Kansas City Chiefs News

The Philadelphia Eagles emerged from their dramatic divisional playoff win with significant injury questions, but also as the title favorite among the remaining for teams.The Eagles are the +180 favorite at DraftKings to win Super Bowl LIV ahead of Kansas City at +240 as the Chiefs chase a three-peat.Philadelphia survived a late rally from the visiting Los Angeles Rams to win 28-22 in snowy conditions on Sunday. The Eagles were installed as a 4.5-point favorite by DraftKings at home against the Washington Commanders for the NFC Championship. Philadelphia is a 5.0-point favorite at some other sportsbooks, including BetRivers.That's despite quarterback Jalen Hurts playing through a left leg injury suffered in the second half of Sunday's win over the Rams."It was a tough game, a challenging game," Hurts said after the game. "I was able to finish the game, and we'll see how the week goes."

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce connected on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass while Harrison Butker booted three field goals Saturday as the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs subdued the No. 4 Houston Texans 23-14 to earn home-field advantage for the AFC title game.Kansas City will play either Baltimore or Buffalo, who meet Sunday night in Orchard Park, N.Y., on January 26 for a trip to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Houston bows out in the divisional round for the second straight season.The Chiefs led just 13-12 when Mahomes, who was falling down as he threw the ball, found Kelce in the middle of the end zone for an 11-yard scoring strike with 11:52 remaining in the game. It was the highlight of an efficient performance for Mahomes, who hit 16 of 25 passes for 177 yards.Butker added the team's last points on a 27-yard field goal with 4:38 left. The Texans tacked on a safety when Kansas City punter Matt Araiza ran out of the end zone with 11 seconds on the clock.C.J. Stroud connected on 19 of 28 attempts for 245 yards for Houston but its only touchdown was Joe Mixon's 13-yard run with 4:36 left in the third quarter, capping a drive of 10:24.Playing their key players for the first time since a Week 17 win at Pittsburgh, Kansas City scored three of the first four times it touched the ball while keeping Houston out of the end zone during a first half in which the Texans gained 51 more total yards.

Houston Texans players and coaches are far from pleased with how the officiating crew called their 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.Playing in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight season, Houston felt like it had to contend with officials in addition to the Chiefs.There were two calls in particular that had the Texans especially fired up, with the first coming on Kansas City's second drive of the game. Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer on what appeared to be a clean play on third-and-8 from the Chiefs 33.Kansas City took that automatic first down and ran with it, eventually capitalizing when Harrison Butker kicked a 36-yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 6-3.The Texans were also unhappy with a call in the third quarter. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled for 9 yards and slid late, leading Henry To'oTo'o and Folorunso Fatukasi to seemingly deliver a blow to the signal-caller's upper body.However, replays on the ESPN broadcast showed that To'oTo'o and Fatukasi actually collided with each other. Still, To'oTo'o was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty that cost Houston 15 yards.Nine plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone and up 20-12 with 11:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

The Kansas City Chiefs made fresh history for their accomplished head coach Saturday in their 23-14 divisional-round victory over the visiting Houston Texans.The Chiefs raised Reid's record in the playoffs to 27-16, putting him within four wins of the all-time leader, Bill Belichick (31 playoff wins). But when taken in concert with Reid's 273 regular season victories, Reid has 300 career wins.Just four coaches in NFL history have reached the 300-win plateau. Former Miami Dolphins head man Don Shula remains the all-time leader with 347 wins, while Belichick (Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots), is in second place with 333. George Halas (Chicago Bears) sits in third with 324, with Reid (Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles) rounding out the top four.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair are both set to play in Saturday's divisional playoff game at Kansas City, NFL Network reported.Mixon was limited in practice this week with an ankle injury and Al-Shaair was limited with a knee issue.Both were listed as questionable for the game against the Chiefs along with wide receiver Robert Woods (hip).

