Texans end losing streak against Chiefs with dominant defense and Stroud's heroics

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans finally vanquished a longtime nemesis with their win over the Kansas City Chiefs to boost their playoff hopes.

But they’ve got more work to do if they hope to win the AFC South title for a third straight season after opening the season 0-3. The Texans (8-5) extended their winning streak to five games with the 20-10 win Sunday night that moved them within a game of first-place Jacksonville (9-4).

They did it with another suffocating defensive performance and some spectacular plays by quarterback C.J. Stroud. It ended a streak of five straight losses to the Chiefs, including a crushing defeat in the divisional round of the playoffs last season.

Houston’s top-ranked defense harassed Patrick Mahomes into one of the worst performances of his career. He was 14 of 33 for a season-low 160 yards with no touchdowns and a career high-tying three interceptions. It was the first time in his nine seasons in the NFL where he threw multiple interceptions, didn’t have a touchdown pass and completed less than 50% of his passes.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said his entire defense played with “relentless effort” all night.

“We have a confident bunch on defense,” he said. “We understand that no matter what the situation was, no matter when they were put out on the field, those guys knew they were going to go make a play. That is what you have to have. You have to play with that confidence and have that swagger. That is how they are playing right now that is allowing them to be one of the best defenses in the league.”

The Texans held the Chiefs to their fewest points of the season and their 10 points were the fewest they’d scored at home with Mahomes as the starter. Houston leads the NFL by allowing just 16 points a game and Sunday was the 11th time this season where the Texans limited a team to fewer than 20 points, which is the most in the league.

Their defensive performance allowed them to overcome serious struggles by the offense for the entire third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, when Stroud had eight straight incompletions. Houston punted five straight times to open the second half and managed just 17 total yards in that stretch.

The Texans finally rediscovered their offense after that when a failed fourth-and-1 attempt by Kansas City gave them the ball at the Chiefs’ 31 with about 10 minutes to go. Stroud put together a six-play drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Dare Ogunbowale to put the Texans on top for good.

Stroud threw for 203 yards and a touchdown in his second game back after missing three recovering from a concussion.

“C.J. made a lot of nice plays for us throughout this game,” Ryans said. “I am proud of the way he led for us, no matter how it looked. He led and put us in a good spot to make some plays for us.”

Houston’s defense continues to play at an elite level. Along with leading the league in points allowed per game, the Texans also rank first by giving up just 266.3 yards a game. They are fourth in the league with 22 takeaways, including 15 interceptions after grabbing three against the Chiefs.

The Texans continue to be inconsistent offensively and struggle in the red zone. They converted just two of four red zone opportunities Sunday and their offense struggled for most of the second half. Some of Stroud’s issues against the Chiefs came because he was working under heavy pressure on a night he was sacked three times and hit 10 other times.

Ogunbowale hadn’t had a carry since Oct. 26 before he ran for the go-ahead score Sunday night in his only touch of the game. Primarily a special teams player, he was thrust into action with Nick Chubb out with an injury and after Woody Marks was shaken up the play before the touchdown.

Rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery had three penalties against the Chiefs. His most costly mistake came when he was flagged for being offside on fourth-and-1 from the 12, a penalty which forced the Texans to settle for a field goal in the first quarter.

Chubb injured his ribs against the Chiefs and Ryans said they’d know later in the week if he can play this week.

Sunday was the 11th game in which the Texans have forced at least one turnover and had at least one sack, which is tied for most in the NFL this season.

The Texans will try to extend their winning streak to six games for the first time since winning nine straight in 2018 next Sunday when they face the struggling Cardinals, losers of five in a row.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) catches a pass for a first down as Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) defends during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks celebrates after scoring during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) intercepts a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown (5) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffimed his firm refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for a painful compromise with Russia as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine.

“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for," Zelenskyy said in a WhatsApp chat late Monday in which he answered reporters' questions.

“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either."

In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump again pressed Zelenskyy to accept the U.S. proposal that Ukraine cede territory to Putin, arguing that Russia retains the “upper hand” and that Zelenskyy’s government must “play ball.”

Zelenskyy met Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome, and is to have talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later in the day. The Vatican said the pope “reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace.”

The Holy See has tried to remain neutral in the war while offering solidarity and assistance to what it calls the “martyred” people of Ukraine. Leo, who has met three times with Zelenskyy and has spoken by telephone at least once with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has called for a ceasefire and urged Moscow in particular to make gestures to promote peace.

On Monday, Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from Trump.

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.

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 firmly resisted the idea of handing over land.

“You know, a lot of people are dying,” Trump told Politico, claiming that other unnamed Ukrainian officials agree with the U.S. administration. “His people loved the proposal. They really liked it. His lieutenants, his top people, they liked it, but they said he hasn’t read it yet.”

Russia, Trump reasoned, remains too powerful for Ukraine to continue fighting.

“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that,” he said. “But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.”

Trump also amplified his calls for Ukraine to hold national elections even though the martial law doesn't allow it. and Zelenskyy, elected in 2019, had his five-year term extended because of the war.

“They’re using war not to hold an election, but, uh, I would think the Ukrainian people would ... should have that choice,” Trump said. “And maybe Zelenskyy would win. I don’t know who would win. But they haven’t had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”

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.

Zelenskyy said Monday that Trump “certainly wants to end the war. ... Surely, he has his own vision. We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland.”

He said the current U.S. peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after he said some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed.”

Starmer, Macron and Merz strongly backed Kyiv, with the U.K. leader saying Monday that 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 and his European allies have repeatedly accused Putin of slow-walking the talks to press ahead with the invasion as his forces are making slow buy steady gains while waves of missiles and drones are pummeling Ukrainian infrastructure.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia fired 110 drones of various types across the country last night. They said air defenses neutralized 84 drones, 24 more have struck their targets.

Several regions of Ukraine faced emergency blackouts Tuesday due to Russia’s prior attacks on energy infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo.

Ukraine, in its turn, continued its drone attacks on Russia.

Russian air defenses destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight above various Russian regions and occupied Crimea, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Tuesday. In Chuvashia, a region about 900 kilometers (about 560 miles) northeast of the border with Ukraine, the attack damaged residential buildings and injured nine people, local governor Oleg Nikolayev said.

Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a drone attack on an LPG terminal at the port of Temryuk in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Dec. 5, according to an official with knowledge of the operation who spoke to The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the strike sparked a large fire at the facility. More than 20 LPG storage tanks were set ablaze and burned for more than three days, he said. The attack also damaged railway tank cars, an intermediate refueling tank, and a loading and unloading rack.

Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, walks past Swiss guards as he arrives to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, walks past Swiss guards as he arrives to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, walks past Swiss guards as he arrives to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, arrives to meet with Pope Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pope Leo XIV wave to journalists during their meeting in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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)