Ranking the Chiefs' best moments from each divisional round playoff game during the Patrick Mahomes era
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will look to improve to 7-0 during the divisional round of the playoffs when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans on Saturday. Mahomes' postseason success has been nothing short of remarkable, but he's also had some help along the way. The Chiefs have created countless memories over the last six years, […]
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will look to improve to 7-0 during the divisional round of the playoffs when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Mahomes' postseason success has been nothing short of remarkable, but he's also had some help along the way. The Chiefs have created countless memories over the last six years, with many more likely still to come.
Here are our top moments from each divisional round playoff game since Mahomes took over as the Chiefs' starting QB back in 2018.
Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts: Kansas City breaks the curse
In 2018 Mahomes took the NFL by storm, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to his first MVP award. Despite that, Chiefs fans still had their guards up as they had been haunted by postseason heartbreak, especially when it came to the Colts.
As K.C. was set to host Indianapolis in the divisional round, the four-game losing streak that it had against the Colts was on everybody's minds. It wasn't just the losing, but how the Chiefs lost. 1995's defeat was the dubbed the "Lin Elliott Game" as Elliott inexplicably missed three field goals during the 10-7 loss.
Following that was the infamous "No Punt Game" in which Indianapolis beat K.C. in a 38-31 shootout that featured, you guessed it, zero punts by either team. Three years later in a Wild Card matchup, the Colts beat the Chiefs 23-8. Indianapolis would save its best for last in the 2013 Wild Card round, beating K.C. 45-44 after improbably erasing a 38-10 third quarter Chiefs' lead.
Fast forward to their 2018 divisional round matchup, the Chiefs let it be known that things were about to change in a huge way. K.C. jumped out to a quick 14-0 first quarter lead and never looked back, winning the game 31-13. Even though the Chiefs lost the AFC Championship the following week, it felt like a weight was lifted off not only the shoulders of the team, but the entire city.
Chiefs vs. Texans: Dirty Dan steals the show
After a first-round bye, the Chiefs were heavy home favorites over the Texans in the 2019 divisional round. Unexpectedly, Houston came out with guns blazing, racing out to a stunning 24-0 first quarter lead. Just as that same old playoff feeling was beginning to settle in for Chiefs fans, momentum changed on a dime.
K.C. finally got on the board, cutting the deficit to 24-7. Then, the Texans decided to pull as fast one with a fake punt, but safety Daniel Sorensen wasn't fooled as he tackled Justin Reid (ironically now starting safety for the Chiefs) short of the first down. The Chiefs followed that with another touchdown, making the score 24-14.
On the ensuing kickoff Sorensen would strike again, popping the ball out of Texans return man DeAndre Carter's hands during a tackle. K.C. recovered and scored three plays later. With momentum now firmly on the Chiefs' side, they would go on to score a whopping 51 points, winning the game 51-31. This would spark the Chiefs' first Super Bowl win since the 1969 season.
Chiefs vs. Cleveland Browns: Chad Henne saves the day
The Chiefs once again found themselves as big favorites following a first-round bye, this time against a scrappy Browns team led by quarterback Baker Mayfield. Up 22-10 midway through the third quarter, K.C. appeared to be cruising to victory, until Mahomes went down with a concussion.
Mahomes would not return to the game, leaving the Chiefs' fate in the hands of veteran backup quarterback Chad Henne. Cleveland immediately cut the lead to 22-17. Things really started to look bleak when Henne threw a fourth quarter interception, but the Chiefs' defense held. When the offense got the ball back, it needed to string together just a couple of first downs to ice the game.
As he dropped back to pass during a third-and-14 situation after the two-minute warning, Henne was flushed out of the pocket and scrambled for 13 yards. Chiefs coach Andy Reid then showed the ultimate trust in Henne, going for it on fourth-and-one and calling for Henne to throw the ball. Henne hit wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a rollout throw to the boundary, easily picking up the first down and sealing the win.
Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills: 13 seconds
Even the most casual NFL fan knows this story. After a wildly entertaining back-and-forth 2021 divisional round game, the Bills appeared to have landed the final blow, taking a 36-33 lead with just 13 seconds left on the clock. Unfortunately for Buffalo, that was somehow too much time to leave the Chiefs' offense.
Beginning from their own 35-yard line, Mahomes connected with Hill for a fast 19-yard gain. Then, Mahomes threw a quick pass to a wide open tight end Travis Kelce as the Bills dropped most of their defenders deep. Before the play, Kelce communicated with Mahomes that he would be left unattended and to get him the ball immediately.
After gaining 25 yards on the catch, K.C. was in position to tie the game with a 49-yard field goal attempt by Harrison Butker. He connected on the kick and sent the game to overtime. The Chiefs would win the coin toss and march right down the field for the game-winning touchdown as Mahomes found Kelce in the endzone from eight yards out.
Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Chad Henne saves the day (again)
In 2022 the Chiefs were once again fresh off a bye week as they hosted a Jaguars team that had a lot of momentum at the time. Mahomes led the offense to a touchdown and a field goal during it's first two possessions, but suffered an ankle injury during the second drive.
Much to his chagrin, the Chiefs' coaching staff forced Mahomes to go to the locker room and get it checked out. That meant Henne coming in and keeping K.C. afloat. He did more than just that, leading the offense on a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive on his first series of the game.
Henne completed 5-7 passes on the drive, capping it off by finding Kelce in the endzone and taking a 17-7 lead. The Jaguars would never tie or recapture the lead as K.C. went on to win the game 27-20.
Chiefs at Bills: K.C. proves the doubters wrong with two special fans in attendance
Up until the 2023 divisional round, Mahomes had never played a playoff game on the road (not counting Super Bowls). This was supposed to be when the Bills finally got over the hump against the Chiefs in the postseason. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't.
After a bit of a sputtering start, the Chiefs found the endzone for the first time late in the second quarter as Mahomes connected with Kelce on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Then came the best visual of the game, which was Travis' brother, Jason Kelce, celebrating in the audience with his shirt off and a beer in his right hand.
Also in attendance was Travis' music icon girlfriend Taylor Swift, who has attended several Chiefs games over the past two years. Travis had a big game with five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
It was another back-and-forth classic between K.C. and Buffalo, but the Chiefs once again took care of business late in the game to secure the win. After a missed field goal by Bills kicker Tyler Bass that would have tied the game, the Chiefs picked up a first down with under two minutes left, effectively ending the game.
