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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is better at playing football in the AFC Divisional Playoffs than most human beings are at doing anything.
Simply put, he’s perfect.
And by remaining undefeated at this stage of the NFL’s postseason, Mahomes helped the Chiefs move closer to another Super Bowl berth while also ending the Houston Texans’ season Saturday night in a 23-14 victory.
On a painfully frigid day (the temperature at kickoff was 23 degrees, but it felt like 9 degrees because of the wind chill), Mahomes delivered a workmanlike 177-yard, one-touchdown, no-turnover passing performance to push the Chiefs forward. And yet again during the Chiefs’ spectacular championship run, he and tight end Travis Kelce formed a superstar duo.
Kelce confounded the Texans, teaming with Mahomes for seven receptions and 117 receiving yards. They also connected on the play of the game – an 11-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter on which Mahomes somehow delivered a strike while being tackled.
Many in the crowd of 73,458 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium returned to the parking lot both cold and happy, knowing the Chiefs have another game on their home field this season. Next Sunday, Kansas City will play host to the AFC Championship Game. They’ll face the winner of today’s other AFC Divisional Playoff matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills.
Of course, what else is new?
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates with fans after defeating the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 18 in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Kansas City will make its seventh consecutive appearance in the game (it has hosted all but one) to earn the conference’s Super Bowl berth, and the streak coincides with Mahomes becoming the team’s starting quarterback. For those who haven’t followed the NFL for about the last decade, that’s not a coincidence.
The NFL’s best player, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl championships in the past five seasons, and last season they became the first back-to-back winners in 20 seasons. This season, the Chiefs are all about trying to set a new bar for excellence: No team has won three consecutive Super Bowl titles.
A potential Chiefs three-peat is still on the table, and Mahomes eagerly awaits the next the challenge.
“It’s been a special run,” said Mahomes, who with his 16th career playoff victory tied Hall of Famer Joe Montana for second place on the NFL’s all-time list behind Tom Brady (35).
“I mean, just with everybody here in Kansas City, from the organization to the community, from the team and from my family. I just try to cherish that.”
In the Super Bowl era, which began in 1967, nine teams have won consecutive titles (the Pittsburgh Steelers completed the feat twice). How difficult is it to win three in a row? Consider: None of the previous eight back-to-back champions even reached the Super Bowl a third consecutive season.
By eliminating the Texans, the Chiefs joined the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1990 San Francisco 49ers and 1994 Dallas Cowboys as teams that returned to their conference championship games the season after becoming back-to-back champions. Now, the Chiefs hope to become the first member of the group to win in the next round.
At this time of the season, there isn’t a better active quarterback.
In NFL history, only the Brady-led New England Patriots have had a longer streak of reaching consecutive conference championship games. From 2011-18, the Patriots played in a record eight straight.
However, even Brady – the greatest QB of all-time with a record seven Super Bowl titles – didn’t equal Mahomes’ brilliance in the divisional playoffs.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
In seven divisional games, Mahomes is 7-0. He has 14 passing touchdowns and no interceptions. The Chiefs needed his only passing touchdown Saturday.
Trailing 13-6 at halftime, the Texans dominated the third quarter, taking the opening kickoff and producing an impressive 15-play, 82-yard drive that consumed 10 minutes 24 seconds on the game clock. Running back Joe Mixon capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, and the Texans lined up for a point-after attempt that would have tied the score.
But Houston had kicking issues throughout the game, which continued when placekicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the point-after attempt wide right. In the second quarter, Fairbairn also missed a 55-yard field-goal attempt in the same direction, and Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt late in the fourth.
With a 13-12 lead in the third after Fairbairn’s miss, Kansas City began the ensuing possession on its 19-yard line. Mahomes directed a 13-play, 81-yard drive. Facing third-and-11 at Houston’s 11, he found Kelce in the end zone.
On the play, Mahomes was trying to escape the pocket as the protection broke down, but he still had the arm strength to connect with Kelce while he was being leg tackled by Houston defensive lineman Mario Edwards. The play helped the Chiefs take a 20-12 lead.
“I knew I was going to have to buy a little time,” Mahomes said. “We were at third-and-long in the red zone, but we had talked about that exact play. … So I stepped up in the pocket [and I] was able to get enough on it to get in the end zone. I mean, that was a big play in the game, and we kind of needed it.”
Often, head coach Andy Reid has seen Mahomes deliver similarly.
“I always tell our coaches, ‘Don’t get use to that,’ Reid said. “This is unreal, [and] I tell the fans the same thing.
“We are very lucky to have him here. The stuff he’s doing just doesn’t happen, and that’s why he’s the greatest at doing what he’s done in a relatively young career.”
Now, the Chiefs await either the Ravens or Bills. One step completed. Only two more to go.
And make no mistake, Mahomes can’t wait.
