{"id":13155,"date":"2024-12-22T03:57:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T03:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=13155"},"modified":"2024-12-22T03:57:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T03:57:56","slug":"nfl-best-chiefs-beat-texans-while-ravens-clinch-playoff-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=13155","title":{"rendered":"NFL-best Chiefs beat Texans while Ravens clinch playoff spot"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Kansas City’s win over Houston on Saturday.\u00a0<\/span>|\u00a0Imagn Images \/ via Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Patrick Mahomes threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Kansas City Chiefs improved to an NFL-best 14-1 on Saturday, while the Baltimore Ravens beat Pittsburgh to secure a playoff berth.<\/p>\n

The two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs defeated Houston 27-19 and need only another win or loss by the Buffalo Bills (11-3) to clinch the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mahomes completed 28-of-41 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown and ran five times for 33 yards and a touchdown, quickly serving notice he had recovered from a high left ankle sprain suffered in a victory over Cleveland last weekend.<\/p>\n

“To go out there and find a way to win with everybody was a good moment for us,” Mahomes said. “Our offensive line did a great job accepting the challenge.”<\/p>\n

Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns and Derrick Henry ran for 162 yards as the Ravens ripped the Steelers 34-17 to clinch an NFL playoff berth.<\/p>\n

“We knew what type of game this would be,” Jackson said. “I feel like we played a better game against those guys and we got it done. It feels good.”<\/p>\n

After four losses in his five prior games against Pittsburgh, Jackson was happy he “got the little monkey off my back for the time being right now.”<\/p>\n

The Steelers and Ravens, both 10-5 and sharing the AFC North division lead, are grouped with the Chiefs, Bills and Texans in having clinched AFC playoff berths. Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia have secured NFC playoff spots.<\/p>\n

“We’ve just got to keep going,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to stay dialed in.”<\/p>\n

All four teams in action Saturday will play again on Christmas with Baltimore at Houston and the Chiefs at Pittsburgh next Wednesday, their third game in 11 days.<\/p>\n

“I’ll get off my feet a little bit and watch some film,” Mahomes said.<\/p>\n

Singer Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was among those watching the team complete a perfect 8-0 home mark for the first time since 2003.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs won their 11th game this season by eight points or fewer, a stunning success rate in one-score contests.<\/p>\n

Kansas City safety Jaden Hicks intercepted a C.J. Stroud pass to set up an 11-play, 66-yard Chiefs touchdown drive that was capped when Mahomes ran 15 yards to the end zone.<\/p>\n

Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 33-yard field goal and Stroud’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Stroud gave Houston a 10-7 lead but Kareem Hunt’s 3-yard touchdown run and Harrison Butker’s 44-yard field goal put the Chiefs ahead 17-10 at halftime.<\/p>\n

Only 3:20 into the second half, Stroud tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell, but the third-year wide receiver suffered a severe left leg injury as he was struck by teammate Jared Wayne in the back of the end zone as he fell to the turf.<\/p>\n

The game was stopped for several minutes with Texans players in tears as Dell, his leg in an air cast, was put onto a stretcher and taken off the field in a cart and to a nearby hospital.<\/p>\n

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game Dell suffered a “significant” injury and would be hospitalized overnight, adding, “It hurts to see him go down like that.”<\/p>\n

After the emotional delay, Fairbairn missed the extra point kick on Dell’s touchdown, leaving the Chiefs ahead 17-16.<\/p>\n

Mahomes connected with Xavier Worthy on an 8-yard touchdown pass and Fairbairn and Butker exchanged late field goals for the last points.<\/p>\n

In Baltimore, Jackson’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely put the Ravens ahead but MyCole Pruitt caught a 1-yard touchdown toss from Russell Wilson as Pittsburgh pulled level 7-7.<\/p>\n

Jackson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman and Baltimore’s Justin Tucker and Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell traded 51-yard field goals to leave the Ravens ahead 17-10 at halftime.<\/p>\n

They exchanged third-quarter touchdown passes, with Wilson connecting from 12 yards to Cordarrelle Patterson and Jackson answering with a 7-yard toss to Mark Andrews.<\/p>\n

Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown and Tucker added a late 23-yard field goal to seal the win.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Kansas City’s win over Houston on Saturday.\u00a0|\u00a0Imagn Images \/ via Reuters Patrick Mahomes threw for one touchdown and ran… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nNFL-best Chiefs beat Texans while Ravens clinch playoff spot - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=13155\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NFL-best Chiefs beat Texans while Ravens clinch playoff spot - 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