knee injury on the first play of the game.
The Texans went on a seven-play, 16-yard drive that killed off 3:02 on the clock and ended with a field goal to extend their lead.
It had been nine years since the Chiefs had not won the division, and now the crown will either end up going to the Broncos or Chargers.
The Chiefs’ nine consecutive division titles marked the second-longest streak in NFL history.
Now there’s a greater chance the Chiefs may not even make the postseason after falling to 6-7, which is their worst record through 13 games since 2012.
Azeez Al-Shaair #0 of the Houston Texans intercepts a pass intended for Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025.
Kansas City will likely have to win out and get some help to sneak into the playoffs after losing in the Super Bowl last season.
“We’ve still got an opportunity. Even though it’s a slim opportunity, we have an opportunity,” Chiefs 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.”
The loss also came in front of Travis Kelce’s fiancée and 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift, who was at her first game at GEHA Field since Nov. 23.
