The Houston Texans could have a preview of what to expect in the AFC playoffs next week when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes might be waiting to debut against second-year gunslinger C.J. Stroud in January instead of Week 16.
The three-time MVP passer sustained an ankle injury during Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns. During his postgame press conference, Mahomes said he was unsure if he would play next week when the Texans come to town.
Patrick Mahomes limps off after getting tangled up on a failed 4th down pic.twitter.com/WnIgmsscfN
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 15, 2024
“It’s hard to say right now,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs’ 14-point road victory in Cleveland “You still [have the] adrenaline rolling and usually it’s kind of the day after when you kind of get a good sense of it. I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances, but I thought the smart decision … was to put Carson Wentz in.
“… You just do what you have to do to get back, and I think that’s the most important thing. And now we just get back to the rehab part, the treatment part, and try to get ourselves ready on a short week against a good football team.”
According to NFL Network, Mahomes is listed as “week-to-week” entering the final three regular season games. Kansas City has already clinched the AFC West and sits at 12-1 in the conference standings.
Mahomes’ absence could benefit Houston in multiple ways. Should the Indianapolis Colts defeat the Denver Broncos on Sunday, a win next week would secure the Texans their second division title.
Head coach Andy Reid with the latest on Patrick Mahomes’ ankle 🙏 pic.twitter.com/EuebWnn35r
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 15, 2024
If Houston were to clinch the AFC South in Week 15, everything would move toward seeding. With a head-to-head win over the Buffalo Bills, the Texans could move up to as high as No. 2 in the AFC postseason picture, thus giving them a home matchup against the No. 7 seed.
While Mahomes is expected to undergo X-rays, Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters postgame that he could have re-entered the game but the team thought it was best to leave him sidelined.
“He wanted to fight about it, but we’ve got a good support there behind him with Carson and it was good to get him a few reps in there too and let our guys hear that snap count in case he has to go,” Reid said.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was seen walking out of the locker room but was later taken around in a cart, as captured by @TaylorK_KMBC:pic.twitter.com/zagbQziPUt
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 15, 2024
If Wentz is to start, Houston has a good indication of limiting the former No. 2 overall pick. He finished 2-of-2 passing for 20 yards in mop-up duty and would likely trust a ground game to beat Houston next weekend.
Houston, which improved to 9-5 following Sunday’s 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins, hasn’t played at Arrowhead since the 2020 season opener.
Most fans remember the matchup against the Chiefs for the 24-0 blown first-quarter lead in the AFC Divisional Round in 2019. Houston ended up losing behind a Mahomes comeback in a 51-31 outcome.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.
