Kelce, Mahomes double-act leads Chiefs past Texans in NFL playoffs

Table of Contents

Travis Kelce scored a touchdown and assisted on another, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 23-14 playoff win over the Houston Texans in a close game on Saturday.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce -- with pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift watching proudly from the VIP section -- delivered a standout show alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes, overpowering a tough Houston Texans team.

Kelce, 35, finished with 117 touchdown-receiving yards from seven receptions while Mahomes completed one touchdown pass for 177 passing yards.

Like I figured, 87's gonna be there for the big moments, and that's exactly what happened," Mahomes said of Kelce. "Everyone's been asking, 'Where's Travis Kelce?' I think he just showed the world his spot now.

The Chiefs' defense had another impressive showing, thoroughly harassing Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was sacked a total of eight times in a difficult performance.

Kansas City's win at Arrowhead Stadium advances them to the AFC Championship game for a seventh consecutive season, where they will either host the Baltimore Ravens or the Buffalo Bills.

This weekend's win also served as a milestone, marking the 300th career win for the Kansas City Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid - only the fourth head coach in the history of the National Football League to reach that benchmark.

The Chiefs, who secured a pair of consecutive Super Bowls with their win over the 49ers last season, are striving to become the first team ever to achieve a trio of NFL championships.

Over the past Saturday's evidence, virtually no one would put their money on them not moving on to the main event in New Orleans next month, after they once again showed they're able to secure victories despite struggling to maintain a high level of performance.

The Chiefs got off to a strong start after their receiver, Nikko Remigio, broke through the Texans' kickoff with an impressive 63-yard return.

The Chiefs were unable to convert their opportunity into points, so they made a Harrison Butker field goal of 32 yards to take a 3-0 lead.

He rushes for a touchdown.

Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made a field goal for his team, matching the score at 3-3. However, Butker made a 36-yard field goal, putting the Chiefs ahead 6-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The familiar Kelce-Mahomes duo then sparked the Chiefs to the first touchdown of the second quarter.

A short pass up the middle from Mahomes found Kelce, who slipped free from the Texans' defenders and sprinted 49 yards down to the Houston six-yard line.

That led to Kareem Hunt rushing into the end zone for a touchdown from close range, putting the Chiefs ahead of their opponents 13-3, before Fairbairn kicked his second field goal just before halftime, cutting the Chiefs' lead in half.

The Texans should have been tied going into the fourth quarter after quarterback Stroud led an outstanding 15-play, 82-yard drive that lasted more than 10 minutes and ended with running back Joe Mixon rushing in for a 13-yard touchdown.

Fairbairn missed the extra point attempt, allowing the Chiefs to still be up 13-12. Mahomes made the Chiefs pay for the missed kick on their next drive, completing a touchdown pass to Kelce while he was off balance, giving Kansas City a 20-12 lead.

Hospitals were unable to score from their next two possessions, and the Chiefs went 11 points clear with Butker's third field goal late in the fourth quarter. With 11 seconds remaining, the Chiefs conceded a deliberate safety to surrender possession and effectively seal the game.

The Detroit Lions host the Washington Commanders on Saturday in their other NFL match, vying for a spot in the NFC Championship game.

rcw/bb