When former Texas Tech star QB Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs had a definitive plan for their future starting QB. Sit as a rookie and learn from Pro Bowl QB Alex Smith; then, take the reins the following season in 2018. Solid plan, but who the heck knew how it would turn out? Not even the most ardent Chiefs fan, follower, player, or employee could have envisioned the level of success that the Chiefs reached during the Mahomes/Andy Reid regime.
Since Mahomes took over in 2018, the Chiefs have made an AFC Championship game appearance EVERY…SINGLE…SEASON. They lost that first one in 2018 to the Patriots, lost a second to the Bengals in 2021 then won every other AFC Championship game. That's FIVE in total. Only one team in NFL history appeared in more consecutive AFC Championship games - the New England Patriots from 2011 - 2018. A simple playoff trip has been a fait accompli for Mahomes and his mates in the nation's Heartland. However, entering Sunday Night's matchup with the Texans, the Chiefs are 6-6 and sitting in 10th place in the AFC.
The Chiefs have always responded to adversity in the Mahomes era, but this is a different type of adversity for the Kingdom. The AFC West division title is wildly out of reach at the moment. The Broncos have turned the tables on the Chiefs, winning one score games as if it's their birthright. The Chargers beat the Chiefs in Brazil. Both teams have at least a two and a half game lead on the Chiefs at this point in the season, even though the Chiefs face both teams in Kansas City later in the season. But, those games might be a moot point if the Texans stay hot and go in and upset the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
It doesn't get much better at this point of the season. The Texans fought back to within one game of the AFC South lead and now face the one team that has ended their season one too many times in past years. December weather. A nationwide audience. Night, Prime Time! Playoff berths/2025 season lives are at stake.
The most accomplished NFL team over the past decade is waiting for you to arrive.
LET'S
GO!
All that said, let's get to Know the Texans' Week 14 Foe - the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
2025 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule (6-6)
- Week 1 - L @ Los Angeles Chargers 27-21 (Brazil)
- Week 2 - L Philadelphia Eagles 20-17
- Week 3 - W @ New York Giants 22-9
- Week 4 - W Baltimore Ravens 37-20
- Week 5 - L @ Jacksonville Jaguars 31-28
- Week 6 - W Detroit Lions 30-17
- Week 7 - W Las Vegas Raiders 31-0
- Week 8 - W Washington Commanders 28-7
- Week 9 - L @ Buffalo Bills 28-21
- Week 10 - BYE WEEK
- Week 11 - L @ Denver Broncos 22-19
- Week 12 - W Indianapolis Colts 23-20
- Week 13 - L @ Dallas Cowboys 31-28
- Week 14 - Houston Texans (SNF)
- Week 15 - Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 16 - @ Tennessee Titans
- Week 17 - Denver Broncos
- Week 18 - @ Las Vegas Raiders
Chiefs OFFENSE (in 2025 regular season)
- Rushing Yards Per game - 118.3 ypg (15th in the NFL)
- Passing Yards Per game - 256.5 ypg (2nd)
- Total offense per game - 374.8 ypg (5th)
- Turnovers lost - 8 (1 Fumble lost, 7 INT)
Expected Chiefs starting offense for Week 14
- QB - Patrick Mahomes
- RB - Isiah Pacheco/Kareem Hunt
- WR - Xavier Worthy
- WR - Hollywood Brown
- WR - Rashee Rice
- TE - Travis Kelce
- LT - Wanya Morris
- LG - Kingsley Suamataia
- C - Creed Humphrey
- RG - Trey Smith (injured against Colts two weeks ago) or Mike Caliendo
- RT - Jawaan Taylor (injured against Cowboys last week) or JAYLON MOORE
Other Key Offensive pieces
- TE - Noah Gray
- WR - Juju Smith-Schuster
- WR/RB/Returner - BRASHARD SMITH
- TE - Jared Wiley
- WR - TYQUAN THORNTON
Italics - Rookie
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2025
Keys to winning v. the Chiefs Offense