The divisional round of the NFL playoffs kicks off when the Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest for a three-peat at home against the Houston Texans on Saturday.The Chiefs (15-2) will be well-rested coming off their bye week courtesy of earning the top seed in the AFC. The Texans (10-7) are coming off an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round.ODDS & TRENDSKansas City is a consensus 8.0-point favorite, although the line was 8.5 at several sportsbooks on Friday. That includes at BetRivers, where the Chiefs have been backed by 86 percent of the spread-line bets and 96 percent of the money.The 41.5 total points line has seen the Over draw 63 and 69 percent of the money, respectively.PROP PICK--Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco 40+ Rushing YArds (-175 at DraftKings): This has been the most popular player prop at the book, which is also offering +115 odds on 50-plus yards and +220 odds on 60-plus yards. Pacheco returned in December and has topped 50 yards only once in the past four games as he continues to share the backfield with Kareem Hunt. We do expect to see a heavier workload for Pacheco in the postseason.THE NEWSWill Anderson Jr. and Mario Edwards Jr. both had 1.5 sacks against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw four interceptions to surpass his regular-season total of three in Houston's 32-12 win.Derek Stingley Jr. hauled in two of the Texans' picks, while Eric Murray returned his interception 38 yards for a score."We talk about having aggressive hands and going to get the ball and pulling it away, pulling it down. Those things," Houston defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "They all have the mindset of, ‘We're going to attack the ball,' you know. We try to say there's no such thing as a 50/50 ball. ... That's our ball when it's in the air. I think it's a skill set for sure and it's a mindset. I think those guys, when the ball is thrown to them, they want to go. That's their ball."Houston grabbed a second-quarter lead in its Week 16 visit to Kansas City but lost 27-19, struggling to regroup after a would-be, game-tying PAT kick in the third quarter was no good.Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed and rushed for a touchdown on an ankle he sprained the previous week. Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud passed for two scores but was intercepted twice.Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who missed the game as part of a suspension following a hit that concussed Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, anticipates a fun matchup against Mahomes."I think it's going to be a great competition," Al-Shaair said. "Obviously, his resume speaks for itself. Just to be out there with the best of the best, that's what you (play) the game for. On Saturday, it's going to be all lights on us."Mahomes is 6-0 in divisional games in his career. He rested in Week 18 after matching a season high with three touchdown passes in the previous game. He and his wife welcomed their third child, daughter Golden, to start the week."This team shows a lot of resiliency," said defensive lineman Chris Jones, who missed the last three games with a calf strain. "This team can win in a multitude of ways, whether it's offense, defense or special teams. We've broadcast that throughout the year. This team had a lot of close games, we've had a lot of injuries, faced a lot of adversity early on throughout the year."Mahomes said he's focused on the task at hand after a 15-2 regular season in which 11 games were decided by eight points or less. He flipped his social media profile pictures to his collection of Super Bowl rings in a message he's back in business.KEY STATWith 15 career postseason wins, Mahomes can tie Joe Montana (16 wins) for second place all-time in playoff wins by a quarterback behind Tom Brady (35). Mahomes is four places behind Brady for the all-time playoff touchdown record, and just five TDs would bump him up to second place on that list. Brady has 88 TD passes in 48 playoff games; Mahomes has 41 in 18 games. Aaron Rodgers (45), Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44) stand between the two.INJURY REPORT

The first-round bye that came with earning the top seed in the AFC playoffs helped the Kansas City Chiefs recharge.As for their mindset, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions hit the reset button before training camp."Every year is a new challenge," Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. "Every year is a new opportunity to go and achieve the ultimate goal, and that's to win a championship."Kansas City's quest to become the first team in NFL history to claim three straight Super Bowls begins Saturday with a visit from the Houston Texans in the divisional playoffs.Fifth-seeded Houston (10-7) thumped the Los Angeles Chargers, runners-up to KC in the AFC West, 32-12, in a wild-card game fueled by prominent efforts from all three phases, especially the defense.Will Anderson Jr. and Mario Edwards Jr. both had 1.5 sacks against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who threw four interceptions to surpass his regular-season total of three.Derek Stingley Jr. hauled in two of the Texans' picks, while Eric Murray returned his interception 38 yards for a score."We talk about having aggressive hands and going to get the ball and pulling it away, pulling it down. Those things," Houston defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "They all have the mindset of, ‘We're going to attack the ball,' you know. We try to say there's no such thing as a 50/50 ball. ... That's our ball when it's in the air. I think it's a skill set for sure and it's a mindset. I think those guys, when the ball is thrown to them, they want to go. That's their ball."Houston grabbed a second-quarter lead in its Week 16 visit to Kansas City but lost 27-19, struggling to regroup after a would-be, game-tying PAT kick in the third quarter was no good.Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed and rushed for a touchdown on an ankle he sprained the previous week. Texans counterpart C.J. Stroud passed for two scores but was intercepted twice.Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who missed the game as part of a suspension following a hit that concussed Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, anticipates a fun matchup against Mahomes."I think it's going to be a great competition," Al-Shaair said. "Obviously, his resume speaks for itself. Just to be out there with the best of the best, that's what you (play) the game for. On Saturday, it's going to be all lights on us."Mahomes is 6-0 in divisional games in his career. He rested in Week 18 after matching a season high with three touchdown passes in the previous game. He and his wife welcomed their third child, daughter Golden, to start the week.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round, sloppy was good enough.But the Houston Texans know a cleaner effort will be needed against the Kansas City Chiefs.The Texans overcame three turnovers and eight penalties in defeating Los Angeles on Saturday. Despite those issues, Houston outgained the Chargers 429-261 and pulled away in the second half.Following up the 32-12 victory with a sharper focus and better execution would seem to give Houston a great chance against anyone. But the Texans and coach DeMeco Ryans also know what kind of behemoth is waiting for them in the divisional round this weekend in Kansas City.The Chiefs have won the past two Super Bowls and three of the past five, and the team's earliest exits from the playoffs over the past six seasons have been in the AFC Championship -- and in overtime, no less."We understand what's in front of us," Ryans said. "KC has done a great job for the past few years of really dominating the league, being there at the end. ..."It's a tough, tough team to beat. It's going to take everything that we have. It's going to take all four quarters."The Chiefs, who went 15-2 in the regular season in earning the AFC's top seed, defeated Houston 27-19 in Week 16.

