Chiefs depend on big plays from Mahomes and Kelce against tough Texans team – Arrowhead Pride
Filed under:Houston put up a fight in Saturday’s Divisional round matchup — but Kansas City’s top players did what they do.After their 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 16, there were plenty of observers who expected the Kansas City Chiefs would roll right over the Texans in the Divisional round of the playoffs; there’s a perception that the team can just throw a switch and beat any squad in front of them.But in Saturday’s 23-14 win over the Texans — a victory that sends the team to its seventh consecutive AFC Championship — we saw that Houston was a more difficult opponent than we might have imagined.“If you’re going to step out here on the football field, you’ve always got something to prove,” Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt after the game. “I wish it was just a flip of a switch — [that] I could just turn it on like that. But I think it was everybody in that building all week long — really, the past two or three weeks — figuring out how to get our bodies the best rest and [be] ready for the playoffs for a run like this.”It was just what head coach Andy Reid expected from a Houston team coached by DeMeco Ryans, who played for Reid during his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles.“This isn’t an easy thing,” he told reporters after the game. “That’s a good football team. DeMeco’s done a phenomenal job with that team. I had him as a player, [and] now I get to see him as a coach. He’s doing great things as a coach, so [I have] a ton of respect for him and what he’s done.”Kelce was also impressed with the Texans.“They’re extremely tough individuals,” he maintained, “and when they play together like that, it can be really hard to beat them. I think that has a lot to do with their head coach and how that trickles down with his leadership and mentality.”“[It’s a] phenomenal defense that they’ve got,” noted Reid, “so I’m proud of our guys for how they handled it. We knocked a little of the rust out. Everybody stayed positive and with each other — and that whole bit — and here we sit with a championship game.”No one played a bigger role in the win than Kelce, who recorded seven catches for 117 yards — including a 49-yard catch-and-run that set up the team’s first touchdown. But the play from Saturday’s game that we’ll be talking about for years to come was quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 11-yard touchdown pass to the tight end — which he somehow managed to throw as he was being tackled. Tremendous play by Patrick Mahomes — a perfect throw as he was being tackled to the ground. pic.twitter.com/bETbzvlO4B“The touchdown throw to Trav was incredible,” declared Reid. “For him to be able to get his body in position to make that throw? [It] was great.”The head coach never loses sight of how much it means for Mahomes to be part of his team.“We’re very lucky to have him here,” said Reid. “The stuff he’s doing just doesn’t happen. That’s why he’s the greatest at doing what he’s done in a relatively young career here.”“He puts in so much work from the mental aspect throughout the week,” said Kelce of his quarterback. “And then on top of that, while we’re out on the field, he makes sure he gets all the throws. I just try to match that energy for him and try to be there for him at all times — because it’s Patrick Mahomes, man! Anything could happen at any point.”Mahomes, of course, thinks most of the credit belongs to Kelce.“It’s [that] big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,” he said after the game. “That’s just how simple it is — and he’s one of those guys. He didn’t let the moment be bigger than what it is. He just goes out there and executes at a high level — just like he does in the regular season. He just does that [at] a little bit higher intensity.”In Saturday’s game, Kelce was one of only four Chiefs who caught passes. Xavier Worthy had five receptions — but fellow wideouts Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster combined for four targets and no catches. Mahomes noted that the Texans worked hard to limit his wide receivers — which created opportunities for Kelce — but he still wants to get more production from all of them.“Obviously you want to get those guys involved,” he explained. “That makes your offense even better — and obviously, there were times when we stalled out on drives. So that’ll be something that we work on [playing] another great opponent this next week — whoever that is. But they’re part of the offense. They know that — and they’re going to keep going out there and competing.”But the quarterback also acknowledged that spreading the ball around is just one part of the bigger picture.“In the playoffs, as always, you never know how it’s going to go,” he reminded his listeners. “It’s about finding ways to win. We found a way to win today — but we’re going to have to get those guys involved if we want to get to our ultimate goal.”Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Hope is here. 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