Houston defeated Kansas City 20-10 at Arrowhead Stadium on December 7, 2025. C.J. Stroud completed 15 of 31 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown while the Texans’ defense forced Patrick Mahomes into three interceptions and zero touchdowns. Nico Collins beat Kansas City’s secondary for 121 yards on four receptions, averaging 30.3 yards per catch in the prime-time victory.
Mahomes completed 14 of 33 passes for 160 yards. The win pushed Houston to 8-5 and extended their winning streak to five consecutive victories. Kansas City dropped to 6-7, their first potential playoff elimination in the Mahomes era.
Table of Contents
Quarterback Comparison
The passing statistics show contrasting performances between the two signal callers.
| Quarterback | Team | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating | Sacks | Sack Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | HOU | 15/31 | 203 | 1 | 0 | 80.4 | 3 | 17 |
| Patrick Mahomes | KAN | 14/33 | 160 | 0 | 3 | 19.8 | 2 | 12 |
Stroud averaged 6.5 yards per attempt. His 53-yard strike to Collins in the second quarter led to Houston’s first touchdown. Mahomes averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt while under constant pressure from Will Anderson Jr. and Houston’s pass rush.
Three different Texans’ defenders intercepted Mahomes. Jalen Pitre grabbed the first in the second quarter off a deflection. Kamari Lassiter picked off a deep shot intended for Marquise Brown in the fourth quarter. Azeez Al-Shaair sealed the victory with 30 seconds left when a pass intended for Travis Kelce bounced off his hands.
Kansas City’s receivers dropped seven passes, including two on fourth down. According to ESPN’s game coverage, those drops accounted for 40 potential yards and ended multiple scoring opportunities.
Ground Game Production
Kansas City accumulated more rushing yards largely because of Mahomes’ scrambling.
Houston Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woody Marks | 26 | 68 | 2.6 | 0 | 8 |
| Dare Ogunbowale | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 5 |
| C.J. Stroud | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 3 |
| Nick Chubb | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
Kansas City Rushing
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 7 | 59 | 8.4 | 0 | 15 |
| Kareem Hunt | 12 | 30 | 2.5 | 1 | 6 |
| Isiah Pacheco | 9 | 30 | 3.3 | 0 | 6 |
Ogunbowale’s 5-yard touchdown run gave the Texans a 17-10 lead with seven minutes left.
Mahomes ran out of the pocket repeatedly, picking up 59 yards on seven runs. Hunt converted a crucial fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the third quarter for Kansas City’s only touchdown. The Chiefs rushed for 126 total yards but couldn’t sustain drives in critical situations.
Pass Catching Leaders
Collins dominated the receiving production while Kansas City’s pass catchers struggled with drops.
Top Houston Receivers
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | TD | Long | YPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Collins | 4 | 8 | 121 | 0 | 53 | 30.3 |
| Jayden Higgins | 3 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 17 | 11.3 |
| Dalton Schultz | 3 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 14 | 7.3 |
| Woody Marks | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 4.0 |
Top Kansas City Receivers
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | TD | Long | YPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Worthy | 3 | 4 | 55 | 0 | 23 | 18.3 |
| Rashee Rice | 4 | 8 | 34 | 0 | 15 | 8.5 |
| Marquise Brown | 1 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 35 | 35.0 |
| Travis Kelce | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 |
Collins recorded his fourth 100-yard performance in five weeks. His 46-yard grab beat Trent McDuffie down the sideline in the first quarter and led to Ka’imi Fairbairn’s opening field goal. The 53-yard catch came after McDuffie left with a knee injury, which put rookie Nohl Williams in coverage.
Kelce caught one pass on five targets. His two fourth-quarter drops ended potential scoring drives. Rice caught four passes but dropped the fourth-down attempt that ended Kansas City’s comeback hopes.
Defensive Production
Tackle Leaders and Pressure
Houston’s defense generated consistent pressure while capitalizing on Kansas City’s mistakes.
Houston Defense
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Togiai | 10 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Jalen Pitre | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Myles Bryant | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kansas City Defense
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Bolton | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Drue Tranquill | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Edwards | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Karlaftis | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Jones | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Togiai filled in for injured Tim Settle and recorded career highs in tackles and pressures. His first-quarter sack of Mahomes resulted in a punt.
Bolton led all defenders with 12 tackles. Jones generated four quarterback hits and maintained constant interior pressure, though Stroud’s quick release neutralized much of Kansas City’s pass rush.
Secondary Performance
Lassiter covered nine targets and allowed four completions for 49 yards. He recorded an interception and two pass breakups. Pro Football Focus assigned him a 90.2 coverage grade despite a foot injury.
Pitre covered five targets and allowed three catches for 20 yards. He recorded his interception on a deflected pass. Lassiter and Pitre held every Chiefs’ receiver under 60 yards. Worthy led Kansas City with 55 yards on three catches but couldn’t create consistent separation.
Kansas City’s secondary maintained coverage despite the injuries. Edwards allowed four completions on four targets. Williams took over and surrendered 75 yards on eight targets as Collins beat the coverage twice for gains over 40 yards.
Team Statistics
| Category | Houston | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 268 | 274 |
| First Downs | 14 | 15 |
| Third Down | 8/18 (44%) | 4/14 (29%) |
| Fourth Down | 0/0 | 1/3 (33%) |
| Time of Possession | 31:58 | 28:02 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Penalties | 8-59 | 5-20 |
The Texans converted 44% of third downs compared to just 29% for the Chiefs while controlling possession for nearly four extra minutes. The three-turnover differential made the difference.
