Costly Outing on the Road
You'd love to see the memory of this loss erased like Will Smith flashing a Men In Black pen in your face. You'd love to 'flush it,' forget it and move on faster than Reindeer gobble up Christmas cookies.
But it's going to be tough because it was costly.
We'll know more soon enough but three starters left the game, none more painfully than Tank Dell, who was carted off after an injury he suffered catching a would-be game-tying TD pass off the arm of C.J. Stroud.
Dell was checked out for a long time. His teammates were emotional. The touchdown could have been a positive turning point in a hard-fought game. Instead, the day turned in the other direction.
A missed extra point kept the game at a one-point deficit. After that, a field goal was all the offense the Texans could produce, as Kansas City put up a touchdown and field goal and ran out the clock on their final possession.
Don't Miss the Good Moments
Stroud threw a touchdown pass in the first half – a beautifully improvised play that ended with Dalton Schultz catching the ball in the endzone to give the Texans the lead. But two first half interceptions were costly.
The defense certainly had some good moments, but at the end of the day it didn't do enough to stop the greatest quarterback in the game and his pass catchers.
It was a physical outing and there's no question that the Chiefs know the Texans will be a be threat if they come back to Arrowhead in the post season. To get to do that, the Texans will need to win on wildcard weekend, which is a bridge we will cross later.
View the best photos from the Week 16 matchup between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.
Next Up: Baltimore
Now a short turnaround before Houston faces Baltimore. The Ravens are facing the same lack of rest before the next tilt. And they're the traveling team, a disadvantage. After losing Shaq Mason, Jimmie Ward and Dell on the day, DeMeco Ryans and his staff will do their best to get all hands on deck and construct a workable game plan.
This is no holiday break. After the Christmas game, the Texans will have 10 days until the regular season finale. For now, they must buckle up and get ready for the Ravens on a four-day week.
