
The Houston Texans rolled into Arrowhead for a primetime showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Texans didn’t just win; they strutted into one of the loudest stadiums in the league and punched the champs squarely in the mouth, walking away with a 20-10 victory and a five-game winning streak.
Sure, the offense held up its end of the bargain. But let’s call it like it is: the defense was the star of the show, the main event, the whole shebang. This unit isn’t just “pretty good” anymore. They’re cementing themselves as one of the most fearsome, shutdown defenses in the entire NFL, and Sunday night was their masterpiece.
Former MVPs vs. the @HoustonTexans this season (Josh Allen & Patrick Mahomes):
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) December 8, 2025
0 TD passes
5 INT
10 times sacked
No other team in NFL history has had 10+ sacks & 5+ interceptions against former MVPs in a season while holding them to 0 TD passes. pic.twitter.com/FRdVlmhDoh
By holding the mighty Patrick Mahomes to a measly 160 passing yards, the Houston Texans did something no other team has managed in four decades. According to the stat wizards over at NFL on CBS, the Texans are the only team in the last 40 seasons to hold every single one of their first 13 opponents under 225 passing yards.
Think about that for a second. In an era where rules are practically gift-wrapped for quarterbacks to sling the ball around like it’s a backyard barbecue, the Texans’ “no-fly zone” secondary has been impenetrable. They’ve faced a gauntlet of top-tier quarterbacks, Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Allen, and none of them even cracked the 200-yard mark against this defense.
The game against the Chiefs was more than just a win; it was a statement. The Texans didn’t just contain Mahomes; they made him look downright human. He finished with just 14 completions, was picked off three times, and failed to throw a single touchdown. When was the last time Mahomes threw three picks? Back in 2022. The last time he threw three picks with zero touchdowns? Never. Not once in his entire, highlight-reel career.
This wasn’t just a bad day at the office for Mahomes; it was arguably the worst game of his professional life. That’s not a fluke. That’s a testament to a defense that’s playing with a level of ferocity and intelligence that has to be seen to be believed.
For Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, it was personal. “The way they put us out of the playoffs last year… it was huge for us,” he said after the game. You could feel the emotion, the raw satisfaction of not just winning, but of getting revenge on the team that ended their season.
Safety Jalen Pitre was flying around like a heat-seeking missile, delivering a bone-rattling hit on Rashee Rice that probably still has his pads vibrating. His teammate, Kamari Lassiter, put it best: “Five is the best in the world… I’ve never seen a player like him. He is elite.”
With a relatively soft landing ahead against quarterbacks like Jacoby Brissett and Kenny Pickett, this Houston defense looks like it’s just getting warmed up. Whispers are growing louder—this isn’t just a playoff team. The Texans might just be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And it’s all thanks to a defense that’s not just playing well, but playing at a historically epic level.
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