Mahomes and Kelce Lead Chiefs to Victory and Another AFC Title Game!
Patrick Mahomes remains perfect in divisional playoff games, and the Houston Texans are still searching for their first postseason success.
With Mahomes connecting with Travis Kelce seven times for 117 yards and a touchdown, and the Kansas City defense sacking C.J. Stroud eight times, the Chiefs secured a commanding 23-14 win on Saturday. The victory sent the two-time defending Super Bowl champions to their seventh consecutive AFC title game.
Kansas City joins elite company as only the fourth team in NFL history to make the conference championship after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. However, the previous three teams fell short of advancing further. The Chiefs aim to change that next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium against either the Bills or Ravens, who face off Sunday in Buffalo.
Fueled by their 16-2 record and star-studded supporters like Taylor Swift and WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark, the Chiefs are chasing history—a third consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Mahomes, with 177 passing yards and a touchdown in the game, improved his postseason record to 16-3, tying Joe Montana for the second-most playoff wins by a quarterback, trailing only Tom Brady. His 7-0 record in divisional games remains unmatched.
The journey isn’t over yet, as Kansas City eyes another Super Bowl appearance.
Andy Reid hit a major milestone on Saturday, with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce helping the Chiefs’ coach notch his 300th career win. Reid is now just the fourth coach in NFL history to reach that mark.
“I joked to the guys, you get a couple more wins, and you might match my weight,” Reid quipped.
While the Chiefs’ locker room was all laughs after their 23-14 divisional win, the Texans were left searching for answers. Houston remains winless in six divisional playoff games, with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing for 245 yards but enduring eight sacks. Running back Joe Mixon, questionable to play due to an ankle injury, managed 88 yards and a touchdown, but Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal, an extra point, and had another attempt blocked late in the game.
Special teams woes started early for Houston, with a chaotic opening kickoff nearly resulting in a Chiefs touchdown. Kansas City capitalized on their defensive dominance and the Texans’ miscues, extending their lead to 13-3 by halftime after Kareem Hunt’s bruising touchdown run.
Houston briefly showed life in the third quarter with a 15-play, 82-yard drive capped by Mixon’s 13-yard score. But Fairbairn’s missed extra point kept the Texans from tying the game, and Kansas City seized the momentum.
Mahomes, under pressure, orchestrated a clinical response. He connected with Kelce four times during an 81-yard drive, including an 11-yard touchdown pass as he was being dragged to the ground.
The Texans had chances to rally, but sacks and misfires from Stroud stalled both of their late drives. A Harrison Butker field goal with 4:32 left sealed the Chiefs’ eighth straight playoff win.
Kelce reflected on their journey: “We’ve got great guys in this building, but we only get here by staying focused. The AFC championship is the next task at hand. You don’t get a three-peat by looking past that.”
Injuries
Texans: LB Azeez Al-Shaair exited in the first half with a knee injury.
Chiefs: SS Bryan Cook was evaluated for a concussion but returned. FS Justin Reid took a hard hit in the fourth quarter but stayed in the game.
Up Next
The Chiefs host the AFC Championship next Sunday, their sixth in seven years, against either the Bills, who beat them in the regular season, or the Ravens, who lost in Kansas City in Week 1.