The Kansas City Chiefs are a Buffalo Bills loss or tie on Sunday away from locking up the number one seed in the AFC after they beat the Houston Texans on Saturday 27-19. If they finish the year with the AFC’s best record, they’ll have a bye week during the first round of the 2024-25 NFL playoffs.
This was the Chiefs’ 16th consecutive win in matchups decided by eight points or fewer, extending the NFL record the team set in Week 15.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a high ankle sprain just six days earlier, didn’t look to be hurt at all, finishing the game 28/41 with 260 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 35 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. Mahomes started five of six passing for 37 yards and another 27 rushing yards, including a 15-yard touchdown scramble to go up 7-0. That run was the longest rushing touchdown of Mahomes’ illustrious career.
PATRICK DOES IT HIMSELF.@PatrickMahomes + #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/XmaWNwfCgL
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 21, 2024
On the other side, it was a tough day for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud who had two costly interceptions. This was Stroud’s fifth career multi-interception game and his third game this season with at least two picks.
Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown made his first career start for KC after missing the first 14 games of the season while recovering from surgery to repair an SC joint injury. He made his presence felt, recording five receptions for 45 yards. Brown’s second catch, which went for 20 yards, set up Kareem Hunt’s sixth rushing touchdown of the season late in the first half to put KC up 14-10.
Later, a promising Texans drive that would’ve made it a one-point game at the half was cut short when C.J. Stroud threw his second interception. The pass was picked off by Chiefs defensive back Trent McDuffie for his second interception in the last two weeks.
Kansas City took advantage of the mistake, immediately picking up 36 yards on a dump-off pass to running back Samaje Perine, the longest regular-season reception of his eight-year career. In 2022, Perine made the longest catch of his career – coincidentally, against the Kansas City Chiefs – a 41-yard touchdown reception in the AFC Championship game. Perine’s grab led to Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker making his first successful field goal attempt since returning from a four-week stint on the injured reserve to put KC up 17-10 at halftime.
Samaje Perine down the sideline inside the 30 for KC 🏃♂️
📺: #HOUvsKC on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TzwxFhFh2I— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2024
Houston’s number two wide receiver, Tank Dell, suffered a devastating knee injury while making a diving 30-yard touchdown catch to cut the lead to 17-16 in the third quarter after kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed his first extra point of the season. Dell was carted off the field after Houston staffers tended to him for several minutes while he was lying on the ground in pain. C.J. Stroud could be seen crying while Dell was receiving treatment.
KC rookie wideout Xavier Worthy, who left the matchup temporarily with a knee injury, did return to the game and made a huge impact. On KC’s second-to-last scoring drive, Worthy recorded 46 total yards and hauled in an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Chiefs ahead 24-16, which is how things stood at the end of the third quarter. Worthy’s eight total touchdowns on the season are the most all-time by a rookie playing for a defending Super Bowl Champion.
Both teams hit field goals to make it 27-19. But, the scoring ended there, as KC closed out the game after getting the ball with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter.
KC is now 11-0 this season in one-possession games with the win, which is an NFL record. They’ll also finish the regular season with a perfect 8-0 at home.