Fairbairn converted both field goal attempts (35 and 28 yards) and both extra points. Butker made a 36-yarder but missed wide right from 43 yards just before halftime, which kept Kansas City scoreless through two quarters. Tommy Townsend punted eight times with a 41.1-yard average and pinned the Chiefs inside their 20-yard line three times.
Critical Moments
First Half Control
The second quarter established Houston’s control. After Kansas City failed to score on their opening possession, Stroud connected with Collins for 46 yards. Three plays later, Fairbairn hit from 35 yards for a 3-0 lead.
Houston extended the advantage before halftime. Collins beat Kansas City’s secondary for 53 yards down to the 9-yard line. Stroud hit Marks in the flat for a 9-yard touchdown reception to cap a 10-play, 90-yard drive that consumed 5:30 of clock.
Kansas City’s Brief Rally
Kansas City opened the second half with their best drive. Mahomes connected with Brown for 35 yards, then scrambled for 15 more. Hunt converted on fourth down from the 2-yard line, which cut the deficit to 10-7.
Butker’s 36-yard field goal tied the game at 10-10 early in the fourth quarter.
The Decisive Sequence
Tied at 10, Kansas City faced fourth-and-1 at their own 31-yard line. Andy Reid chose to go for it rather than punt. Mahomes targeted Rice on a quick out, but Derek Stingley Jr. broke up the pass. Houston took over at the Kansas City 31.
Six plays later, Ogunbowale broke through for his 5-yard touchdown run.
Kansas City’s next possession ended on another fourth-down failure at the Houston 41. Mahomes threw to Rice, who dropped a pass at the 35-yard line.
After Houston punted, Kansas City got one final chance from their own 8-yard line. Mahomes threw three incompletions before targeting Kelce in the end zone. The ball bounced off Kelce’s hands and into Al-Shaair’s for the game-sealing interception.
Pro Football Reference’s detailed play-by-play tracks every snap from this contest.
Injury Impact
Kansas City entered without two starting offensive linemen. Right guard Trey Smith (ankle) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps) sat out. Backup Wanya Morris lasted one play before exiting with a knee injury, forcing undrafted rookie Esa Pole into extended action.
Pole allowed just three pressures on 42 pass-blocking snaps in his NFL debut.
McDuffie’s first-quarter knee injury left Kansas City without their best cover corner. Williams took over and allowed 75 yards on eight targets as Collins exploited the coverage twice for gains over 40 yards.
Houston lost Nick Chubb to a rib injury after just one carry. Marks absorbed all the backfield work, touching the ball 28 times.
Advanced Performance Metrics
Stroud completed 15 of 31 pass attempts (48.4%). His completion rate rose to 60% after removing drops, throwaways, and batted passes from the calculation. He targeted receivers an average of 11.2 air yards downfield. His average time to throw was 3.15 seconds, which allowed him to release the ball quickly against Kansas City’s pressure.
Mahomes faced 24 total pressures during the game. His completion rate reached 71.4% after removing drops, throwaways, and batted passes from the calculation. The seven receiver drops wiped out 40 potential yards. His average time to throw stretched to 3.33 seconds as he scrambled to create opportunities.
Mahomes averaged 6.4 yards before contact on his scrambles and broke one tackle. Houston’s running backs averaged 1.3 yards before contact, which showed Kansas City’s success against the designed run game.
The NFL’s official game center provides complete statistical breakdowns and advanced metrics.
Playoff Race Implications
At 8-5, the Texans trail Jacksonville by one game in the AFC South with four games remaining. Houston hosts Arizona and the Raiders before traveling to the Chargers and hosting Indianapolis in the finale.
Kansas City’s playoff chances dropped significantly. At 6-7, the Chiefs trail the seventh seed by two full games with four to play. They hold tiebreaker disadvantages against Houston, the Chargers, and the Buffalo Bills.
The Texans’ five-game winning streak includes a victory over the Buffalo Bills. The victory at Arrowhead put Houston at 8-5 with the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
For Kansas City, the loss exposed fundamental problems beyond injuries. The receiving corps dropped seven passes on the night. The offensive line depth remains a critical weakness.
Historical Context
This marked Houston’s third victory over Kansas City in 11 meetings since 2015. The Texans improved to 3-5 all-time at Arrowhead Stadium with wins in 2004, 2019, and 2025. They snapped a three-game losing streak against the Chiefs, which included last January’s divisional playoff defeat. Historical matchup data between these franchises can be found at StatHead Football.
Mahomes fell to 5-3 against Houston in his career. His previous stats against the Texans: 14 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. The three-interception performance represented a significant departure from his historical dominance in this matchup.
Stroud improved to 1-2 against Kansas City. His previous meeting came in the 2024 playoffs, where he threw for 231 yards and a touchdown in a loss.
Path Forward
Houston returns home for three of their final four games. They host Arizona in Week 15, then face the Raiders at home before traveling to the Chargers. The regular season finale brings Indianapolis to Houston.
Three wins in the final four games likely clinches a playoff berth. Four wins could deliver the AFC South title based on Jacksonville’s remaining results. The Jaguars face difficult road tests against the Jets and Titans while hosting the Raiders and Colts.
Houston’s defense forced three turnovers against Mahomes without committing any themselves.
Kansas City must win their remaining four games while hoping for help from other results. The Chiefs’ pass-catching issues must be resolved for any realistic playoff chance.
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Houston forced three turnovers while committing none in a game where Kansas City outgained them by just six total yards. The Texans’ ability to capitalize on mistakes made the difference in the 20-10 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
