Arrowhead Pride
In the Week 14 episode of “Sunday Night Football,” the (6-6) Kansas City Chiefs are hosting the (7-5) Houston Texans in a late-season matchup with serious postseason implications. No longer in complete control of their playoff destiny, the Chiefs need a win against the Texans to make the postseason a 50/50 proposition. Meanwhile, a Houston win will give the team a big step toward a playoff berth — and allow it to stay in contention for the AFC South title.
Kansas City began at its own 33 and leaned on Isiah Pacheco for back-to-back 3-yard runs before Patrick Mahomes’ third-down throw to Noah Gray fell incomplete. With nothing developing beyond midfield and Wanya Morris leaving the field after the first snap, Matt Araiza punted from the 39, sending a 48-yard kick that Jaxson Noel secured with a fair catch at the Houston 13.
Houston began at its own 13 and leaned on Will Marks for the early work, using an extra blocker in Ben Fisher to spring a 6-yard gain off left guard. Marks added 3 more up the middle, setting up a manageable second down, but the Texans failed to build real momentum from there. A short pass from C.J. Stroud to Christian Kirk gained 6 yards, but Kansas City’s front stiffened: George Karlaftis and Nick Bolton combined to stop Marks on a right-end run, and a sack split by Jerry Tillery and Ashton Gillotte pushed Houston backward before a defensive-holding call on Bolton wiped out another stop. After the penalty reset the chains, Marks gained 2 yards on a right-tackle call, then 3 more inside, but the Chiefs held firm again as Stroud’s third-down throw to Nico Collins fell incomplete.
