The Kansas City Chiefs closed in on the top seed in the AFC with a 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.
Patrick Mahomes, who overcame an ankle problem to start the game, rushed for one touchdown and threw another to Xavier Worthy as the Chiefs improved their record to 14-1 in their bid to win an unprecedented third successive Super Bowl.
Kansas City will clinch the top seed and a bye to the second round of the playoffs if the Buffalo Bills lose on Sunday, or if the Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.
Mahomes immediately allayed fears over his health, making the most of a defensive turnover to lead an 11-play, 66-yard touchdown drive which he finished off himself with a 15-yard run.
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The Texans, who have also already booked their postseason berth, ran the Chiefs close as quarterback CJ Stroud threw touchdowns to Dalton Schultz and Tank Dell, who suffered a serious-looking injury in the process.
But the Chiefs defence picked off Stroud twice and held the Texans to just one field goal in the fourth quarter.
In a freezing Baltimore, the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 to clinch a playoff spot and join their divisional rivals at the top of the AFC North.
It came down to the fourth quarter for the Ravens to clinch the victory, courtesy of Marlon Humphrey’s interception return for a touchdown and a late field goal from Justin Tucker.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes, while his opposite number Russell Wilson threw two. The result sees the Ravens join the Steelers in the playoffs.
It also brought the Ravens’ losing streak against the Steelers to an end, with Baltimore having lost eight of the past nine meetings between the two sides.
