HAD’EM ALL THE WAY!
Mahomes rallies Chiefs from 24-point deficit to AFC Championship Game
CHIEFS 51 TEXANS 31
KANSAS CITY — Patrick Mahomes stalked up and down the sideline like a general rallying his troops, the brilliant young quarterback imploring the Chiefs to stay together even as the Texans were on the verge of taking them apart.
The Chiefs already faced a 24-point deficit, bigger than any they had overcome in franchise history.
“The biggest thing I was preaching,” Mahomes said later, “was, `Let's go do something special. Everybody is counting us out. Let's go out there and play by play put it out there.' And play by play, we did what we were supposed to do.”
Beginning with the first of his five touchdown passes, Mahomes and the Chiefs slowly chipped away at Houston's seemingly insurmountable lead. They continued to pick up momentum, outscoring the Texans by 28 during the second quarter alone, and eventually reeled off 41 consecutive points before cruising the rest of the way to a 51-31 victory Sunday that propelled Kansas City back to the AFC championship game for the second consecutive season.
In doing so, the Chiefs (13-4) became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game by at least 20 points after trailing by at least 20. They matched the fourth-biggest comeback in playoff history while winning a postseason game in back-toback seasons for the first time. Travis Kelce and Damien Williams scored three touchdowns apiece, joining the 49ers' Jerry Rice and Ricky Waters in Super Bowl 29 as the only teammates to score that many times in a postseason game.
Meanwhile, Mahomes led by example as much as by voice. He finished with 321 yards passing, becoming the first player in postseason history with at least 300 yards passing and five touchdowns while running for at least 50 more yards.
“You saw him going up and down the bench, he was talking to everybody, — `Just settle down,” ' Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “As a head coach, you can't ask for more than that. When he's the leader of your team and he's goingH, `ey, we're going to be fine. Let's not wait for the fourth quarter. Let's go!' And he did that.”
Now, after losing to the Patriots in overtime in last year's conference title game, the Chiefs are back on the verge of their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. They will host Tennessee next Sunday in a rematch from earlier this season after the Titans upset Lamar Jackson and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.
“We've already played them and we know they're a tough team,” Mahomes said. “They're a team that battles all the way until the end. They're a team that's really hot, playing really good football right now, so we know it's going to take our best effort. And, whatever way, we've got to find a way to win.”
Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns while running for another, but not even his heroics could bail out the Texans (11-7) after their calamitous second quarter and dismal third. The result: The reborn Houston franchise is 0-4 in the divisional round and has never won a road playoff game.