KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs did themselves a favor and secured the AFC’s No. 1 playoff spot by defeating the Houston Texans 27-19 on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

According to ESPN Analytics, the Chiefs now have a 91% chance of being the No. 1 seed. The top seed has a bye and home advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

They must either win one of their final two games of the regular season or the Buffalo Bills must lose one of their remaining three games to secure the top spot. Kansas City would have had a 62% chance of getting the No. 1 seed if they lost to the Texans.

QB breakdown: Patrick Mahomes may be effective with his high ankle sprain. He didn’t have his best game, but he was good enough for the Chiefs to win. He scored the Chiefs’ first touchdown on a 15-yard scramble and also had a 12-yard scramble on the drive.

Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Hollywood Brown had a promising game for a player who hasn’t played in a game since suffering a sternoclavicular injury in the preseason. Brown didn’t play much but caught five passes for 45 yards. One came on fourth down, another on third down. Both plays handed the Chiefs a string of new losses.

Worrying trend: The Chiefs struggled to put pressure on CJ Stroud a week after producing five sacks against the Cleveland Browns. He was fired once and was otherwise only occasionally under pressure. The Browns game was the outlier. The Chiefs have struggled to pressure and sack opposing quarterbacks for most of the season. – Adam Teicher

Next game: at the Pittsburgh Steelers (Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET, Netflix)

The Texans lost three starters at key positions on Saturday: right guard Shaq Mason, fullback Tank Dell and safety Jimmie Ward. Dell’s injury came from a touchdown on Houston’s first possession of the second half, when wideout Jared Wayne collided with Dell’s knee in the end zone.

Dell’s injury was an emotional moment as the Texans players cried and struggled to recover afterward. The touchdown made it 17-16 after kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point. After the injury, Houston scored three points and allowed ten.

The Texans had a chance to score a game-winning touchdown on the final drive of the game, but the possession resulted in a punt. The Chiefs got the ball back and finished the game with several first downs.

Describe the game in two words: Serious injuries. The Texans lost three starters, Ward, Mason and Dell, to lower leg injuries. These injuries do not appear to be short-term injuries, as Dell and Ward were carted off and Mason dropped bodies to his knee in a muddy bag. The Texans are already without key players Stefon Diggs and safety Jalen Pitre this season. Adding Ward, Dell and Mason to this list makes it harder to overcome as the postseason approaches.

QB breakdown: Stroud gave the Texans the chance to cause an upset with his performance. He wasn’t perfect, as he threw two interceptions, but he had plenty of moments running the offense and making plays with his legs. According to Next Gen Stats, he was 7 of 9 for 43 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 123.6 while throwing while running and rushing for 23 yards. He ended the day with 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Promising trend: The cornerback duo of Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. allowed just 11 targets for four catches and 35 yards, according to NGS. Lassiter did allow a touchdown, but was 1-on-1 with speedy Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy on several plays. With Pitre and Ward out, the duo will need to maintain this level of play for the playoffs to overcome injuries in the secondary. — DJ Bien Aime

Next game: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)