KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs trailed the Houston Texans 17-10 with just over six minutes remaining Sunday night. They had the ball at their own 35-yard line, and their chances of making the playoffs hinged on what would come next.
For nearly a decade, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had come through in precisely this kind of dire situation.
This season hasn't been like the rest.
Kareem Hunt was bottled up on first and second downs. Mahomes threw incomplete on third. Rather than punt and play defense on fourth down at their own 41, Chiefs coach Andy Reid elected to go for it, and Rashee Rice dropped an easy pass over that middle that would have given Kansas City a first down and kept its comeback hopes alive.
The Texans went on to add a field goal in the final minutes, giving them a 20-10 victory inside Arrowhead Stadium.
“We had chances,” Mahomes said afterward, “and we didn't execute it.”
It didn't help that the Chiefs were down to their fourth-string tackle with Josh Simmons on injured reserve, Jawaan Taylor inactive and Wanya Morris hurting his knee on the first play of the game. Or that top cornerback Trent McDuffie also hurt his knee.
But injuries are a part of the game, however fluky they might be.
Rather the Chiefs lost because of the same things that have troubled them all season: inopportune penalties, dropped passes, failed pass protections and blown coverages. In fact, the Chiefs had at least six dropped passes against Houston, including one by Travis Kelce in the closing minutes, right before Mahomes was picked off for the third time in the game.
“Listen, he's a great player,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “but we have to make sure we catch the ball. It's not for lack of effort out there. The ball went through their hands. It happens. But these guys are great players.”
Therein may lie the biggest reason for such disappointment among Kansas City fans this season: The Chiefs do have great players. Arguably just as good, top to bottom, as last year. But they went 15-2 and reached a third straight Super Bowl with that team, and unless they get a whole lot of help, they'll be sitting out the playoffs entirely this season.
“We're 6-7. We have four games left. We can finish the season 10-7 and we can have a shot at the playoffs if the cards fall right,” Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We control how we finish the season. We can finish the season strong.
“God willing,” Jones said, "we can find a way to get into the playoffs.”
The Chiefs defense has been quietly excellent for most of the season. It kept them in the fight against the Texans on Sunday night.
The draft board. It may be time to reassess some of the draft picks made by Chiefs general manager Brett Veach in recent years. The past three classes have been filled with too many misses to help support Kansas City's aging core.
Jones has taken a lot of flack this season for a downturn in production and taking some plays off. But he showed as much fight as anyone against the Texans, bagging one sack, knocking down C.J. Stroud four times and even batting down a pass.
The Chiefs gave backup tight end Noah Gray a three-year, $18 million extension in September 2024, a deal they may regret. He had three targets on Sunday night and dropped two of them, and he has just 17 catches for 146 yard this season.
Morris could be out for awhile, which makes getting Taylor back from his triceps injury important. McDuffie spent the rest of the game standing on the sideline after hyperextending his knee Sunday night, so his injury appears to be less severe.
13 — The Chiefs have their worst record through 13 games since 2012, the year before Reid's arrival, when they started 2-11.
The Chiefs play the Chargers on Sunday. They lost to them 27-21 in the opener on Sept. 5 in Brazil.
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Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale, right, scores past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner during the second half of an NFL football game Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Kansas City Chiefs fans react late in the second half of an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce heads off the field following an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
LONDON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met French, German and British leaders in London on Monday amid what Kyiv’s European allies described as a “decisive time” in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St. residence to try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump.
In an exchange with reporters on Sunday night, Trump appeared frustrated with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “hasn’t yet read the proposal.”
“Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it,” Trump said in Washington. “His people love it, but he hasn’t read it.”
It’s not clear why Trump thought Zelenskyy hadn’t read the plan or who he was saying loved it. Ukrainian officials have made sparing comments about it and few details of the negotiations have been made public.
Starmer, Macron and Merz took a more supportive stance toward Kyiv in comments before their Monday meeting, which lasted about two hours. The U.K. leader said the push for peace was at a “critical stage,” and stressed the need for "a just and lasting ceasefire.”
Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,” he said. “The coming days … could be a decisive time for all of us."
European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again. Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.
Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defense and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. He said Monday that Ukraine needs support from both Europe and the U.S.
“There are some things we can’t manage without the Americans, things which we can’t manage without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he said at Downing Street.
After the London meeting, Macron's office said the session allowed the leaders “to continue joint work on the U.S. plan in order to complement it with European contributions, in close coordination with Ukraine.”
National security advisers are finalizing that work ahead of “discussions between Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians, which should strengthen convergence in the coming days,” the statement said. “At the same time, in-depth work will be done to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees and to plan measures for Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s peace proposal.
Zelenskyy said on Telegram that talks had been “substantive” and that National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov were traveling back to Europe to brief him.
A major sticking point in the plan is the suggestion that Kyiv must cede control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies have balked at the idea of handing over land.
Starmer said he “won’t be putting pressure” on Zelenskyy to accept a peace settlement.
Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Zelenskyy since winning a second term, insisting the war was a waste of U.S. taxpayers’ money. Trump has also repeatedly urged the Ukrainians to cede land to Russia to end the nearly four-year conflict.
The European talks follow the publication of a new U.S. national security strategy that alarmed European leaders and was welcomed by Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document, which spells out the administration’s core foreign policy interests, was largely in line with Moscow’s vision.
“The nuances that we see in the new concept certainly look appealing to us,” he said Monday. “It mentions the need for dialogue and building constructive, friendly relations. This cannot but appeal to us, and it absolutely corresponds to our vision. We understand that by eliminating the irritants that currently exist in bilateral relations, a prospect may open for us to truly restore our relations and bring them out of the rather deep crisis.”
The document released Friday by the White House said the U.S. wants to improve its relationship with Russia after years of Moscow being treated as a global pariah and that ending the war is a core U.S. interest to “reestablish strategic stability with Russia.”
The document also says NATO must not be “a perpetually expanding alliance,” echoing another complaint by Russia. It was scathing about the migration and free speech policies of longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, suggesting they face the “prospect of civilizational erasure” due to migration.
Starmer’s government has declined to comment on the document, saying it is a matter for the U.S. government.
Russia continued to attack Ukraine amid the diplomatic efforts. Its drones struck high-rise apartments in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka overnight, injuring seven people, according to the head of the regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov. He said the building was extensively damaged.
In the northern city of Chernihiv, a Russian drone exploded outside a residential building, injuring three people, regional head Viacheslav Chaus said. The attack also damaged a kindergarten, gas lines and cars.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 149 drones overnight, with 131 neutralized and 16 others striking their targets.
Meanwhile, Russian air defenses destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said.
Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron, talk on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, following a meeting of the leaders inside. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pose on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, following a meeting of the leaders inside. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron at 10 Downing Street, in London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street, London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office walks past. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
From left, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron meet at 10 Downing Street, in London, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures while speaking as he takes part in a joint news conference with the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin in Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
FILE - French President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Dec. 1, 2025 before a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, a rescue worker puts out a fire of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Sumy region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, a rescue worker puts out a fire of a car in front of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike in Sumy region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
