Hands of Stone Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice Fail Chiefs in Major Loss To Houston Texans
The Chiefs are rarely this reckless. They're paying for it.
Kansas City's butterfingers doomed the Chiefs.
The reigning AFC champs now need a miracle ahead of an uphill battle the rest of the season to make the playoffs.
The Chiefs are warming up to the reality of missing the postseason with a bad loss to the Houston Texans, full of miscues.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 07: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks with an official during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Houston pounced on KC, 20-10.
With the win, the Texans (7-6) are positioned to hold the final AFC postseason spot.
Kansas City tallied six bad drops in the primetime game, which was crucial to inching up the AFC wild-card race.
The Chiefs lost the fourth of their last five games. Star wideout Rashee Rice and tight end Travis Kelce suffered brutal drops, which KC paid for.
The Chiefs paid for those costly drops and lost to the Texans on Sunday Night Football, coming into the game with little room for error.
Rice, specifically, got lit up on a tackle and drop in the third, and had his most baffling miscue in the fourth quarter with a fourth-down drop.
Head coach Andy Reid caught some flak over a fourth-down attempt from his own 41-yard line, which failed and set up the Texans and CJ Stroud for the go-ahead score.
The Chiefs' offense was bottled up by the Texans' defense, headlined by Mahomes' three interceptions.
Mahomes tied his career-high for interceptions in a single game.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 07: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after an incomplete pass defended by Myles Bryant #25 of the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Still, Kansas City was stunted by brutal drops all evening.
One of Mahomes' INTs first slipped out of Travis Kelce's hands, into the mitts of Houston's Azeez Al-Shaair. Mr. Hollywood (Kelce) additionally dropped an easy target late in the fourth quarter as Mahomes fought with his back against the end zone.
DeMeco Ryans' league-leading defense and ascending Texans crew nabbed their fifth straight win.
The Chiefs must now beat the Chargers, Titans, Broncos and Raiders to hold reasonable odds of making the playoffs.
Chiefs fans were rightly upset knowing that the playoff odds would drop off dramatically after a Houston loss.
At 6-7, the Chiefs see their sluggish 2025 late-season heading toward disaster, marking one of their worst seasons by their dynastic standards.
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