KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Facing third-and-goal from the Houston Texans’ 11-yard line, the Kansas City Chiefs looked set to settle for another red-zone field-goal attempt.
Then, “Playoff Patrick” Mahomes happened.
He was quickly flushed up in the pocket and started to scramble forward before being corralled by defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr., who was wrapping Mahomes up when he dove forward — looking like a soaring superhero minus the cape — and threw a dart to Travis Kelce in the middle of the end zone.
WATCH | Mahomes talks about players making big-time plays in the video player below.
Kansas City led by one point when the ball was snapped thanks to a missed extra point, but that touchdown cemented a 23-14 victory Saturday in the AFC Divisional Round at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes finished 16 of 25 for 177 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in leading the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh consecutive season, which is the second-longest streak in NFL history.
Mahomes is now 7-0 in the Divisional Round with 14 touchdown passes and no interception.
WATCH | Coach Andy Reid talks about Mahomes in the video player below
KELCE HITS POSTSEASON MILESTONES
Kelce looked rested and ready to do his part in the quest for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.
He had six catches for 117 yards and that score, reaching a couple of milestones along the way.
Kelce now has 171 receptions for 2,020 yards and 20 touchdowns in his postseason career.
He already owned the NFL record for receptions in the playoffs.
During Saturday’s win, Kelce joined Jerry Rice, who had 2,245 yards and 22 touchdowns receiving in his postseason career, as the only players in NFL history to have 2,000 yards receiving or 20 receiving touchdowns in the postseason.
Kelce, whose 49-yard catch and run in the second quarter was the longest of his postseason career, also recorded his ninth career 100-yard game in the playoffs, which broke a tie for the most in NFL history with Rice.
During his Hall of Fame career, Rice played in 29 postseason games with San Francisco, Oakland and Seattle.
Kelce has now played in 23 career playoff games.
BIG-GAME CHARLES
Defensive end Charles Omenihu burnished his big-game credentials with a key second-quarter sack.
He beat Shaq Mason around the edge and swatted the ball from CJ Stroud’s hand, though Mason recovered the fumble.
The 3-yard loss led to a 55-yard Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal try, which sailed well wide to the right.
Omenihu now has 5 1/2 sacks in 12 career postseason games, which equates to 0.46 per game.
He has 19 1/2 career sacks in 78 regular-season games, roughly 0.25 per game.
So, Omenihu’s sack rate is nearly double in the playoffs compared to the regular season.
FURIOUS GEORGE
One year after leading the NFL with three postseason sacks, “Furious” George Karlaftis got the 2024 postseason — yes, it’s 2025, but I didn’t make the NFL calendar — with, well, a fury.
In fact, he matched his total from three games last season in the fourth quarter alone against the Texans.
Karlaftis dragged down Stroud for a 16-yard loss on fourth down near midfield to preserve an eight-point lead then added another fourth-quarter sack as the desperate Texans tried in vain to rally from a 23-12 hole.
On the first play after the two-minute warning, Kalaftis added a third sack to force a doomed field-goal try — Leo Chenal pawed Fairbairn’s 35-yard field harmlessly to the ground, ending any hope of a comeback.
The three sacks tied a Chiefs playoff record, which former defensive end Frank Clark set in the 2019 Divisional Round against Houston en route to the franchise ending a 50-year Super Bowl drought.
It's also the fourth-most sacks in a single game in NFL postseason history since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
Karlaftis had one sack during his rookie season, bagging Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game during the 2022 season.
Last season, he had 1 1/2 sacks against Miami in the Wild Card Round last season, added another against Lamar Jackson in the AFC Championship Game and was credited with a half-sack in the Super Bowl LVIII victory against San Francisco.
Kansas City totaled eight sacks — Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton, Chamarri Conner and Felix Anudike-Uzomah each had one in addition to Karlaftis and Omenihu's contributions.
“Spags puts them in position to be able to do that and then they take advantage of it,” Reid said. “... He’s got a tremendous scheme and it’s complicated, so they had to deal with that.”
He also credited General Manager Brett Veach for bringing in personnel who can execute the scheme.
The Chiefs' eight sacks is tied for the seventh-most in a postseason game in NFL history. There have been nine sacks in a playoff game six times, including the Chiefs in a Jan. 16, 1994, Divisional Win at the Houston Oilers.
FIELD-GOAL BATTLE EARLY
Chiefs return specialist Nikko Remigio got the game off to an electrifying start, returning the game’s opening kickoff 63 yards.
He fumbled at the end, but running back Samaje Perine recovered the ball and a personal foul by Texans cornerback Kris Boyd moved the ball to the 13-yard line.
But Kansas City largely squandered the golden opportunity, losing a yard on three plays before settling for a 32-yard Harrison Butker field goal.
Houston matched that field goal on its opening drive.
The Chiefs’ second drive netted a 36-yard field goal for a 6-3 lead.
Butker added a third field goal — a 27-yarder with 4:38 remaining — that effectively iced the game.
FAIRBAIRN’S MISS THWARTS COMEBACK
It took more than 25 minutes, but Kansas City finally found the end on its third red-zone possession.
Running back Kareem Hunt bounced off right tackle for a 1-yard touchdown, which capped a five-play drive that covered 55 yards after Fairburn’s missed field goal.
Tight end Travis Kelce’s 49-yard catch and run set up the score, which put the Chiefs in front 13-3.
The Texans pulled within a touchdown at halftime on Fairbairn’s 48-yard field goal with 16 seconds remaining in the first half.
Houston should have tied the game after a masterful 15-play, 82-yard drive that devoured the first 10:24 of the third quarter.
Joe Mixon, who was questionable with an ankle injury, capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, but Fairbairn missed the point-after and Kansas City maintained a 13-12 lead.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs will host the AFC Championship Game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Kansas City, which will face the winner of Sunday's Baltimore at Buffalo game, set an NFL record by hosting five straight conference title games from the 2018 to 2022 seasons.
The Chiefs won last season’s AFC Championship Game in Baltimore en route to winning Super Bowl LVIII.
The game will be at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26, at Arrowhead.
Kansas City has now reached seven consecutive AFC title games, which ranks second in NFL history behind only New England (2011-18).
WAS TAYLOR SWIFT AT THE GAME?
Of course — you know Taylor Swift wasn’t missing a playoff game.
Swift arrived extra early for the Divisional Round game and shared her suite with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who grew up as a Chiefs fan in Iowa.
“Queen Tay-Tay,” who has been dating tight end Travis Kelce for nearly 18 months, attended seven of Kansas City’s eight regular-season home games.
The Chiefs are 18-3 with Swift on hand during the last two seasons, including a 13-game win streak dating back to late last season.
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