Chiefs knock off Texans, Mahomes now 7-0 in divisional spherical

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are headed to the AFC Championship Sport for the seventh straight season. They clinched their spot on this season’s convention title sport by beating the Houston Texans 23-14 within the divisional spherical of the playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, giving coach Andy Reid his three hundredth profession win.

The Chiefs prolonged a one-point result in 20-12 early within the fourth quarter on an 11-yard landing cross from a falling Patrick Mahomes to tight finish Travis Kelce. Whereas the 2 have linked for touchdowns many instances within the playoffs through the years, this was considered one of their extra spectacular. Mahomes had been hit and was on his strategy to the bottom, however he was capable of get the ball to Kelce earlier than taking place.

The Chiefs are 4-2 of their final six AFC Championship Video games. Each losses got here in extra time. The Chiefs will proceed their quest for a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl title towards the winner of Sunday’s sport between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Payments. The Texans ended their season with a divisional spherical playoff loss for the second straight season.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Playoff Kelce. Identical to final season, when Kelce excelled within the postseason, he saved his finest for the playoffs. The tight finish carried the Chiefs’ passing sport by catching seven passes for 117 yards and an 11-yard landing within the fourth quarter. It was his ninth profession 100-yard playoff sport, giving him the document. Kelce, 35, appeared energized after he and a number of other key gamers rested in Week 18 after the Chiefs clinched the AFC’s high playoff seed and a wild-card bye with one week left within the common season.

Most stunning efficiency: The Chiefs bought nothing from broad receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster by way of three quarters. No catches. They have been focused thrice, however not one of the passes reached their mark.

Troubling development: The Chiefs allowed stress on Mahomes with out having to blitz a lot. The Texans pressured Mahomes 5 instances on 13 passes within the first half alone and issues did not get a lot better from there. This has been an issue for a lot of the season for the Chiefs. Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 instances throughout the common season. — Adam Teicher

Subsequent sport: AFC Championship Sport vs. Payments or Ravens (6:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 26)

The Texans fell to 0-6 within the divisional spherical and as soon as once more did not get to their first AFC Championship Sport. The alternatives to tug off the upset have been there, however their errors have been an excessive amount of to beat.

A number of pointless roughness calls, eight whole penalties, missed and blocked kicks, and quarterback C.J. Stroud getting sacked eight instances have been amongst them.

In one of the crucial important moments of the sport, once they trailed 13-12 and the Chiefs have been going through a third-and-goal from the 11, the protection could not get Mahomes down in time earlier than he fired off a landing to Kelce ultimately zone.

Eye-popping stat: Stroud confronted a career-high 23 whole pressures and was beneath stress on 56% of his dropbacks. The pressures led to eight sacks, tying a career-high set in Week 9 towards the New York Jets.

QB breakdown: Stroud’s general numbers weren’t nice as he completed with 245 passing yards and no touchdowns, however his efficiency handed the attention take a look at. He used his legs to increase performs for completions and scramble for a number of first downs. The Texans went 10-for-17 on third downs and all however two of them have been due to Stroud making a play. However not having key wideouts Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell within the postseason was a serious void.

Largest gap within the sport plan: Defending Kelce. The seven-time All-Professional torched the Texans’ protection, totaling 117 receiving yards on seven catches and a landing. Kelce had one sport all season with no less than 100 receiving yards. The final time he went over 101 yards was towards the Ravens within the 2023 AFC Championship Sport.

Describe the sport in two phrases: Particular errors. The particular groups unit made important errors that stored the Texans at an obstacle for many of the sport. On the sport’s opening kickoff, Houston gave up a 63-yard kickoff return to Kansas Metropolis’s Nikko Remigio, which led to a Chiefs subject objective and a heated second when defensive again Kris Boyd shoved particular groups coach Frank Ross on the sideline. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a field-goal try within the second quarter and an extra-point strive after a Joe Mixon landing within the third quarter that will have tied the sport at 13. — DJ Bien-Aime