Chiefs Advance To AFC Title Game With Complementary Football

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For the fifth consecutive season, the Kansas City Chiefs will be playing in the AFC Championship Game. We will figure out who their opponent will be later today, when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Bills in Buffalo. The Chiefs were forced to deal with adversity in the Divisional Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nonetheless, different parts of Kansas City stepped up to grab another playoff victory.

Patrick Mahomes dealt with an ankle injury, after getting rolled up on in the first half. Like a Divisional Round playoff game a couple of years prior, Chad Henne had to come in for a bit to keep the boat afloat. He led a 98-yard touchdown drive, eventually throwing a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Mahomes did indeed return later to throw another touchdown pass.

Elsewhere, the defense stepped up when they needed to, forcing some turnovers and applying pressure. Kansas City may not have had the prettiest wins all season long. Though, the Chiefs are playing complementary football at the right time.

Mahomes Grinds It Out

By far, this was the gutsiest performance that Patrick Mahomes had to endure during his NFL career. We have seen him suffer nagging injuries briefly in the past. However, he was unable to finish contests after suffering a freak knee injury or nerve injury within his neck. Mahomes was forced to miss the game for a certain period of time. Yet, the Chiefs quarterback eventually regained a certain level of comfort in the second half as he returned to the game and delivered passes down the field.

Surely, he will push through and be ready to go for next week’s AFC Championship Game, even if he is slightly banged up. There are some situations and moments that can be easily taken for granted in today’s NFL. With items like highlight-reel plays, emerging young stars and elite quarterback play, we often do not recognize the brilliance of players grinding through ailments. For Mahomes to tough it out the way he did in a playoff game, it will be remembered for a long while, with his toughness shining through. That could mean even more to Kansas City, if they ultimately win it all in February.

Henne Keeps KC On Top

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Part of the complementary team football involved the Chiefs relying on backup quarterback Chad Henne for a stretch. As mentioned above, he orchestrated a touchdown drive with Kansas City beginning deep in their own territory. Henne was not flashy, nor was he able to evade late pressure with his legs. Nevertheless, Henne delivered and distributed the ball to the spots that he needed to. His pass catchers helped churn out some tough yards after the catch, to boot. That kept the drive alive on numerous occasions.

Henne did not play any meaningful snaps during the regular season, as stated on the broadcast by NBC’s Mike Tirico. For him to come in and carry the torch for a short period of time, the Chiefs were able to gain an additional spark. The offensive supporting cast stepped up. The Kansas City defense responded afterwards with a new jolt of energy. Most of all, Henne kept the Chiefs on top by extending the lead into a more comfortable range.

Simply The Best

If may not have always been flashy, but we saw plenty of examples as to why Travis Kelce is the NFL’s best tight end. His Divisional Round playoff performance against the Jaguars was the ultimate cherry on top for the Chiefs offense. Kansas City was forced to adjust after Mahomes got banged up. Enter Kelce, the offense’s security blanket to extend drives with gritty gains after securing the pass.

In total, Kelce finished with 14 receptions for 98 receiving yards, along with two receiving touchdowns. We are used to seeing Kelce break some sort of record. But yet again, he did something that had never been done before. For example, the Chiefs tight end set a new NFL playoff record for most catches by a tight end in a single game. He was just one catch short for tying the all-time NFL playoff record in that category, regardless of position.

Splash Plays Become Difference For Chiefs Defense

There were some ups and downs for the Chiefs defense in this game. Some shorter passes by Jacksonville resulted in wide open running lanes and first downs after the catch. In the end, it was the splash plays that made the difference for Kansas City’s defense. That included getting plenty of pressure on Trevor Lawrence during crucial downs. Furthermore, the Chiefs were able to create two takeaways late in this playoff game.

A Jamal Agnew fumble kept points off of the board while the Jaguars were threatening in the red zone. Meanwhile, Kansas City rookie seventh-round pick Jaylen Watson snagged a one-handed interception, thereafter. The Chiefs are incredibly young in many spots defensively. Despite that, this group has continued to grow and gel throughout the season. You are seeing these younger defenders gain plenty of comfort and confidence in vital situations. Plus, Kansas City did not turn the ball over themselves, winning the turnover battle two to zero, in the end.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this upcoming week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.