The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-12 to advance to their seventh AFC Championship Game in the last seven years. 2018 marked the last AFC Championship that didn’t feature the Chiefs.
Though this should be a celebration of KC’s amazing accomplishment, the game was mired in controversy because the Chiefs benefited from several debatable calls and penalties. Houston not only got the short end of the stick on many crucial plays, but they were also penalized eight times for 82 yards while the Chiefs only had four accepted penalties called against them. With that being said, the Texans’ offense didn’t do itself any favors by surrendering eight sacks and going one for three in the red zone.
Houston got off to a poor start. On the opening kickoff, they gave up a 63-yard return. On top of that, Texans cornerback Kris Boyd was penalized for taking off his helmet and throwing it while still in the field of play, setting up KC at Houston’s 13-yard line. The Texans’ defense held strong though, forcing a field goal as KC took a 3-0 lead.
Facing an early deficit, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t waver. The second-year man out of Ohio State University opened the game three for four passing with 55 of Houston’s 68 yards, leading to a field goal as well as a 3-3 tie. Stroud took an odd hit around his knee on the last third down of that series, which caused him to come up hobbling. Thankfully, he returned to the game on the Texans’ next possession, but he had a minor limp the rest of the afternoon.
KC’s second possession was prolonged by a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty called on 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. With new life, the Chiefs once again moved the ball into Houston’s red zone before settling for another field goal and a 6-3 advantage.
Roughing the passer: pic.twitter.com/c6h1X4gWtD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2025
Tight End Travis Kelce helped the Chiefs finally reach the end zone in the second quarter. Following a missed field goal by Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, Kelce recorded a 49-yard catch-and-run – his longest reception of the season – which led to a one-yard touchdown run by running back Kareem Hunt for a 13-3 Chiefs lead. Kelce finished the day with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. This was Kelce’s ninth playoff game with 100+ receiving yards, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the all-time postseason record.
Texans wideout and cancer survivor John Metchie III made two catches for 35 yards on Houston’s last drive before halftime. That series ended with a 48-yard field goal, and Houston trailing 13-6 at the break.
Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon reached the end zone in the third quarter on a 13-yard dash to cut the lead to 13-12. However, Ka’imi Fairbairn missed only his third extra-point attempt of the season, keeping the Chiefs in the lead. Of Fairbairn’s three missed extra points, two of them came in Kansas City. He finished the day with three misses.
Patrick Mahomes did just enough to help his team pull out the win, completing 16 of 25 passes for 177 passing yards, a touchdown, and 14 rushing yards. His fantastic 11-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce on a 3rd and 11 while being tackled extended KC’s lead to 20-12 in the fourth quarter.
WHAT. A. TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/6Ch2lUfLp7
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 18, 2025
KC forced a turnover on downs near midfield after sacking C.J. Stroud to give the offense the ball back with an eight-point lead and less than ten minutes remaining in the game. On the ensuing drive, KC forced Houston’s first three-and-out of the day.
Following a bad punt, Kareem Hunt broke off two runs for 23 yards, which resulted in a 27-yard field goal to make it 23-12.
Houston did its best to answer back and make it a one-score game, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s field goal attempt with under two minutes to go was blocked, securing the win for the Chiefs.
Unfortunately for the Houston Texans, this marks their second straight loss in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Since their inaugural season in 2002, Houston has never advanced to an AFC Championship Game with a record of 0-6 in divisional playoff games.
Up next, Kansas City will host the winner of the Baltimore Ravens-Buffalo Bills matchup with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
