The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAIL TO THE CHIEFS
Kansas City’s Anthony Hitchens (53) and Chris Jones celebrate a defensive stop against the Indianapolis Colts during Saturday’s AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium, won by the Chiefs 31-13.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Patrick Mahomes picked apart the Colts in his postseason debut, the Chiefs defense answered their chorus of critics with a stout performance, and Kansas City rolled to a 31-13 victory over Indianapolis in the divisional round Saturday to end 25 years of playoff frustration.
Mahomes threw for 278 yards while running for a touchdown, and Damien Williams ran through snow and muck for 129 yards and another score, as the Chiefs beat Indianapolis for the first time in five playoff meetings to earn their first AFC title game appearance since January 1994.
“There was a lot of excitement here, the fans were awesome, the defense played amazing and the offense, we did enough to get the win in the end,” Mahomes said.
The AFC West champions will play the winner of today’s game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next week- end for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta on Feb. 3.
Andrew Luck was held to 203 yards passing for the Colts, while Marlon Mack was a nonfactor on the ground. He had 46 yards rushing before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.
With persistent snow turning Arrowhead Stadium into a winter wonderland, the Chiefs waltzed all over a Colts defense that nearly shut out the Texans a week ago. Mahomes and Co. scored on their first three posses- sions, then again just before halftime, to take a 24-7 lead into the break.
If there was any question whether this would be Kansas City’s day, it was answered when Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field-goal try off the upright just before halftime. It was the first time in 22 postseason attempts he’d missed from that close.
Not that the Chiefs thought they had it wrapped up.
They’ve had bigger playoff meltdowns against the Colts.
There was the 10-7 loss in which Lin Elliott missed three field goals when the Chiefs were the No. 1 seed, and the loss at Arrowhead Stadium in 2003 in which nobody punted.
Five years ago, they blew a 38-10 second-half lead against Luck and the Colts to spoil Andy Reid’s first season.
Not this time.
Not with this Kansas City quarterback.
After shattering nearly every franchise passing record, Mahomes picked up right where he left off in his regular-season finale. He led the Chiefs on touchdown drives of 90 and 70 yards to open the game, quickly identified a favorite target in Travis Kelce, and shook off a banged-up knee to scramble for a touchdown late in the first half to give his team a big cushion.
Of course, the Chiefs didn’t need it the way their defense was playing.
The Colts went three-andout on their first four possessions, were outgained 185-12 in the first quarter, and Luck didn’t complete a pass until he found T.Y. Hilton early in the second quarter.
Their lone bright spot came when Zach Paschal recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown.
The Chiefs had lost six straight home playoff games, including heartbreakers to Pittsburgh and Tennessee the past two years. But a proud franchise that won its only Super Bowl title with Len Dawson in 1970, and last played for a spot behind Joe Montana, is once more one step away.