Late heroics from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce helped the Kansas City Chiefs secure a 23-14 win over the Houston Texans in their divisional round playoff matchup on Saturday.
FIRST ONE DONE‼️ pic.twitter.com/FizPQKd9Rs
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 19, 2025
With Kansas City holding a narrow one-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone while falling down to extend the Chiefs’ lead.
Mahomes wasn’t flawless, but he avoided turnovers and repeatedly helped sustain drives. He finished 16-of-25 for 177 yards and a touchdown, rushing for 14 yards on seven attempts.
While Kelce’s regular-season average of 51.4 yards per game was the lowest mark of his career over the course of a full year, he stepped up in the playoff environment once again.
The 35-year-old caught a game-high seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, which included a 49-yard grab in the second quarter.
He surpassed 100 receiving yards for the ninth time in his postseason career, setting a new NFL record.
Fans and pundits were in awe of the Chiefs’ latest playoff victory with Mahomes and Kelce, envisioning the team winning a third consecutive Super Bowl.
Kansas City’s defense stifled the Texans, as quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times.
Houston scored just one touchdown despite racking up 336 yards of total offense. Penalties were also an issue for the Texans, getting flagged eight times for 82 yards.
With the Chiefs’ win, they advanced to the AFC Championship Game for a seventh consecutive year.
Kansas City will now await the winner of Sunday’s clash between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in the conference title game.
