DJ Bien-Aime
Adam Teicher
Adam Teicher
ESPN Employees Author
Lined Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas Metropolis Star
Joined ESPN in 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs are headed to the AFC Championship Sport for the seventh straight season. They clinched their spot on this season’s convention title sport by beating the Houston Texans 23-14 within the divisional spherical at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, giving coach Andy Reid his three hundredth profession win.
The Chiefs prolonged a one-point result in 20-12 early within the fourth quarter on an 11-yard landing go from a falling Patrick Mahomes to tight finish Travis Kelce. Although the 2 have related for touchdowns many instances within the playoffs through the years, this was certainly one of their extra spectacular scores. Mahomes was hit and on his strategy to the bottom, however he received the ball to Kelce earlier than taking place.
The Chiefs are 4-2 of their previous six AFC Championship Video games. Each losses got here in extra time. The Chiefs will proceed their quest for a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl title in opposition to the winner of Sunday’s sport between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Payments. The Texans misplaced within the divisional spherical for the second straight season.
Describe the sport in two phrases: Playoff Kelce. Much like final season, when Kelce excelled within the postseason, he saved his greatest for the playoffs. The tight finish carried the Chiefs’ passing sport by catching seven passes for 117 yards, together with an 11-yard landing within the fourth quarter. It was his ninth profession 100-yard playoff sport, giving him the report. Kelce, 35, appeared energized after he and several other key gamers rested in Week 18 as a result of the Chiefs clinched the AFC’s prime playoff seed and a wild-card bye with one week left within the common season.
Most stunning efficiency: The Chiefs received nothing from extensive receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. No catches. They have been focused 4 instances.
Troubling pattern: The Chiefs allowed stress on Mahomes regardless of the Texans not blitzing typically. The Texans pressured Mahomes 5 instances on 13 passes within the first half and issues did not get higher. This has been an issue for a lot of the season for the Chiefs. Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 instances throughout the common season. — Adam Teicher
Subsequent sport: AFC Championship Sport vs. Payments or Ravens (6:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 26)
The Texans fell to 0-6 within the divisional spherical and didn’t get to their first AFC Championship Sport. They’d alternatives to tug off the upset, however their errors have been an excessive amount of to beat.
Amongst their miscues have been a number of pointless roughness calls, eight whole penalties, missed and blocked kicks, and quarterback C.J. Stroud getting sacked eight instances.
In one of the vital essential moments of the sport, once they trailed 13-12 and the Chiefs have been going through a third-and-goal from the 11, the protection could not sort out Mahomes in time earlier than he fired a landing to Kelce.
Eye-popping stat: Stroud confronted a career-high 23 whole pressures and was beneath stress on 56% of his dropbacks. The pressures led to eight sacks, tying a profession excessive set in Week 9 in opposition to the New York Jets.
QB breakdown: Stroud’s numbers weren’t nice (245 passing yards and no touchdowns), however his efficiency handed the attention take a look at. He used his legs to increase performs for completions and scramble for a number of first downs. The Texans went 10-for-17 on third downs and all however two of the conversions have been as a result of Stroud made a play. However the Texans had hassle overcoming wideouts Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell being out for the postseason with accidents.
Largest gap within the sport plan: Defending Kelce. The seven-time All-Professional torched the Texans’ protection, totaling 117 receiving yards on seven catches and a landing. Kelce had one sport this season with no less than 100 receiving yards. The final time he went over 101 yards was in opposition to the Ravens within the 2023 AFC Championship Sport.
Describe the sport in two phrases: Particular errors. The particular groups unit made essential errors that stored the Texans at an obstacle for many of the sport. On the sport’s opening kickoff, Houston gave up a 63-yard kickoff return to Kansas Metropolis’s Nikko Remigio. That led to a Chiefs discipline purpose and a heated second when defensive again Kris Boyd shoved particular groups coach Frank Ross on the sideline. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed two discipline targets and an additional level strive after Joe Mixon’s landing within the third quarter that may have tied the rating at 13. — DJ Bien-Aime
