Wild 99-year history and stunning MVP statement as NFL called out ...

Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC with a dominant 29-10 Christmas Day win at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The defending Super Bowl champions will now have a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Surprisingly, despite being 15-1, the Chiefs are still one of four teams along with the Patriots, Giants and Raiders that are yet to top the 30-point mark this season.

Those three teams have a combined 7-34 record while the Chiefs are the first team since the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1925 to win at least 13 games in a season without scoring over 30 points.

Meanwhile, a third straight loss for the Steelers means they no longer control their own destiny in the race for the AFC North divisional title.

The Chiefs (15-1) look to be hitting their prime form at just the right time but the Steelers (10-6), who have also clinched a post-season berth, have now lost three in a row and sit behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

The Steelers need the Ravens, who are at Houston later on Thursday, to lose one of their last two games to have any chance of taking the division.

Mahomes, who threw for 320 yards on 29 of 38 passing, was in charge from the outset, finding Xavier Worthy with a seven-yard touchdown pass before connecting with Justin Watson on an 11-yard pass to open up a 13-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Steelers thought they had got back in the game when Jaylen Warren ran into the end-zone but the score was ruled out by a holding penalty.

The frustration was increased on the next play when Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was picked off by Justin Reid.

Pittsburgh did give themselves some hope in the second quarter with Wilson finishing off a 72-yard, 11-play drive, with a one-yard rush.

The teams exchanged field goals in the third before the Chiefs ran away with the game in the fourth.

A two-yard rush from Kareem Hunt made it 22-10 and then Mahomes found his trusted target Travis Kelce in the end-zone with a 12-yard pass to settle the contest.

Kelce, caught eight passes for 84 yards to pass the 1,000 receptions mark, only the third tight-end to achieve that milestone after Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten.

“I thought it was a full team performance,” said Mahomes.

“Defence stepped up, offence stepped up, everybody had their imprint on the game,” he said.

“We are getting healthy at the right time, the big guy (Kelce) leads us off but we have got guys everywhere so it’s nice,” he added.

LAMAR’S MVP STATEMENT IN TEXANS BEATDOWN

There was no sign of the Ravens stumbling at the finishing line to the regular season, with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson at his dynamic best in an emphatic 31-2 win at Houston.

Jackson threw for two touchdowns and 168 yards and brilliantly ran in another score as he made a strong case for a third MVP award.

Jackson also ran 87 yards on four carries which ensured he replaced Michael Vick as the NFL’s all-time leading quarterback in rushing yards.

Vick had put up 6,109 yards in his career but Jackson has broken that record while having played in 41 fewer games than the former Atlanta Falcons star.

The Texans, who have already clinched the AFC South, looked second best from the outset when Derrick Henry powered into the end-zone to open the scoring.

Henry gave up a safety to give the Texans some hope at 10-2 but then Jackson, improvising out of the pocket, found Isaiah Likely for a touchdown to open up a 15-point lead.

Jackson then showed his unmatched effectiveness as a running quarterback as he found a gap and then sprinted 48 yards to put the game beyond Houston.

A one-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews finished off the rout for the Ravens’ third win in 11 days.

The Ravens’ final regular season game is at the Cincinnati Bengals and victory will secure them the AFC North title.

ROETHLISBERGER RIPS NFL’S CHRISTMAS ‘SHAME’

Elsewhere, Ben Roethlisberger blasted the NFL for what its Christmas Day games have meant for teams’ schedules.

His former team, the Steelers, were playing their third game in 11 days.

“It’s miserable,” Roethlisberger said on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast.

“… It’s a shame that the league does this. It just shows that it’s all about money and this is a way that they can make more money and figure this thing out because it’s not fair for the players.

“You wanna talk about injuries and making the game safer, changing the kickoff rule and preventing guys on hip-drop tackles, and concussions, and this that and the other, but you’re going to make guys play the most violent game in the world, arguably, three games in [11] days.

“I mean, there’s no time for your body to get healthy and rest.”

Roethlisberger played 18 years with the Steelers and won two Super Bowls before retiring in 2022.

“When you’re going from a Saturday to a Wednesday, your body is not recovering fast enough,” Roethlisberger said.

“And now you’re asking these guys to go out and play and beat each other up, and it’s a shame. It’s obviously a money thing for the NFL. And I know I’m gonna be watching, people are gonna be watching, so they’re getting what they want.

“I feel bad for the players. The holidays, you want to be home with your family, too. That’s tough.”

Jerry Jones, the Cowboys’ influential owner, recently suggested the NFL intends to play games on Christmas every year going forward — regardless of what day of the week it falls on.

“Christmas Day is Christmas Day, and it doesn’t wait around for what day it’s on,” Jones said in a radio interview.

“We want to be there on Christmas Day. “I would think the future is whatever day it’s on, we’re going to be there on Christmas.”

— New York Post