Texans coach Demeco Ryans was asked early in the week before anyone understood the severity of Patrick Mahomes' high-ankle sprain, whether he anticipated the Chiefs quarterback playing against them on Saturday.

"The light shines on Patrick a lot," Ryans said, "but if you watch the Chiefs play, their defense is amazing. They do an excellent job defensively. Regardless of who is present, they will find a method to move the football. So we simply have to be on point in all aspects of the game, whether Patrick is present or not."

Much of the attention for both teams is focused on their offenses. Mahomes and Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud are legitimate stars. The Chiefs have DeAndre Hopkins, while the Texans have Nico Collins at wide receiver. Travis Kelce, the Chiefs' tight end, remains perhaps the finest at his position in the NFL, while Joe Mixon leads the Texans' backfield.

Houston (9-5) features the league's fourth-ranked defense and is sixth against the pass, and a group on track to set the team record for sacks in a season is coming off a four-turnover effort in a victory over Miami. Kansas City answers with the No. 5 overall defense, which just had five sacks and six turnovers in a win over the Browns.

Sack attack

Stingley’s success