CHIEFS BUCK COLTS, REACH AFC TITLE GAME

Mahomes masters muck as KC ends playoff drought

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes picked apart the Colts in his postseason debut, the Chiefs’ defense answered a 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 Sunday’s game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta.

Andrew Luck was held to 203 yards passing for the Colts, while Marlon Mack was no factor on the ground. He had 46 yards rushing before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

NFL playoffs at a glance

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 possessions, then again just before halftime, to take

CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS Kansas City 31, Indianapolis 13 Dallas at Los Angeles Rams, late Los Angeles Chargers at New England, 1 p.m. (CBS)Philadelphia at New Orleans, 4:30 p.m. (Fox) Kansas City Chiefs' Mitchell Schwartz (71) and Cameron Erving (75) celebrates a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.