The Houston Texans defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. It signaled for some a monumental shift from the days of the Chiefs’ dynasty and what some have termed the “Mahomes Mystique.”
Teams once used to fear a close game with the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce in a similar way to how golfers feared down to the wire head-to-head day against Tiger Woods. And while Mahomes and Kelce are still excellent players, they were unable to be the difference against the Texans on Sunday.
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Kelce weighed in on his frustration with the team’s 2025 results following what some might deem a Super Bowl hangover.
“It’s been a tough go around the last 2 days. You put in all this work and hope that it pays off. Right now, it just, for whatever reason, it’s little things, I don’t know. I feel like l’ve always had the answers in years past and this year I just can’t find them … Obviously, looking at the playoffs, it’s a tough reality to be in, especially with, I don’t know, just how we’ve always found a way in years past. Especially dropping the ball late in the game like that when we were on our last (chance) to make something shake. … You put in all this work to be there for your guys, and I just wasn’t that.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) catches a pass for a touchdown against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (59) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
It’s not as if Mahomes and Kelce are not making plays. Just a game prior we saw the two players beat tight man coverage in the red zone against the Dallas Cowboys for a score. In key moments it is at times impossible to defend against Kelce in one-on-one scenarios. Still, Kelce and Mahomes are seeing their precarious grip game results loosen as their best efforts are at times still not good enough.
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It’s unclear whether or not the Chiefs are done competing for Super Bowls. They may not even be out of contention this season. Given what the team has proven capable of in past season, it would be difficult to rule them out of any postseason conversation. Most seasons in recent memory have featured the Chiefs either hoisting the Super Bowl trophy or the opponent of the team that won the title.
Kansas City’s power over the AFC is diminished, and Houston made that clear on Sunday. The Texans will hope to take control of a wild card spot in the coming weeks.