They did it again.
Despite not looking like an overpowering team at any point this season, the Chiefs powered their way to a seventh straight AFC Championship Game after a 23-14 victory over the Texans. It was a sloppy game, but that’s nothing new for the 2024-2025 Chiefs.
The days of mass play with the Legion of Zoom are long gone. This team plays a style of football that hasn’t produced much statistical success lately, aside from the most important statistic: wins. Kansas City deserves respect for reaching the AFC title game (again) with a 16-2 overall record, but its actual performance fell short some question whether or not the Chiefs have what it takes to beat the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills in the next round.
And that’s what they’ll have to do to continue their quest for the first Super Bowl three-peat in NFL history.
On a play-by-play basis, the Chiefs had one of their worst offensive games of the entire season. According to TruMedia, their 37.7% success rate was the third-lowest mark of the season (excluding the Week 18 game with almost no starters).
Kansas City’s problems along the offensive line were exacerbated by an aggressive Texans defensive line, led by Will Anderson Jr., who had two sacks and three tackles for loss. The Chiefs survived by getting heroic moments from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but overall they did not play well on a consistent basis, especially in the first half when they had a 34.6% success rate.
With some help from special teams and defense, the Chiefs built a 13-6 halftime lead that they never relinquished.
“This is unreal. I tell the fans the same thing. We are very happy that we did that [Mahomes] here,” head coach Andy Reid said after the game. “The things he does just don’t happen. That’s why he’s the best because he’s doing what he’s done in a relatively young career here.”
It feels like the Chiefs’ supporting cast has been reduced to just looking at what Mahomes can play in impossible odds. He delivered, especially when he threw his only touchdown of the game to Kelce while being sacked and falling. Fortunately, those few key moments from Mahomes were all the Chiefs needed, as their defense lived up to the standard they set in 2023, rather than where they fell in 2024.
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud fought hard, but the Chiefs collected a whopping eight sacks on him. In the fourth quarter, the Texans were held to a 28.6% conversion rate and converted just four first downs. A touchdown and a field goal in the final frame were all the Chiefs needed to put this one on ice.
The big caveat here is that the Texans are not aligned with Buffalo and Baltimore. Houston had one of the worst offenses in the league this season, while Kansas City’s next opponent is guaranteed to be one the elite units in the NFL. Things will get significantly tougher next Sunday, and the Chiefs were sloppy enough in their game against the Texans to leave doubts about where they stand heading into the AFC Championship Game. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Bills QB Josh Allen will face a tougher battle than the Texans’ beleaguered offense.
Even recognizing that they face a greater challenge, it is impossible to ever completely discount this team. As long as Mahomes is under center and Reid is under the headset, the Chiefs have a chance to make something happen. There is no reason to say this team can’t get back to and win another Super Bowl – only that it looks more uncertain than ever.
(Now watch Mahomes throw for 350 and five touchdowns next week as an act of justice against this article.)