Chiefs win AFC West again after beating Houston Texans in overtime: here’s the story

The Chiefs played with fire against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium and the contest extended to overtime.

But Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark ensured his team wouldn’t get burned in the extra period.

Clark forced a fumble on Texans quarterback Davis Mills, and linebacker Willie Gay recovered it at the Texans’ 26-yard line.

Running back Jerick McKinnon sealed it from there, taking a handoff from quarterback Patrick Mahomes for a 26-yard touchdown run to give the Chiefs a 30-24 win and the AFC West title for the seventh straight time.

For the second straight week, however, it wasn’t a pretty effort from the Chiefs.

“It was a weird game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters after the game.

The Chiefs seemed to be sleepwalking through the first half, falling behind 14-7 against one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Two straight Chiefs possessions to start the game ended in punts.

“Like I said before, for us to come out and start slow in games, it’s definitely not who we are,” Mahomes said. “It’s not our identity. It’s not what we want. But along the course of the season, things happen.

“It’s not pretty. It’s not the nicest, but we find a way to win, and that’s all that matters.”

Texans quarterback Davis Mills pounced on the Chiefs’ slow start, leading his offense on two scoring drives in the first half. Mills threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano late in the first quarter and then scored himself on a 17-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.

The Chiefs stumbled out of the blocks, punting twice before Mahomes found McKinnon in the flat on the right side of the field. McKinnon did the rest, bolting down the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

After two ineffective second-quarter possessions, which included running back Isiah Pacheco losing a fumble, the Chiefs closed out the first half with an impressive 13-play, 97-yard touchdown drive.

Mahomes capped off the drive by throwing a dart to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 4-yard score. Kicker Harrison Butker missed the extra point, his third such miss of the season, and the Chiefs entered halftime down 14-13.

The second half became a see-saw affair between the two teams. The Chiefs took their first lead in the third quarter when Butker connected on a 27-yard field goal that made it 16-14.

But Houston answered two possessions later, taking advantage of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s lost fumble with a seven-play, 28-yard scoring drive. Mills finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins to give the Texans a 21-16 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the field and scored on a 5-yard keeper. The Chiefs then converted a 2-point conversion when Mahomes connected with McKinnon on a short pass to put the Chiefs back on top, 24-21.

Houston tied the game on Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 29-yard field goal, and the Chiefs had the opportunity to close out the game in regulation.

With less than two minutes to go, Mahomes put the Chiefs in position to win with a 14-yard scramble that got the visitors to the Texans’ 31-yard line. Mahomes’ effort brought the Chiefs well within kicker Harrison Butker’s range, but Butker’s 51-yard attempt sailed wide right.

The Chiefs won the OT coin-toss, elected to receive, and eventually won the game.

“The thing I was proudest about our guys was they kept playing,” Reid said. “They didn’t let anything hinder them, whether it was calls, whether it was fumbles, whatever.

“They kept playing. Defensively that was a real strength, and then Frank (Clark) at the end, that relentless pursuit making the play like he did. Willie (Gay) getting under the pile there and making sure we got that football in hand.”

In addition to his game-changing forced fumble, Clark finished with five tackles, including one for a loss, and recorded the Chiefs’ lone sack against the Texans.

Offensively, the Texas-native Mahomes finished the day completing 36 of 41 passes, including 20 straight to end his afternoon, for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Travis Kelce recorded 10 catches for 105 yards, while McKinnon contributed 52 yards rushing and a touchdown on 10 carries and eight catches for 70 yards and touchdown.

The Chiefs improved to 11-3 and kept pace with the Buffalo Bills in the chase for the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs.

“Just all around a good fight,” Reid said. “We’ve got to do better in the penalty area, turnover area. We’ve got to make sure we fix this. We’ll get back on that. The important thing is we won the game, and they (wins) are tough to get in this league.”

Here’s what else stood out Sunday afternoon:

FUMBLEITIS

Pacheco lost a fumble in the second quarter and wide receiver Smith-Schuster lost one in the third quarter. Both turnovers resulted in Texans touchdowns.

In the case of Pacheco, Sunday marked his fourth fumble of the season, with two lost.

The Chiefs sat Pacheco on the final two possessions of the first half before he returned to action and finished the game with 86 yards on 15 carries.

Sunday marked the ninth game this season in which the Chiefs turned over the ball.

“Ridiculous,” Reid told reporters. “You can’t have that. The guys know that.”

DEFENSIVE WOES

Sunday marked the second straight game in which the Chiefs faced one of the worst-scoring offenses in the NFL.

The Texans entered Sunday’s showdown averaging 16.2 points per game, which ranked 30th in the league, and put 24 points on the board against the Chiefs. Houston played without running back Dameon Pierce, the team’s leading rusher, and wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins.

In Week 14, the Chiefs faced a Denver Broncos offense that averaged 13.8 point per game. Kansas City allowed the Broncos to score 28 points.

TONEY RETURNS

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney played for the first time in three games and the Chiefs appeared to ease him in.

But he made his presence felt on the Chiefs’ opening possession with a 5-yard catch. He also resumed his role as their primary punt returner, recording 8 yards on two returns.

INJURIES

None of note.

NOT SUITED UP

Quarterback Shane Buechele, defensive end Malik Herring, tackle Geron Christian, rookie offensive lineman Darian Kinnard and defensive end Joshua Kaindoh were inactive.

UP NEXT

The Chiefs return home and play host to the Seattle Seahawks Saturday in Week 16 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.