Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for two touchdowns and ran for another on Sunday as his Kansas City Chiefs clinched their eighth straight NFL playoff berth.
Jerick McKinnon’s 26-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the Chiefs a hard-fought 30-24 Houston victory over the Texans to clinch a seventh straight AFC West title for Kansas City.
Mahomes completed 36 of 41 passes, including 20 straight late in the game, for 336 yards with no interception and rushed 33 yards to spark a second half comeback.
“It’s great to win” the AFC West for the seventh time in a row, Mahomes said.
“We have to get better and better as we try to reach the playoffs,” added the quarterback.
The Chiefs (11-3) joined the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings in capturing postseason berths.
For their part, the Dallas Cowboys, despite the defeat against Jacksonville (40-34), finally got a ticket to the playoffs thanks to Washington’s 20-12 defeat against the NY Giants.
Jacksonville, which improved to 6-8, scored three touchdowns in a span of nine minutes in the third and fourth quarters and Riley Patterson kicked a 48-yard field goal to force overtime.
However, Washington’s loss to the NY Giants gave Dallas a place in the playoffs.
The Eagles improved to an NFL best record of up to 13-1 with a 25-20 win in Chicago against the Bears. Jalen Hurts rushed 17 times for 61 yards and three touchdowns and also threw for 315 yards to power Philadelphia, which they won despite three turnovers.
For its part, New Orleans outscored visiting Atlanta 21-18 while Pittsburgh beat Carolina 24-16 in club meets with losing records.
— Sunday NFL Day 15 results:
Philadelphia 25 Chicago 20
Atlanta 18 New Orleans 21
Detroit 20 New York Jets 17
Pittsburgh 24 Carolina 16
Dallas 34 Jacksonville 40 (in overtime)
Kansas City 30 Houston 24 (in overtime)
Arizona 15Denver 24
New England 24 Las Vegas 30
Tennessee 14 Los Angeles Chargers 17
Cincinnati 34 Tampa Bay 23
NY Giants in Washington 20-12
– Played on Saturday:
Indianapolis 36 Minnesota 39 (OT)
Baltimore 3 Cleveland 13
Miami 29 Buffalo 32
– Played on Thursday:
San Francisco 21Seattle 13
– To be played on Mondays:
Los Angeles Rams versus Green Bay
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