In one of the weirdest games of the season, the Chiefs were able to pull of another one-score victory, their seventh straight, to clinch the number one seed in the AFC, as long as the bye week and the home-field advantage that comes with it.
While many expected a shootout, the game was a defensive battle from the beginning. Neither team scored in the first quarter, and it took the Chiefs until the end of the first half to get on the board.
Both defenses were amazing, as both Patrick Mahomes and Matt Ryan faced constant pressure throughout the day.
The Chiefs were poised to take a lead after halftime, but Patrick Mahomes was picked off in the end zone, keeping the score tied at seven. The second half was just as much of a defensive battle as the first, with both teams struggling to do anything offensively.
Harrison Butker gave Kansas City a 10-7 early in the fourth, but Atlanta regained the lead with just over four minutes left.
Despite his struggles throughout the game, Patrick Mahomes led a nine play, 75-yard drive to regain the advantage on a TD strike to Demarcus Robinson.
The Falcons drove down inside field-goal range for a chance at OT, but Younghoe Koo missed a 39-yarder, giving the Chiefs a 14th victory.
Travis Kelce set a couple of records today in the win. He recorded seven grabs for 98 yards and a score. He is now at 105 receptions on the season, becoming the first TE in NFL history to record multiple seasons with 100 grabs or more. He is also now at 1,416 receiving yards, setting a new record for the TE position.
As they say in the NFL, a win is a win, and now the Chiefs have many options heading into the final week of play against the Chargers. Andy Reid could decide to rest his main guys or have them on a snap count, treating it more as a preseason game than a week 17 matchup.
The last thing fans or the team wants is for the players to come out flat out of the gate in the divisional round, like both the Ravens and the Chiefs did last year. While we all remember Kansas City’s comeback, Baltimore never got it going and was bounced by Tennessee 28-12.
No matter what happens in week 17 against the Chargers, Kansas City knows that they will take the weekend after off, and then host a divisional game. Two home wins to get back to the Super Bowl.
