NFL divisional round play-offs: Hobbled Mahomes leads Chiefs to win over Jaguars

Patrick Mahomes overcame an ankle wounded to pb the Chiefs to victory

The Kansas City Chiefs overcame a immense wounded scare implicit backmost Patrick Mahomes to bushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 and marque a 5th consecutive AFC Championship Game.

A precocious Trevor Lawrence interception ended Jacksonville's chances arsenic the Chiefs acceptable up a crippled against either the Cincinnati Bengals oregon Buffalo Bills.

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The Bengals and Bills conscionable connected Sunday nighttime and the Chiefs volition big Cincinnati astatine Arrowhead Stadium if they progress, portion a Buffalo triumph volition mean a neutral venue successful Atlanta being utilized to signifier the AFC Championship betwixt the two.

Tight extremity Travis Kelce had a immense crippled for Kansas City, catching 2 touchdown passes, 1 from Mahomes and 1 from his back-up Chad Henne, who impressively came successful and led the squad to a grounds touchdown drive.

The Jaguars had the league's worst grounds past year, but matched this year's AFC apical seeds for astir of the contest, with Lawrence hitting Christian Kirk to level the crippled astatine 7-7 successful the archetypal quarter, earlier Travis Etienne's fourth-quarter people made it 20-17.

Jacksonville had produced the top play-off comeback successful past past week, truthful could ne'er beryllium counted out, which whitethorn person led to Chiefs caput manager Andy Reid allowing Mahomes to play connected done the symptom contempt hobbling astir and being incapable to nutrient his accustomed scrambling.

Even with 1 limb though, Mahomes was capable to pb the Chiefs connected a 75-yard thrust successful the 4th fourth earlier throwing a trademark unorthodox TD walk to Marquez Valdes-Scantling that efficaciously sealed the contest.

Henne shines aft Mahomes wounded scare

Mahomes acceptable a caller single-season NFL grounds for violative yards this play with 5,614 passing, rushing and adjacent a fewer receiving yards, and besides led the league with 41 passing touchdowns successful a run that could good gain him a 2nd Most Valuable Player award.

And the 27-year-old started the crippled similar an MVP, starring a near-perfect opening thrust of 83 yards and 12 plays containing immoderate item reel throws and culminating successful a 13th touchdown drawback of the play for Kelce.

After the Jaguars levelled, Mahomes was marching again earlier imaginable catastrophe struck erstwhile Jaguars defender Arden Key fell connected the Chiefs quarterback's ankle causing a nasty-looking wounded that had him limping disconnected to the sideline.

Mahomes tried to proceed but had to beryllium retired the remainder of the half, leaving seasoned back-up Henne, 37, to travel successful astatine a important stage, with the Chiefs backmost up connected their ain extremity enactment and his archetypal play of the crippled being a propulsion retired of his ain extremity zone.

However, the erstwhile Jaguars starter went connected to prime up wherever Mahomes near off, starring the hosts astir the afloat magnitude of the tract earlier again uncovering Kelce for the choky end's 14th people of different superb season.

That 98-yard thrust is simply a play-off grounds for the Chiefs, and besides gives them anticipation that they tin past without Mahomes if they request to, and determination volition beryllium that interest fixed however superior his ankle wounded looked.

A batch of the build-up present to Kansas City's 5th consecutive AFC Championship crippled volition beryllium astir the wellness of Mahomes' ankle - helium said post-match that helium would beryllium acceptable for the adjacent crippled - arsenic they hole to either big the Bengals oregon caput disconnected to Atlanta to play the Bills.