Chiefs move even closer to No. 1 seed in AFC with win over Texans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs did themselves a favor in terms of clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs by beating the Houston Texans 27-19 on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs now have a 91% chance of the No. 1 seed, according to ESPN Analytics. The top seed will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs and home field advantage.

They need to win one of their final two regular season games or have the Buffalo Bills lose any of their three remaining games to clinch first place. Kansas City would have had a 62% chance of taking first place if they had lost to the Texans.

QB Breakdown: Patrick Mahomes can be effective with his sprained ankle. He didn’t have his best game, but it was good enough for the Chiefs to win. He scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown on a 15-yard scramble and also had a 12-yard scramble on the drive.

Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Hollywood Brown had a promising game for a player who hasn’t been in a game since suffering a sternoclavicular injury during the preseason. Brown didn’t play much but caught five passes for 45 yards. One came on fourth down and another on third down. Both plays gave the Chiefs a new series of opportunities.

Worrying trend: The Chiefs, a week after producing five sacks against the Cleveland Browns, had trouble getting pressure on CJ Stroud. He was fired once and only occasionally pressured. The Browns game was the outlier. The Chiefs have had trouble rushing and sacking the opposing quarterback most of the season. –Adam Teicher

Next match: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET, Netflix)

The Texans lost three starters at key positions on Saturday: right guard Shaq Mason, receiver Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. Dell’s injury occurred after a touchdown on Houston’s first possession of the second half when receiver Jared Wayne collided with Dell’s knee in the end zone.

Dell’s injury was an emotional moment as Texans players cried and struggled to recover afterward. The touchdown made the score 17-16; Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point. After the injury, Houston scored three points and allowed 10.

The Texans had a chance to score a game-tying touchdown on their final drive, but the possession resulted in a punt. The Chiefs got the ball back and finished the game with multiple first downs.

Describe the game in two words: Serious injuries. The Texans lost three starters in Ward, Mason and Dell to lower leg injuries. These injuries do not appear to be short-term injuries, as Dell and Ward were removed and Mason’s bodies landed on one of his knees in a muddy pocket. The Texans are already without key players such as receiver Stefon Diggs and safety Jalen Pitre, who are out for the rest of the season. Adding Ward, Dell and Mason to that list makes it harder to beat as the postseason approaches.

QB Breakdown: Stroud gave the Texans a chance to pull off the upset with his performance. He wasn’t perfect as he threw two interceptions, but he had plenty of moments where he picked up the offense and made plays with his legs. He was 7 of 9 for 43 yards and a touchdown for a 123.6 passer rating when throwing on the run, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and rushed for 23 yards. Ended the day with 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Promising trend: The cornerback duo of Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. only allowed 11 targets for four receptions and 35 yards, according to Next Gen Stats. Lassiter gave up a touchdown, but held his own 1-on-1 with speedy Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy on multiple plays. With Pitre and Ward out, the duo must maintain this level of play for the Texans’ playoff run to withstand injuries in the secondary. — DJ Bien-Aime

Next match: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)