Kansas City secures first place in the AFC on an unforgettable afternoon for its two stars
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce speak after an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs secured the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions took an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by the Steelers (10-6), who have lost three straight games and their chances of capturing the AFC North took another hit.
Mahomes connected on touchdown passes in the first half to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and the Kansas City defense did most of the rest, even with All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones off the field with a calf injury. The Chiefs sacked Russell Wilson five times, forced two turnovers and barely looked tired while playing for the third time in 11 days.
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes double record
Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards and became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions, joining Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Kelce sealed Kansas City’s fifth straight victory with a 12-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter, while Mahomes achieved the most passing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first eight seasons.
The 35-year-old celebrated by slamming the ball over the goal post, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and complaints from a crowd that filled Acrisure Stadium and has become accustomed to seeing Mahomes play with the home team. Mahomes now has a 4-0 record against the Steelers in his career, with 17 touchdowns against one interception.
Russell Wilson threw for 205 yards for Pittsburgh. George Pickens finished with three receptions for 50 yards after missing three games with a hamstring injury. It wasn’t enough for the Steelers, who went 0-3 during a brutal three-game stretch against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City.
Perhaps more concerning than the losses is the way they unfolded. The Steelers lost each game by at least 14 points and could start the playoffs as visitors after playing fast and loose with the two-game lead in the division they had just three weeks ago.
No trace of Mahomes’ injury
Mahomes, who was unaffected by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, led the Chiefs to touchdowns on their first two drives, finding Worthy in the end zone from 7 yards and connecting with Watson in the back corner of the end zone to put the score at 13-0.
A sequence at the end of the first quarter symbolized a frustrating day for Pittsburgh. A holding penalty nullified a short touchdown run by Jaylen Warren and Wilson threw into triple coverage in the end zone on the next play. Kansas City’s Justin Reid had no trouble catching the ball and ending the threat.
The Steelers pulled within six points twice at 13-7 and 16-10, but never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half. Instead, the Chiefs, who spent most of the first three months of the season just below in most weeks, pulled away methodically.
Kareem Hunt ran in from 2 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 22-10. Then Pat Freiermuth fumbled the ball on Pittsburgh’s next possession. Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton fell on the ball and Mahomes needed only four plays to throw a pass to a wide-open Kelce to put it out of reach.
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