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Chiefs use signature late magic to pull away from Texans, advance to 7th straight AFC title game
For this reason soccer followers are perplexed by the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, and annoyed with them persevering with to win.
Kansas Metropolis didn’t play its greatest recreation within the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs. Not even shut. And that’s not new. There have been many video games this season, and final season too, when the Chiefs weren’t nice and nonetheless received. Dynasties annoy followers usually, much more when these groups usually are not dominant.
The Chiefs discovered a technique to win in Saturday’s divisional-round recreation towards the Houston Texans, as they virtually at all times do. Regardless of the Texans having greater than twice as many yards as them late within the third quarter, the Chiefs nonetheless led. Then there was a questionable pointless roughness name on successful to Patrick Mahomes, one of some calls that had non-Chiefs followers screaming on social media, that led to a Travis Kelce landing and an eight-point lead. Everybody knew how it will play out after that.
The Chiefs received 23-14 and are going to the AFC championship recreation for the seventh straight season. They’ll host the winner of Sunday evening’s Baltimore Ravens-Buffalo Payments conflict.
The Chiefs maintain successful shut video games as a result of they do many issues very properly. Mahomes is already an all-time nice quarterback. Andy Reid is a improbable coach who added win No. 300 to his résumé, becoming a member of legends George Halas, Invoice Belichick and Don Shula within the 300-victory membership. The protection has been excellent every of the previous two seasons and was once more Saturday.
However that received’t cease followers of the opposite 31 groups from complaining about how Kansas Metropolis retains successful even when it appears it is always on the ropes.
Texans have a foul begin
The Texans wanted to play their greatest to beat the Chiefs. On the primary play, they gave up a 63-yard kickoff return, cornerback Kris Boyd took a 15-yard penalty for throwing his helmet after the play and he shoved particular groups coordinator Frank Ross when he bought to the sideline. Not precisely the proper begin Houston wanted.
The Chiefs solely bought a area objective out of that huge return. Kansas Metropolis didn’t get off to an awesome begin offensively, however the Texans didn’t benefit from it. The Chiefs’ protection had an excellent first half, shopping for time for the large play from the Chiefs’ offense that may inevitably come.
And it did. Travis Kelce bought open in the course of the sphere and Mahomes discovered him. He rumbled 49 yards to the Houston 6-yard line. A number of performs later, Kareem Hunt scored to present the Chiefs a 13-3 lead. It was the primary time all season Kelce had a play with greater than 20 yards after the catch, in accordance with Subsequent Gen Stats. Final season, Kelce got here alive within the playoffs, and he began this postseason with seven catches for 117 yards and a landing.
It was a reasonably typical Chiefs recreation this season. They hadn’t performed significantly properly on offense. That they had simply 123 yards at halftime, and 49 of it got here on Kelce’s catch-and-run. However additionally they didn’t make any essential errors, and their protection performed properly. And regardless of some torpid offense, Kansas Metropolis led 13-6 on the half.
Chiefs lengthen their lead
The Texans had a powerful drive to start out the second half. They needed to acquire 101 yards on offense to offset 19 yards of penalties on the drive. It lasted 15 performs and 10:24 on the clock and ended with a Joe Mixon landing. That gave the Texans some momentum, which was shortly wiped away when Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the additional level vast proper. Nonetheless, Houston trailed 13-12 and appeared very a lot within the recreation. However the Chiefs are laborious to beat.
At that time Houston was outgaining Kansas Metropolis 275-123. The Texans had outplayed the Chiefs however have been nonetheless trailing. It feels hopeless to these rooting towards the Chiefs once they don’t play properly they usually transfer on within the playoffs.
Kansas Metropolis began to place it away after that. There was the questionable name on successful towards Mahomes, and the Kelce landing. The Texans made a mistake on fourth-and-10, being indecisive earlier than going for it after which speeding a play that led to a sack. A foul punt led to good area place and a Chiefs drive that resulted in a area objective and an 11-point lead.
The Texans had a shot at a area objective contained in the two-minute warning to chop Kansas Metropolis’s result in eight factors, after the Chiefs’ eighth sack of the sport, however it was blocked and that sealed the win.
The Chiefs are two wins from making historical past. No workforce has ever received three straight Tremendous Bowls. Kansas Metropolis went 15-2 this season, together with one loss wherein they rested all their key gamers, and have a spot within the NFL’s remaining 4 once more. Sooner or later it doesn’t matter the way it seems or in the event that they’re enjoying their greatest. In all however just a few uncommon circumstances within the Mahomes period, they’ve at all times been adequate to win the largest video games.
Followers who don’t root for the Chiefs won’t prefer it, however they get to spend one other convention championship weekend watching Mahomes attempt to make it again to a different Tremendous Bowl.
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