3 takeaways from the Chiefs’ 27-19 win over the Texans

On Saturday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs handled the Houston Texans, winning 27-19 to improve to 14-1.

Here are some initial takeaways from a solid performance for the Chiefs:

It was Xavier Worthy Day at Arrowhead.

We have talked a lot about how wide receiver Hollywood Brown’s return would impact the offense. But we may have forgotten to mention how he might impact other players already on the roster.

Another viable pass-catcher in the lineup naturally draws attention from elsewhere — and in Brown’s return, it was Worthy who became the focal point of the offense.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has consistently referenced how he continues to gain trust through chemistry with the rookie wide receiver. On Saturday, head coach Andy Reid dialed him up for 10 touches, resulting in 75 yards.

Worthy’s 8-yard touchdown in the third quarter stretched the Chiefs’ lead to 24-16.

I still would like Kansas City to run the football a little bit more, since as Mahomes still seems slightly off with his deep passing game. That said, I liked the fact that he seemed to have more time on Saturday. He was able to spread the ball around to eight different pass-catchers in a 260-yard effort.

There continued to be positive signs from the defense.

While the Texans intended to use their quick screen game, they could never get it going. The Chiefs were aggressive in their coverage, driving on the ball throughout the game.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud is very good — and I think he displayed what could be a useful strategy to beat Kansas City’s defense in the playoffs: look away from Trent McDuffie and find cornerback No. 2. That seems to work — and it’s why Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was on his way to a career game before his devastating leg injury.

While this a sound plan in theory, it is difficult to execute when Kansas City’s pass rush is on point — and I think it continues to look better as defensive lineman Charles Omenihu gets more games under his belt. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s timely blitzes help, too — as evidenced by Joshua Williams’ fourth-quarter sack on a corner blitz. It gave Kansas City the control it needed to drain the clock — and win the game.

Now, the pressure shifts to the Buffalo Bills.

Entering Saturday, Kansas City’s “magic number” was two — meaning any combination of Chiefs’ wins and Bills’ losses the rest of the way will clinch the top AFC seed and playoff bye.

With the Chiefs’ victory, the pressure now shifts to the Bills, whose Sunday game is against the New England Patriots. At the time of this writing, the Bills are two-touchdown favorites at home, but divisional games are also unpredictable in the AFC East.

If the Patriots pull off the upset, the Chiefs would celebrate winning the conference from the comfort of their couches. This would be an ideal outcome for Kansas City, because defensive tackle Chris Jones and right tackle Jawaan Taylor both suffered minor injuries in the victory.

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