Sunday Night Football was a rough watch for Kansas City Chiefs fans. With the team fighting for their playoff lives, KC fans expected nothing but the best from their team. After all, this team made a living out of turning on the heat when the games matter the most. There's no better time to do that when you have a less than 50% chance of making it to the playoffs, right?
Well, that unfortunately wasn't the case. The Houston Texans' stifling defense smothered the Chiefs all game long. Patrick Mahomes struggled under heavy duress, under constant pressure all game long. To make matters worse for him, the Chiefs' receivers struggled to catch the ball. Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice, in particular, struggled with drops all game long.
Kelce had two drops in the game, including a crucial drop in the fourth quarter that led to an Azeez Al-Shaair interception that gave the Texans prime field position. This marks the first time that the Chiefs' tight end had more drops than receptions in a game, catching just one pass for eight yards.
“Also, tonight was the 1st game in Travis Kelce's career — regular season or playoffs — in which he had more drops (2) than receptions (1),” Nate Taylor posted on X.
Kelce has had a storied career, often considered one of the greatest tight ends to play the game. However, Kelce's performance over the last two years has dipped significantly. This season, Kelce has 60 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns. The tight end has led the Chiefs this season in drops with five dropped passes.
If the Chiefs weren't in panic mode before the Texans game, they sure are now after this loss. Kansas City has a 6-7 record through 14 weeks of play, putting them at 10th in the AFC. They will not be winning the AFC West this season, and their Wild Card chances have plummeted from doable to improbable at best. Their defense, which carried them through most of the 2024 season, has seemingly regressed, and their offense outside of Mahomes has been nonexistent. After years of dominating the AFC, it seems like Kansas City's hold on the conference will die with a whimper instead of a defiant roar.
