Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud out-dueled Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes to lead the Texans to a 20-10 victory on Sunday that left the Chiefs’ NFL playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Kansas City’s run of nine straight AFC West division titles officially ended as they fell to 6-7.
Their hopes of bagging a wild card berth that could keep them in the hunt for a fourth straight Super Bowl appearance also took a major hit.
Houston’s top-ranked defense intercepted Mahomes three times, including Azeez Al-Shaair’s pick off of a pass that veteran tight end Travis Kelce bobbled in the fourth quarter.
Stroud threw for 203 yards and a touchdown and Dare Ogunbowale delivered a go-ahead rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter for the Texans, who won their fifth straight to remain one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South division.
Mahomes connected on 14 of 33 passes for 160 yards without a TD. Trailing 10-0 at halftime, the Chiefs showed signs of life as they pulled level in the third quarter on Kareem Hunt’s two-yard rushing TD and a 36-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
But the Texans defense clamped down in the fourth, when the Chiefs were twice unable to convert on fourth down.
“We had chances and we didn’t execute at the right time to win it,” Mahomes said.
“We know the chances are getting lower and lower,” he said of the Chiefs’ playoff prospects, “but I know the guys on this team are gonna give everything they have every opportunity we get.”
Elsewhere the Pittsburgh Steelers battled past the Baltimore Ravens to claim a controversial road win, and Josh Allen inspired a late comeback to give the Buffalo Bills a dramatic victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
A series of contentious officiating decisions — including a crucial disallowed fourth quarter touchdown — left Baltimore coach John Harbaugh fuming as the Ravens slipped to a 27-22 defeat against divisional rivals Pittsburgh in Maryland.
The win saw the Steelers take control of the AFC North divisional race, improving to 7-6 to lead the standings with the Ravens falling to 6-7 in second place.
“It’s been an up and down season for all of us, a lot of people crushing us in the last week or so,” Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers said.
“So to come in here in a hostile environment as the underdog and take the lead in the division is really special,” added Rodgers, who ran for one touchdown and tossed another.
But the main talking point after a fiercely contested duel in Maryland came after the Ravens saw tight end Isaiah Likely have a touchdown chalked off in the fourth quarter.
Likely’s score — which would have given Baltimore a 28-27 lead with 2min 47sec remaining — was initially awarded before being reversed on review after being deemed incomplete.
– Snow-blanketed classic –
In Buffalo, the Bills rallied from a 28-18 fourth quarter deficit in a snow-blanketed classic to beat the Bengals 39-34.
Bills quarterback Allen was the catalyst for the comeback, producing a 40-yard touchdown run — the longest rushing touchdown of his career — to cut the Bengals’ lead to 28-25 with the extra point.
Christian Benford then picked off Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and galloped 63 yards into the end zone to put the Bills ahead and after another Burrow interception immediately afterwards, Allen’s touchdown pass to Jackson Hawes pushed the lead to 39-28.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a potential season-ending Achilles injury in a 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It’s not looking good,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said of Jones’ injury.
The Los Angeles Rams, meanwhile, bounced back from last week’s upset loss to Carolina with an emphatic 45-17 drubbing of already eliminated Arizona. The win leaves the Rams level with the Seattle Seahawks at 10-3, but Los Angeles lead the NFC West by virtue of beating Seattle last month.
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 28-21 in their NFC North divisional clash while the Denver Broncos improved to 11-2 with a 24-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders to retain the AFC top seeding.
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