For Pete's Sake

Patrick Mahomes’ TD pass to Kelce on 3rd-and-20 helped KC Chiefs take big halftime lead

You couldn’t have scripted a much worse start for the Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception from the Steelers’ 22-yard line in the first quarter, and Pittsburgh took the lead on T.J. Watt’s 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter.

But the score just seemed to awaken the Chiefs’ offense.

Mahomes threw three touchdown passes after in the second quarter after Watt found the end zone, including a crushing score just 13 seconds before halftime. The Chiefs faced a third-and-20 play from Pittsburgh’s 48-yard line when Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket and threw a dime to tight end Travis Kelce.

After making the catch at the 20-yard line, Kelce outran a pair of Steelers defenders to the end zone and gave the Chiefs a 21-7 lead.

At halftime, Mahomes had 241 passing yards after completing 19 of 28 passes. Kelce had three receptions for 94 yards.

This story was originally published January 16, 2022 at 9:00 PM.

Pete Grathoff
The Kansas City Star
From covering the World Series to the World Cup, Pete Grathoff has done a little bit of everything since joining The Kansas City Star in 1997.
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