NFL: Mahomes intercepted three times as Chiefs choke to dampen playoff hopes

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to a damaging 20-10 loss against the Houston Texans on Sunday night, a game defined by a rare fourth-down decision from coach Andy Reid that shifted the momentum away from his team.

With the score tied at 10 in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs kept their offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 on their own 31-yard line.

Rather than turning to Kareem Hunt, Reid opted for a shotgun play with Hollywood Brown in the backfield. Patrick Mahomes’ pass to Rashee Rice fell incomplete, giving Houston the ball in scoring range.

Reid acknowledged the risk afterwards, saying: “I put the guys, offensively, in a tough position with the fourth downs [calls]. I was trying to stay aggressive with it.

“I take full responsibility for that. I thought we could get it. It’s important that you take advantage of opportunities. In hindsight, it was wrong. I messed that one up.”

It was the first time in his 27-year career that he had gone for it on fourth down with the score tied in the fourth quarter or overtime from inside his own 40.

The Texans scored within minutes to move ahead 17-10.

Mahomes Under Pressure

Despite working behind three backup linemen, Mahomes kept the Chiefs competitive, but a combination of pressure, missed opportunities and drops proved costly.

“They did a good job of passing off the crossers,” Mahomes said of the fourth-down incompletion. “I tried to get the ball to Rashee. I think I was a little late. [Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.] made a great play breaking on the ball. We just have to execute at a higher level in those big moments. It’s something we haven’t done this year.”

Mahomes later missed out on a potential 48-yard touchdown when Tyquan Thornton couldn’t secure a perfectly placed deep pass. He finished with 160 yards and a 42.4% completion rate, the lowest of his career.

“We’ve been close all season,” Mahomes said. “You’ve got to go out there and make it happen. I’ve got to make the throw a little bit earlier so [Lassiter] can’t close [on the ball]. We’ve got to make those plays.”

Kansas City suffered five drops, including key mistakes from Hunt, Rice and Travis Kelce. Kelce’s second drop came on the play immediately before Mahomes’ third interception, ending any realistic chance of a comeback.

“You’re just getting late in the season, and you’re not going to get these opportunities back,” Mahomes said. “That’s a good team, but we had chances. We didn’t execute at the right time to win it.”

Chiefs’ Playoff Hopes Fade

The defeat dropped the Chiefs to 6-7, ending their nine-year run of AFC West division titles and reducing their playoff chances to 12 per cent. All four remaining games are against AFC opponents, leaving a narrow path to the postseason.

“Listen, it’s never over, so you keep battling,” Reid said. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve seen some things, so you keep going.”

Travis Kelce did not speak to reporters and remained seated at his locker long after the game ended. Mahomes later reflected on their partnership.

“Every season I’ve had with him these last few years, I try to cherish because you never know [if this will be his last],” Mahomes said. “He got himself in great shape this year and he’s played great football. He’ll have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season, but I know one thing: He’ll give everything he has for the rest of this season to try to give us a chance to make a playoff run.

“We know the chances are getting lower and lower.”