What we learned about Chiefs (and Patrick Mahomes) in home victory vs. Houston Texans
The Kansas City Chiefs are just one small step away from the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-week bye in the playoffs.
They took that significant step Saturday thanks to a rejuvenated offense — and quarterback Patrick Mahomes gutting through a mild high-ankle sprain in a 27-19 home victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.
KC, which improved to 14-1, now has a magic number of one to clinch the top seed. The Chiefs can secure that coveted position with either a win or tie in one of their last two games (at Pittsburgh, at Denver) or if the Buffalo Bills lose or tie in any of their final three outings.
The Chiefs’ pass offense had new life Saturday, with rookie Xavier Worthy continuing a recent ascent and Hollywood Brown returning to the lineup from injury to provide a boost.
Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards with a touchdown, while Brown added five receptions for 45 yards while limited to 20 snaps in his return.
The Chiefs still had quite a few injuries.
Right tackle Jawaan Taylor left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return, with backup Wanya Morris replacing him. Defensive tackle Chris Jones also left with a calf ailment in the fourth quarter and didn’t come back in while remaining on the sideline.
The Chiefs led 17-10 at halftime thanks to efficient offense against one of the NFL’s best defensive units.
Mahomes, playing through his mild high-ankle sprain, led KC to points on three of four first-half possessions, which included an opening drive he gutted out while making important individual plays.
He scrambled for 12 yards on third-and-13 to set up a fourth-down conversion, then capped things with a 15-yard scramble for touchdown as he lowered his shoulder and took a hit at the goal line.
The Chiefs also got help from Brown, who’d missed the entire season with a shoulder injury. Brown had three catches for 38 yards before the break, while consistently showing an ability to separate in his 10 first-half snaps.
For a second straight week, KC’s defense was opportunistic with turnovers. Safety Jaden Hicks picked off a C.J. Stroud pass on the Texans’ first possession, and late in the half, Trent McDuffie also pulled down a pick after getting his first career interception last week against the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs will play on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers at noon Central on Christmas Day.
This story was originally published December 21, 2024 at 3:19 PM.
