The Houston Texans are heading to Kansas City with a playoff push in full swing-and a chip on their shoulder.
Fresh off a four-game win streak, including a gutsy victory over the Colts, the Texans (7-5) are suddenly right in the thick of the AFC South race. They're tied in the standings with Indianapolis and Jacksonville, and with just a few weeks left in the regular season, every snap matters.
But this week’s matchup isn’t just another game. It’s a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face a Chiefs team that’s not just struggling-it’s desperate.
Let’s be clear: the Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) are in unfamiliar territory. Sitting 10th in the AFC standings, they’re currently on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
That’s not something we’ve said about a Patrick Mahomes-led squad in a long time. In fact, if the season ended today, the defending Super Bowl champs wouldn’t even make the postseason.
This is a team that’s played in seven straight AFC title games and three straight Super Bowls. Now, they’re fighting just to stay alive.
And that makes them dangerous.
The Texans know that all too well. Their recent history with Kansas City has been full of heartbreak, and it’s all happened on the same field they’ll step onto this weekend.
Take Week 16, for instance. Houston came into Arrowhead with momentum, but the game quickly turned into a nightmare.
Safety Jimmie Ward and offensive lineman Shaq Mason both went down with injuries. But the most crushing blow came when rookie wideout Tank Dell suffered a brutal lower-leg injury after hauling in a 30-yard touchdown from C.J.
Stroud. The stadium went silent as Dell screamed in pain, eventually carted off the field.
The Texans never recovered emotionally, and the Chiefs took full advantage, sealing a 27-19 win.
That loss stung-but it wasn’t the only one.
Houston got another shot at Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round, with a trip to the conference championship on the line. It was a rematch that brought back memories of that infamous January 2020 collapse, when the Texans jumped out to a shocking 24-0 lead before watching Mahomes and company storm back for a 51-31 win.
This time, Houston came to play. They battled for four full quarters and kept it close.
But once again, the Mahomes-to-Travis Kelce connection proved too much to handle. The Chiefs pulled away late, winning 23-14 and ending the Texans’ season.
Now, Houston returns to Arrowhead, still searching for their first win there since the 2019 playoffs. They’re 0-5 in that stadium since then, and they’re facing a Chiefs team that’s backed into a corner.
Mahomes and Reid know what’s at stake. So does the rest of that locker room.
For the Texans, this game is about more than just keeping pace in the AFC South. It’s about proving they belong.
It’s about showing they can finish what they start. And it’s about finally flipping the script in a building that’s haunted them for years.
This isn’t just another “must-win.” It’s a chance to shake off the ghosts of Arrowhead-and keep the postseason dream alive.