By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com Reporter
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans, 23-14, to advance to the AFC Championship for a seventh-straight year on Saturday night.
Tight end Travis Kelce hauled in seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown while the defense racked up eight sacks on Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud, combining to secure the Chiefs’ eighth-straight playoff win dating back to the 2022 campaign.
“I’m proud of our guys for how they handled [the game],” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “We knocked a little rust off, and everybody stayed positive and with each other…Here we sit [in the] championship game, [and] we’re [humbled] to be in that position.”
The final score represented a nine-point advantage, but the game was close throughout much of the contest.
The tipping point took place early in the fourth quarter when the Chiefs were leading by just one point and facing a third down in the red zone. Rather than settle for a field goal, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in the grasp of a Texans’ pass-rusher when he fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kelce. Mahomes was being tackled forward as he let go of the ball, and in what turned out to be yet another miraculous play by Mahomes, the touchdown extended Kansas City’s lead to eight points.
“That touchdown was unbelievable,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “That was incredible for [Patrick] to be able to get his body in position to make that throw. I thought [it] was great.”
Houston, which compiled a 15-play, 82-yard touchdown series that ate up more than 10 minutes of clock on its drive proceeding Mahomes’ touchdown throw, netted just 14 yards across its next two drives. Kansas City then added a field goal following the latter Texans’ series, effectively putting the game away.
Mahomes completed 16-of-25 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown in the game, leading the Chiefs to his 16th career postseason victory as a starting quarterback. Those 16 wins are tied with Joe Montana for the second-most in NFL postseason history, trailing only Tom Brady (35).
“This is unreal, [and] I tell the fans the same thing,” Reid said. “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 here.”
Mahomes’ favorite target throughout the night was Kelce, whose performance marked his ninth career playoff game with at least 100 receiving yards. The outing broke a tie with Jerry Rice for the most such games in NFL postseason history.
“People say [that] big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games, and that’s just how simple it is,” Mahomes said. “He’s one of those guys. He doesn’t let the moment be bigger than what it is. He just goes [out] there and executes at a high level just like he does in the regular season. He just does that [at] a little bit higher intensity [in the playoffs].”
Five of Kelce’s seven receptions picked up double-digit yardage, including a 49-yard catch-and-run late in the second quarter that set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by tailback Kareem Hunt. The score briefly put the Chiefs ahead by 10 points, but Houston fought back to pull within a single point late in the third quarter.
Houston never managed to tie the game or take the lead, however, courtesy of a Chiefs’ defensive effort that racked up eight sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Additionally, four of those sacks took place on either third or fourth down.
“The gameplan that went into it was great,” said defensive end George Karlaftis, who recorded three sacks on Saturday. “We talk internally about rushing under an umbrella of discipline – the front half working with the back half. When all of that stuff happens, success usually follows.”
It all helped the Chiefs advance to the AFC Championship Game for a seventh-straight season on Saturday, and while it wasn’t always pretty, Kansas City joined the 2001-05 New England Patriots and the 1961-67 Green Bay Packers as one of just three teams in NFL history to win eight-straight postseason games.
In some additional good news, in terms of injuries, Coach Reid didn’t have any to report following the game.
“Everybody got through it, [and] they’re good,” Reid said. “They might have some bumps and bruises, but it’s all good there.”
The Chiefs will now await the winner of Sunday night’s matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills to see who Kansas City will host in the AFC Championship Game.
