Mahomes and Kelce help Chiefs to a 23-14 win over Texans and another AFC title game trip
Patrick Mahomes has a flawless divisional round playoff record with the Kansas City Chiefs, never having lost in one.
The Houston Texans have not yet won a championship.
With the Chiefs' star quarterback connecting with his close friend Travis Kelce seven times for 117 yards and a touchdown, and a defense that brought down Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud to the ground eight times, Kansas City dominated in a 23-14 win Saturday that sealed their spot in the AFC title game for the seventh year in a row.
To take a shot at defeating the current champion.
I strongly remember moments from the World Series my dad played when I was just 5 years old. They're the memories that I'll hold close my whole life.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark, after an unprecedented three straight championships is now pursuing a third consecutive championship.
Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, improving his postseason record to 16-3, tying him with Joe Montana for second-most winning starts by an NFL quarterback, behind only Tom Brady. That includes his perfect 7-0 record in divisional playoff games.
Currently, Mahomes and Kelce have helped Coach Andy Reid become one of only four NFL coaches to achieve 300 wins throughout his career.
"I told the guys, you know, if you added a couple more, you'd be closer to my weight," Reid said.
.
Stroud was able to complete passes for 245 yards, but he was also sacked eight times. Joe Mixon, who was a game-time decision due to an ankle injury, managed to rush for 88 yards and the team's only touchdown.
Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt and had a PAT try rejected, and another field goal attempt was blocked with 1:46 left, which would have maintained their comeback hopes if it had gone through, leaving the game still two scores apart.
We couldn't make the mistakes we made in this game, considering what we were facing," said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans. "We suffered from a lot of self-inflicted errors, such as our special teams failing to convert, our defense being out of position in coverage, and our offense not protecting our quarterback well enough to keep him safe.
“Along with everything else we have to handle,” Ryans added, “that's going to be a tough fight ahead of us.”
A bizarre play occurred in which Houston cornerback Kris Boyd came close to pushing his assistant coach to the ground.
The Texans limited Kansas City to a couple of field goals early, but their defense couldn't keep up the good work late in the first half, when running back Kareem Hunt bullied his way into the end zone, giving the AFC West champions a 13-3 lead.
The Texans kicked a 48-yard field goal into the strong, blowing wind, making it a one-score game at halftime, and the late kick seemed to boost the AFC South champions when they came back out for the second half.
Stroud efficiently guided a 15-play, 82-yard drive that took up most of the third quarter, earning four crucial third-down conversions, including one where the quarterback dodged a heavy hit near the sideline while scrambling to stay on his feet. Mixon capped off the drive with a 13-yard run, but Fort the Bengals, Stroud's attempt at a game-tying extra point by Fairbairn sailed wide right.
That move just might have turned the tide of things in the other direction.
As two-time NFL MVP was being tackled to the ground by Houston's Mario Edwards Jr.
He thought it was going to be an interception,
The Texans had two chances to score a game-tying touchdown. Their first attempt ended when quarterback Stroud was tackled for a loss on a fourth-down play around midfield, about 10 minutes before the end of the game. The second opportunity was thwarted when Stroud threw two unsuccessful passes in a row, forcing the team to punt with over seven minutes remaining.
Kansas City drove into the Texans' territory and Harrison Butker's field goal, kicking it through with 4:32 remaining, effectively sealed the win.
We've been blessed with a lot of talented players on our team," Kelce said. "Focusing on the present moment has been key for us over the years, and tonight was great. Tonight we can enjoy this win, but the next step for us is to prepare for the AFC championship game.
You can't achieve a three-peat by looking past this.
Injuries
Texans: Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair injured his knee in the first half. He had been questionable to play due to a knee injury.
Coaches: SS Bryan Cook played only part of the first half because of concussion concerns, but was allowed to return. ... FS Justin Reid hit his head hard on a play in the fourth quarter, but remained in the game.
Up next
The Chiefs will host their AFC title game six out of the last seven years. They'll face either the Bills, one of the two teams that beat them during the regular season, or the Ravens, who lost to the Chiefs in their Week 1 matchup.
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