- Keanu Reeves has nothing on this SPEED - Perhaps no team in the NFL has team speed at wide receiver quite like the Chiefs offense. Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, Tyquan Thornton and Xavier Worthy would make up the best 4x100 meter relay team in the NFL, perhaps in the history of the game. But, the Chiefs offense doesn't always get those four loose out on the perimeter to take full advantage. That said, I could see the Chiefs testing the Texans with that speed ALL THE WAY down the field this week. The reasons are plentiful, but an early deep ball sends a distinct message and can open up a ton in the passing game. Furthermore, it doesn't take much time at all to take a drop from center or shotgun to launch a 65-yarder down the field to see if it hits one of these four speed merchants in stride for a successful chunk play or TD. If the Chiefs OL remains a patchwork unit due to the injuries, Mahomes can't sit back and read through his progressions; he has to let it go…and he has the speed at receiver to capitalize on a deep shot. But, Mahomes can also throw quick screens to his guys, as he did to Rashee Rice last week on the first drive of the game at Dallas. Rice took the short throw and sped up the field untouched for a game opening TD. Deep shots. Catch and run plays. The Texans defense must be aware of those two opps for this wide receiver track team on Sunday night.
- 23 - The connection between QB Patrick Mahomes and the man who made the #23 as popular as any number in the history of the game (Michael Jordan) is more apt than it may first appear. Mahomes has three Super Bowl rings and is considered the face of the NFL as Jordan was throughout his legendary NBA career. But, the 23 that I'm talking about as it relates to Mahomes is a number that Texans defenders must be cognizant of every single time Mahomes drops back to pass. Mahomes has generated a first down on 23 scrambles out of the pocket this year in just 12 games. Nearly twice every game, Mahomes has split a gap or bounced outside an undisciplined pass rush for a backbreaking first down to keep drives alive. The Texans know all about this after last year's two matchups at Arrowhead Stadium. Furthermore, he doesn't just get first downs with his scrambles, but he forces confusion in the secondary when he starts moving. In last year's playoff game early in the fourth quarter, up just 13-12, the Chiefs faced a third down inside the red zone. It appeared that Texans DL Mario Edwards Jr. had a sack until Mahomes moved up into the pocket. But, as all eyes went to #15, the Chiefs gunslinger floated a pass to TE Travis Kelce for a backbreaking touchdown, all the while having Edwards hanging on to his ankles. Scrambles for first downs. Improbable pass completions after scrambling. It's hard to know when they're going to happen, but the Texans have to limit or eliminate their impact for a full 60 minutes.
- Narratives - Future first ballot HOF TE Travis Kelce is definitely not what he once was, athletically speaking. He's now 36 years old and has played a TON of football in his career. Shoot, he has played/started 15 games a year since 2014 and when you throw in playoffs, that's a LOT of football. So, yeah, he's not physically what he once was, but when I last saw him on a football field at 35-years old, he kicked the Texans backside in the AFC Divisional Playoff matchup. Hard. His performance made me recall what HOF LB Ray Lewis once said in his last few years in the league; he was quicker to the ball and played seemingly faster because he KNEW where to go, his intelligence and smarts took over where his physical ability started to wane. Kelce is similar and it showed in that game against the Texans. He sees openings, feels those clear spots on the field and somehow shows his numbers to Mahomes when the Chiefs need it most. The Texans felt Kelce's pain again in the divisional playoff game. He had three backbreaking plays and was the major reason why the Texans' season ended at Arrowhead. The Texans defense, more than most, has never had great success against #87 and they can't take anything for granted just because he's now 36 that he'll go quietly into the good night.
