Patrick Mahomes knows well that there are two different versions of Travis Kelce.
There’s the regular-season Kelce, a player who is on his way to the Hall of Fame, and then there’s the postseason Kelce, who has become almost legendary by helping the Chiefs win three Super Bowls and now getting close to a fourth.
Even though Kelce didn’t have his best regular season, the 35-year-old showed up big again in the divisional round against the Texans on Saturday. He caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in a 23-14 victory. Those 117 yards were almost all of Mahomes’ total passing yards for the game, and it made up more than half of the team’s total offense.
“Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. That’s how simple it is,” Mahomes said after the game. He threw the touchdown pass to Kelce while getting pulled down by a Houston defender at a crucial point in the match.
“He just goes out and executes at a high level, just like he does in the regular season, but at a higher intensity in the playoffs.”
The Chiefs seem to do the same thing.
Yes, they had an impressive 15-2 record in the regular season and earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. But even though they were the defending Super Bowl champions, they often won their games in dramatic and close fashion, relying on made field goals, blocked field goals, and key fourth-down stops. It never really seemed like they were a dominant team charging toward another title.
However, on Saturday, they looked like a team ready for another championship.
The Chiefs’ offense chose to play it safe, controlling the ball and avoiding mistakes, which resulted in modest yardage. But their defense made up for it by sacking quarterback C.J. Stroud eight times.
The special teams also played their part, almost scoring a touchdown on a kickoff return and making all of their field goals and extra points. This balanced effort sent the Chiefs to their seventh straight AFC championship game.
And guess who their opponent is? The Buffalo Bills, who won 27-25 against the Ravens on Sunday. The Chiefs have beaten the Bills three times in the playoffs since January 2021, including a 38-24 win that secured them a Super Bowl spot that year.
“Every feeling and every journey is different,” said Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. “It depends on what you have to go through.
We think about the battles we’ve faced to get here — like losing to the Patriots (in 2019), and having to overcome that to finally get a (Super Bowl) win. I think this journey is different. We’ve been here a few times, and we’re even more driven to get there now because of what’s at stake: a three-peat.”
What’s working
On Saturday, the Chiefs made life very difficult for quarterback C.J. Stroud. George Karlaftis had three of the Chiefs’ eight sacks, including a key one on fourth down late in the game that helped secure the win. What stood out was that the Chiefs, who usually rely on blitzing to pressure the quarterback, managed to get to Stroud without having to send extra defenders.
What needs help
The Chiefs won even though key receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t catch any passes. This worked in the divisional round against Houston, especially since Kelce had a strong game. However, this approach probably won’t work in the AFC title game, where they will need more from their wide receivers.
Stock up
Xavier Worthy has been showing growth, continuing his strong play in the playoffs. The first-round pick caught five passes for 45 yards, with a standout moment being a leaping, one-handed catch along the sideline early in the game.
Stock down
Isiah Pacheco hasn’t been the same since suffering a broken fibula in Week 2. Against Houston, he rushed five times for 18 yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry, with most of that coming from a single 10-yard run. In comparison, Kareem Hunt averaged 5.5 yards per carry on eight attempts and even scored a touchdown. It’s clear who the top running back is now.
Injuries
Bryan Cook and fellow safety Justin Reid were both injured during the game against Houston, but they both returned to play. Defensive back Jaylen Watson also came out healthy after playing his first game since breaking his ankle on Oct. 20 against San Francisco.
Key number
7 — That’s the number of consecutive AFC title games the Chiefs have reached. They have won four of the previous six.
