Chiefs win, grab AFC title for 4th time in 5 years

BALTIMORE — The Kansas City Chiefs, who for most of this regular season looked more vulnerable than at any time since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, are going back to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs led by 10 points at halftime of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game and held on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. The Chiefs will be heading to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

“They were going to challenge us, and the guys stepped up and made plays,” Mahomes said in his postgame, on-field interview on CBS. “We accepted the challenge, and we’re better for it.”

The Chiefs scored touchdowns on each of their first two possessions. Mahomes was 29-of-38 for 209 yards with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Kelce had 11 catches for 116 yards and broke the NFL record for postseason receptions, finishing the game with 156. The record had been previously held by Jerry Rice (151).

With an 11-6 record entering the playoffs, the Chiefs lost more games than they ever have in a season with Mahomes as their starter. They played some sloppy games, most notably a Week 16 home loss to Las Vegas in which the Raiders scored both of their touchdowns on defense off Chiefs turnovers on back-to-back plays from scrimmage.

“It’s been a heck of a year,” Mahomes said. “We’re not done yet, but this is a way to get there.”

Mahomes in many ways had the worst statistical season of his career, posting a 63 QBR, 7.0 yards per attempt and a career-high 14 interceptions. He was affected by problems around him. The Chiefs dropped more passes than any team in the league and were second in offensive penalties. Among the league’s highest-scoring teams in recent years, the Chiefs this year finished 15th in scoring at 21.8 points per game.

After beating the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium in the wild-card round, the Chiefs had to play on the road for the first time in Mahomes’ postseason career in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs were underdogs but beat the Bills 27-24. They were again underdogs on the road in Sunday’s contest vs. the Ravens.

“We’ve been underdogs for the last few games, but we never feel like underdogs,” Mahomes said. “We have a lot of guys on this team that know how to win. And when the playoffs came around, I knew we were going to make it happen.”

The Chiefs have won two of their three most recent Super Bowl appearances, including Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles last season.

The Chiefs will be seeking to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2004 New England Patriots.

“Easily, you could fold,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, when addressing the adversity Kansas City endured during the regular season. “The guys never doubted.”