Hobbing along an injured ankle, Patrick Mahomes threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns Saturday night, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a berth in their fifth straight AFC title game.
Mahomes missed most of the second quarter after his ankle landed off a Jacksonville defender. But the All-Pro quarterback returned in the second half, leading the Chiefs with guts and guile to a 75-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter that helped earn a date with the Bengals or Bills for a spot in the Super to secure bowl.
If Cincinnati wins on Sunday, the AFC title game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium. If Buffalo wins, it will be in Atlanta.
“I mean, it’s a credit to the guys around me,” Mahomes said. “The offensive line kept me clean in the pocket knowing I couldn’t move and the boys played around me. That’s what a great team does, when someone’s a little down, everyone around them steps up.”
Mahomes said he’ll be fit for the Chiefs’ next game. “Yes, the x-rays were negative and they haven’t diagnosed anything yet,” he said, “but I can walk.”
Travis Kelce had a career-high 14 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 95 yards while Marquez Valdes-Scantling got the final touchdown about seven minutes from time.
The Jaguars, recovering from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Chargers in the wildcard round, missed two chances to start another late rally. The first ended when Jamal Agnew popped the ball loose in the Chiefs 5 with just under six minutes to go, and the second when Jaylen Watson took the ball away with a leap and a hand. The Jaguars’ last chance ended when Kansas City caught up with an onside kick with 24 seconds remaining.
Lawrence finished with a 217-yard pass with a touchdown toss to Christian Kirk, who was briefly injured mid-fourth quarter but returned to end the game. Travis Etienne added 62 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Long before Mahomes hobbled to the touchline in pain, he was at his creative best, propelling the Chiefs into the field on their first possession. There was a shortstop-style sidearm sling at JuJu Smith-Schuster, an important third pass to Kelce as he was dragged onto the turf, and the flip pass to his tight end that gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead.
The Jaguars came right back, benefiting from a big kickoff return and a small field. Lawrence, whose four touchdown throws helped stun the Chargers last week, went on to beat Kirk for the matching touchdown.
Then the complexion of the game changed.
Mahomes moved up in the pocket as Key brought the full weight of his body onto the quarterback’s right ankle. Mahomes hobbled to the huddle and managed to go through three more plays to end the first quarter, then he was on the field for two more plays before Harrison Butker kicked a 50-yard field goal.
During the Jaguars’ subsequent possession, Mahomes – whose ankle had been taped – got into a heated argument with Chiefs coach Andy Reid and the coaching staff. He then threw off his coat and headed to the locker room, forcing Chad Henne to take over midway through the second quarter, much like he did in a playoff win over Cleveland two years ago.
The 37-year-old journeyman, who once started for the Jaguars, led Kansas City on a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to go and they kind of gave me an ultimatum that I wasn’t going to go back unless I went in there,” said Mahomes, who cheered on his team from the sidelines and wore a winter coat in the cold blustery Night.
“You’re trying to take care of me. We have a lot of great people here, but it’s going to take a lot to keep me out of a football game.”
Then the fans suddenly cheered him on again.
The familiar red No. 15 jersey trotted onto the field early in the second half, his right ankle badly taped. Mahomes was still struggling to move, but his presence seemed to calm the Chiefs – and their angsty fan base.
Butker added a second 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 20-10.
But the Jaguars proved in the wild card round that they can deal with deficits. And instead of withering amid the noise of the crowd, they rose to the occasion and put together a 75-yard touchdown drive that kept them in the game.
However, her comeback ended in two late turnovers and a failed onside kick.