His first sack of Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud came at a pivotal moment in the contest. With the Chiefs leading 20-12, the Texans offense faced a 4th-and-10 situation at the Kansas City 40-yard line. With just over ten minutes remaining, Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans left his offense on the field, hoping to extend the drive.

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis shares credit for his performance vs. Houston #Texans: ‘A big team win’ | @EdEastonJr

The origin of one of the biggest plays by the Chiefs’ defense — Karlaftis’ 16-yard sack of Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, on fourth down in the fourth quarter — could be traced to a practice session that took place two days earlier.