Texans coach Demeco Ryans was asked early in the week, long before anybody knew the severity of Patrick Mahomes’ high-ankle sprain, if he expected the Chiefs quarterback to play against them Saturday.

“The light shines on Patrick a lot,” Ryans replied, “but if you watch the Chiefs play, their defense is an outstanding unit. They do a really good job defensively. They’re going to find a way no matter who is there, they’ll find a way to move the football. So we just have to be on it in all areas of the game, whether Patrick is there or not.”

Sure looks like he’s going to be there.

Mahomes was able to practice this week after hurting his ankle late in last week’s victory over Cleveland, and all signs point to him being on the field for an important matchup between the AFC South champion Texans and AFC West champion Chiefs.

Kansas City (13-1) is clinging to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with games left against the Texans, Steelers and Broncos.

“You go out and win two games,” Mahomes said of playing through the injury to clinch the lone postseason bye, “you’ll have a long break more than likely. If you can get through these games and win these games against two great opponents, it will give you some momentum going into the playoffs, and hopefully give you a break then.”

Much of the attention for both teams tends to land on their offenses. Mahomes and Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud are bona fide stars. The Chiefs have DeAndre Hopkins and the Texans have Nico Collins at wide receivers. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is still arguably the best at his position in the NFL, while the Texans have Joe Mixon leading the way in the backfield.

Yet it is their defenses that have allowed the Chiefs and Texans to clinch playoff spots so early in the season.

Houston (9-5) has the league’s fourth-ranked defense and is No. 6 against the pass, and a group on pace to set the franchise record for sacks in a season also is coming off a four-turnover performance in a win against Miami. Kansas City counters with the No. 5 overall defense, which just piled up five sacks and six turnovers in its victory over the Browns.

RAVENS 34, STEELERS 17

Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and Marlon Humphrey scored on a fourth-quarter interception return to help Baltimore pull even with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North with a victory over the Steelers.

Pittsburgh (10-5) would have clinched the division with a victory, but now the teams are deadlocked after the Ravens (10-5) won for just the second time in the last 10 games in this series. Baltimore clinched a playoff berth.

The Steelers had already done so.

Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes, the second of which tied the game at 17 with 5:14 left in the third quarter. Jackson answered with a 7-yard scoring strike to Mark Andrews, and after Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs, a 44-yard run by Derrick Henry put the Ravens in the red zone.

That drive came to nothing when Jackson was intercepted for just the fourth time this season, but then Humphrey picked off Wilson and went 37 yards to the end zone to give Baltimore a cushion in a series that’s been razor-thin of late. The previous nine games between the Steelers and Ravens were decided by seven points or fewer. Jackson improved to 2-4 against Pittsburgh as a starter.