Chiefs DEFENSE (in 2025 regular season)
- Rushing Yards Allowed Per game - 100.9 ypg (9th in the NFL)
- Passing Yards Allowed Per game - 205.8 ypg (12th)
- Total offense Allowed per game - 306.7 ypg (9th)
- Turnovers generated - 10 (7 INT, 3 Fumble recoveries - Chiefs are +2 in TO margin)
Expected Chiefs starting defense for Week 16
- DE - George Karlaftis
- NT - JERRY TILLERY
- DT - Chris Jones
- DE - Mike Danna
- LB - Nick Bolton
- LB - Leo Chenal
- LB - Drue Tranquill
- CB - Jaylen Watson
- S - Bryan Cook
- S - Jaden Hicks
- CB - Trent McDuffie
- Nickel - Charmarri Conner
Key Defensive Non-Starters
- DT - ASHTON GILLOTTE
- DE - Charles Omenihu
- S - MIKE EDWARDS
- DT - DERRICK NNADI (traded back to KC in August)
- DE - Felix Anudike-Uzomah
- DT - Mike Pennel
- CB - NOHL WILLIAMS
- CB - Joshua Williams
- DB - Chris Roland-Wallace
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2025
Italics - Rookie
Keys to winning v. the Chiefs Defense
- I'd rather he NOT play - When I first saw Chiefs DL Chris Jones at Mississippi State as a true freshman, I thought he was going to be one of the best DL in the NFL in due time. He didn't flourish a ton over his final two seasons at MSU, but once he got into the league, he found that inner DAWG and now brings it out of him each and every week. This is no longer Jones choosing when he WANTS to dominate; he's that guy who takes over week in and week out. His presence on the Chiefs defensive line has consistently scared me because of the consistent disruption that he's caused when he lines up on the other side of the LOS. There was only one game in which Jones' impact was limited and that was in 2022. Even though it feels like he's played every position on the OL since, Texans OL Tytus Howard was a major reason why Jones didn't register a stat that day in the overtime loss. He played LG that day and, if things stay consistent from last week, he should line up there again. In the playoff game, in particular, Jones was stymied for a decent majority of the game against Tytus. The Texans versatile OL star loves the challenge of facing Jones and it'll be one of the best matchups of the evening.
- High Praise - I love to watch Chiefs LB Nick Bolton. Love it. Just not against the Texans. There are a number of LBs that I respect in the league and Bolton is HIGH on that list. He can run. He's smart as all get out. He can decipher plays and schemes quickly. Then, he explodes to the football, whether he's mugged up at the line of scrimmage or lined up anywhere else on the field. The 6-0, 237 lb. superstar is twitchy and explosive to the football, packs a wallop when he gets there and doesn't come off the field, all the while creating impact plays against both the pass and the run. He's the central processing unit for DC Steve Spagnuolo's defense and the Texans have to do everything possible to force Bolton to at least have to jettison Texans blockers to get to the ball. It was clear last week against the Colts that when the Texans got a hat to the LB level, they ran the ball well. Bolton won't make it easy, but the Texans have to eliminate his clear path to the ball carrier as much as possible.
- New Home - In my draft coverage over the past few years, I've begun adding where a prospect went to high school in large part due to Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie. I knew how good he was at the University of Washington and I was a huge fan of his all-around game. When I read his college bio, I realized that he played at St. John Bosco HS in Bellflower, CA. I watched him a ton in high school and loved him at Bosco but didn't even remember that it was him. Knowing where he played his high school ball, how well coached he was in high school, gave me the sense that he would be ready for the rigors, the schemes and the intensity of the NFL. Suffice to say, McDuffie has been that and then some, whether he's playing on the outside or the inside. But, given the Chiefs corner situation in 2025, he's been locked into playing out on the perimeter, instead of on the interior where he's seemingly more at home. His new home isn't a whole new world to him, but he's not the biggest guy and bigger receivers can find advantages just due to size discrepancies. However, since they both entered the league, McDuffie has done as great a job on Nico Collins as any DB in the NFL, regardless of where McDuffie lines up. I'd imagine Spagnuolo will still try to get McDuffie on Collins in match or man situations as much as possible.
