What ankle injury? Patrick Mahomes leads Chiefs to franchise-record 14th win | Game report

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes Ankle Watch 2024 proved to be overblown.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback demonstrated as much on the opening drive of a 27-19 victory Saturday against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, scrambling twice on the team’s opening drive — a 12-yard scramble on third-and-13 to set up a fourth-down conversion and a 15-yard touchdown run three plays later.

“I knew I could run,” Mahomes said. “It was just the stopping that was going to be hard. Once I got running, I saw the end zone and just tried to get up in the air and get in the end zone.”

Mahomes finished with five carries for 33 yards rushing, including the kneel-down at the end. He was the team’s leading rusher until the closing minutes when Kansas City leaned on Kareem Hunt to ice the game.

“I didn’t think he’d be able to get out and run like that or would run like that, but he did a great job with all that,” coach Andy Reid said.

Mahomes also was effective as a passer, finishing 28 of 41 for 260 yards with a touchdown — an 8-yard connection with Xavier Worthy, who led the Chiefs with seven catches for 65 yards — and no interceptions.

Hunt, who had a 3-yard second-quarter touchdown, finished with 11 carries for 55 yards.

With the victory, Kansas City matched the franchise’s single-season record for wins (14). All three times the Chiefs have won 14 games in a season have come in the last five years, including 2020 (14-2) and 2022 (14-3).

“All in all, I thought this was our best game — offensively, defensively and special teams-wise,” Reid said. “We’ve got to keep going, though. We’ve got a lot of room to improve.”

The Chiefs' defense allowed only 311 total yards and limited the Texans to one touchdown on three red-zone trips.

“That was a big thing for us this week, knowing that Patrick was dealing with his stuff,” said cornerback Trent McDuffie, who finished with five tackles, including two for a loss, and intercepted a pass for the second straight week. “The defense felt like we had to kind of control this game and go out there and win this game for the team.”

With the win, Kansas City’s magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC — and a first-round postseason bye — dropped to one.

Any Chiefs win or Buffalo Bills loss the rest of the season guarantees that the road to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans goes through Arrowhead.

Kansas City finished the regular season unbeaten at home for the first time since 2003 and the fifth time in franchise history (1997, 1995, 1971).

BROWN’S DEBUT

Wide receiver Hollywood Brown was brought in to help bring back the deep ball for Kansas City’s offense.

Instead, he was injured on the first offensive snap of the preseason and missed the Chiefs’ first 14 games.

But Brown made an instant impact with a 12-yard reception on fourth down to extend a game-opening touchdown drive.

After Kansas City fell behind 10-7, Brown had two catches on Kansas City’s go-ahead touchdown drive.

He caught a 20-yard deep corner to ignite a 13-play, 82-yard TD march and added a 6-yard reception later in the drive.

Brown finished with five catches for 45 yards on eight targets.

FLOODGATES OPEN FOR MCDUFFIE

Six days after snagging his first career interception in his 47th career game, including the playoffs, cornerback Trent McDuffie recorded his second career pick in the closing minute of the first half.

“Anytime you get around defensive backs, they say it comes in bunches,” McDuffie said. “I’m just seeing it play out.”

McDuffie was an All-Pro slot cornerback last season for the Chiefs, but he moved outside after L'Jarius Sneed was traded away during the offseason.

The former first-round pick from Washington had six career forced fumbles, including five last season, along with three sacks and nine quarterback hits, but an interception had proven elusive.

That changed when he snagged a Jameis Winston pass in the end zone, a turnover that may have opened the INT floodgates.

Near midfield, McDuffie, who moved back to the slot with Chamarri Conner (concussion) sidelined, undercut Nico Collins on an in-breaking route near the seam for a diving pick of C.J. Stroud, which set up a 44-yard field goal for a 17-10 halftime lead.

INJURY REPORT

Right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who has been battling a knee injury for a month, gave way to Wanya Morris late in the third quarter.

Reid called it a "strain" after the game, and it's unclear if he will be sidelined for Week 17.

Perhaps even more impactful, defensive tackle Chris Jones crumpled to the field after a third-down stop midway through the fourth quarter.

He was listed as questionable with a calf injury and did not return, but the good news is that he had walked off the field on his own power.

“It’s probably too early to tell right now," Reid said when asked if he thought Jones could play Wednesday in Pittsburgh. "We’ll see how he does.”

Jones, who finished Saturday with two tackles and four quarterback hits, will have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, Reid said.

Linebacker Jack Cochrane (ankle) was knocked from the game with an ankle injury, while Worthy briefly exited late in the second quarter with an ankle injury but returned for the second half.

Reid said after the game that it was a fracture, which means Cochrane almost certainly will land in injured reserve before Wednesday's game at Pittsburgh.

UP NEXT

Merry Christmas, Chiefs Kingdom (as long as you have Netflix)!

Kansas City plays on Christmas for the second straight year as part of a doubleheader on the streaming service that pooched the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson made-for-streaming charade.

Here’s hoping Netflix got some added bandwidth from Santa Claus for Christmas.

The Chiefs, who lost at home against Las Vegas last season on Christmas, are 2-2 all-time on the holiday.

Kansas City plays at Pittsburgh at noon followed by Baltimore at Houston.

The Chiefs’ last win on Christmas came against Denver in 2016 (33-10).

Kansas City also beat Oakland 31-30 in 2004, but they famously lost a 1971 AFC Divisional Game against Miami in the longest game in NFL history.

WAS TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE GAME?

Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead looking festive Saturday in a drapey, red jacket and matching purse with a stylish black bucket hat, which I’m going to pretend was a nod to late Chiefs reporter Terez Paylor.

Queen Tay-Tay had been at every home game this season before Dec. 8, a Sunday Night Football win against the Los Angeles Chargers that clashed with the final performance of her record-breaking The Eras Tour.

After her final show in Vancouver, Swift retreated to Kansas City, where she visited sick children at Children’s Mercy Hospital and celebrated her 35th birthday on Dec. 13.

Swift previously attended home games this season against Baltimore, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Denver and Las Vegas. She has yet to appear at a road game this season.

The Chiefs are 17-3 during the last two seasons with Swift in attendance, including a 12-game win streak dating back to late last season.

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