Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will be playing in their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game after defeating the Buffalo Bills in their Divisional Round showdown. They’ve put the Kansas City Chiefs one win away from another Super Bowl appearance.
But aside from keeping their hopes for a third Lombardi Trophy in five seasons alive, the dynamic quarterback-receiver duo established a new postseason record. Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in that game, both to Kelce.
The first touchdown came in the second quarter when Kelce broke loose from the Bills defenders to make an easy 22-yard grab in the end zone. That score tied them with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski for the most postseason touchdowns by a quarterback-receiver duo in league history with 15.
They broke the record in the same game when Mahomes found Kelce for a three-yard score. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player saw an uncovered Kelce, and the tight end dashed to the pylon for their 16th postseason touchdown.
Most postseason touchdowns by QB-receiver duo in NFL history:
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2024
- Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce (16)
- Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski (15)
- Joe Montana & Jerry Rice (12) pic.twitter.com/ed2cEvXzWf
More importantly, both touchdowns gave Kansas City the momentum by regaining the lead. The Chiefs survived with a 27-24 victory after Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal.
Mahomes and Kelce can add more postseason touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Like the Bills game, the Chiefs will go on the road, hoping to make a Super Bowl return against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
While the outcome of that game is still unknown, reaching the conference title game maintains Mahomes' impressive streak. Since taking over from Alex Smith as the Chiefs' full-fledged starter, he hasn't finished a season before the AFC Championship Game.
Meanwhile, Kelce has reached the postseason in ten of his 11 seasons with the Chiefs. The only time he missed the postseason was in 2014, the lone instance Andy Reid failed to bring Kansas City to the playoffs.
-Lance Fernandez