Patrick Mahomes praises the real Chiefs storyline instead of irrelevant ref chatter

While some teams crumble under the bright lights of the playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs have thrived on the biggest stages.

Despite the Chiefs’ nearly unblemished record, the offense often seemed to be surviving rather than thriving throughout the regular season. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was inexplicably sloppy with his fundamentals and mechanics, and tight end Travis Kelce appeared to be in a daily battle with Father Time.

To no surprise, the Chiefs once again found their footing just in time for their quest to a third consecutive Super Bowl championship. Kansas City opened their playoff run with a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round on Saturday.

The narratives surrounding the game have focused on questionable officiating and Mahomes’ frequent attempts to intentionally draw penalties. While those issues deserve concern and criticism, Kansas City largely won the game due to their future Hall of Fame tight end.

Patrick Mahomes praised Travis Kelce’s playoff performance

After the game, Mahomes praised Kelce’s ability to elevate his performance in the postseason.

“This is what he lives for, is playing in these moments, having the chance to make big-time plays,” Mahomes said, via ESPN. “He goes out there and does that, and it seems like he does it in every single playoff game. He doesn't let the moment be bigger than what it is. He just goes out there and executes at a high level just like he does in a regular-season game. He just does that with a little bit higher intensity.”

After a disappointing regular season, Kelce accounted for nearly half of the team’s receptions and receiving yards in their playoff opener. He finished with seven catches for 117 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The 35-year-old tight end’s snap count has steadily decreased over the past several years, and he had one of his worst statistical campaigns this season. Kelce recorded just 97 receptions for 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns through 16 games. It was the fewest receiving yards and touchdowns he’s had in a single season since becoming a starter in 2014.

Great players shine throughout the regular season, but the greatest players truly separate themselves in the playoffs. Kelce may have lost a step, but his ability to elevate his play in the postseason hasn’t faded just yet. The 10-time Pro Bowler has recorded more receiving yards per game in the playoffs than the regular season since 2020, and his 117-yard performance more than doubled his 2024 regular season average of 56 receiving yards per game.

Kelce is the NFL’s all-time postseason leader in receptions (172). He needs 225 yards and two touchdowns to surpass Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice’s postseason record for most receiving yards (2,245) and touchdowns (22), per Pro Football Reference.