Saturday
Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 PM
Now this could be a game worth paying a ton of attention to. The Houston Texans are 9-5 on the season and have clinched the AFC South for a second year in a row. With their win and the Indianapolis Colts loss versus the Denver Broncos, Houston wins the division and will get to host a playoff game.
They can still climb the AFC standings a bit and do still have a lot to play for. However, this team just doesn't feel like a true contender; the offensive line in Houston is not good, and CJ Stroud isn't nearly as efficient this year as he was in 2023. It's likely that Houston is actually one-and-done in the postseason.
And they then may have a huge offseason ahead in fixing that offensive line. The Kansas City Chiefs come into this game having beaten the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, but Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury that could keep him out of the lineup for a bit. It'll be interesting to see how KC approaches this game. Surely Mahomes is wanting to play, but the Chiefs medical staff may keep him out.
With the game being in Arrowhead, it'll be close even if Carson Wentz starts for the Chiefs, and my gosh, Wentz has played some great ball in previous seasons. We are clearly way past Wentz' prime in the NFL, but this isn't some random backup quarterback.
I think the Houston Texans are going to go into Arrowhead and beat the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Houston is the better team on paper, and I have a feeling that Patrick Mahomes isn't going to play in this one. This could be the Kansas City Chiefs second loss of the season, which makes them vulnerable down the stretch to lose the no. 1 seed in the AFC.