Patrick Mahomes has a new fan in the house as he leads the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs against the fourth-seeded Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday.Brittany Mahomes announced on her Instagram account that she and her husband welcomed their third child, Golden Raye Mahomes, on Sunday. Golden joins her siblings, sister Sterling and brother Bronze, as dad attempts to complete an historic Super Bowl three-peat.Sterling turns 4 next month; Bronze celebrated his second birthday in November.Kansas City had a bye on Sunday -- a scenario Mahomes said in an interview with Netflix late last month that he hope would occur."Hopefully God works the right way and we can have that baby maybe on the bye week somewhere and then everything will work out perfectly," he said.

Bo Nix's career day punched the Denver Broncos' ticket to the playoffs with a 38-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.It is the first time since the 2015 season that the Broncos have reached the postseason.Nix completed his first 18 passes and was 26 of 29 for the game, an 89.7 completion percentage that set a new Broncos' single-game record. Nix set a career high with 321 yards and also had four touchdown passes. He led the Broncos with 47 rushing yards as the club clinched the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs.With the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs wrapped up, the Chiefs rested Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Chris Jones, Jawaan Taylor and George Karlaftis.Cortland Sutton had five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Marvin Mims Jr. hauled in five passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns and Devaughn Vele had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown for Denver (10-7).Nik Bonitto had two sacks, Jonathon Cooper, Jordan Jackson and John Franklin-Myers each had a sack for Denver. The Broncos (10-7) held the Chiefs (15-2) to five first downs and 98 total yards.Carson Wentz was 10-of-17 passing for 98 yards for the Chiefs.The Broncos opened the game with a six-play, 70-yard scoring drive. A play-action pass play featured a fake hand off, fake reverse and screen pass from Nix to Mims for a 32-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Kansas City Chiefs were reportedly stranded at the airport for more than four hours Saturday due to a severe winter storm before being cleared to fly to Denver for Sunday's game against the host Broncos.Kansas City International Airport halted operations at 2:50 p.m. local time before the Chiefs could leave town.The city is being hit by a major storm that is bringing heavy snow and freezing rain into the area. A blizzard warning is set to go in effect at 3 a.m. CT on Sunday.The Chiefs reportedly attempted to move up their departure time but were unable to due to a mechanical issue with the plane. Also, the airport's de-icing machine was broken, adding to delays.

The Kansas City Chiefs are opening the 21-day practice window for starting cornerback Jaylen Watson, ESPN reported Friday.Watson, 26, has been on injured reserve since Oct. 22 with a broken ankle that required surgery. He sustained the injury in Kansas City's Week 7 win at San Francisco.The Chiefs were optimistic at the time that Watson could return for the playoffs. The Chiefs (15-1) are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will have a bye week after finishing the regular season Sunday at Denver.

The Broncos would clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday, and Denver coach Sean Payton isn't concerned that the opposition won't be at full strength.Denver (9-7) plays host to the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), who have wrapped up AFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs will hold out quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters in the regular-season finale to keep the squad healthy for a run at a third consecutive Super Bowl title.Payton said Wednesday, "Like I said to the team this morning, 'Our focus has got to be on this team in general.' They'll be, I'm sure, some different people in different places. ..."Credit to Kansas City, (Chiefs coach) Andy (Reid) and his team. When you go 15-1, then you're afforded those decisions. I've been in that position where your team might need a break here or there. They've earned that and that's part of the deal. For us, it's about understanding what we're seeing scheme-wise and being ready to play our best game."Chiefs backup QB Carson Wentz will get the start in place of Mahomes. Wentz owns a 47-45-1 record as an NFL starter but is on his fifth team in five years and has made just one start over the past two seasons, a win for the Los Angeles Rams one year ago this week."He's in this league for a reason," Payton said. "He's big, and he's strong. He was a first-round draft pick. We spoke during the offseason a little bit with him and his agents. It's the player but it's also everything around it and understanding what they're trying to do."

Bo Nix was in high school the last time the Denver Broncos qualified for the playoffs.Should the rookie quarterback snap his team's two-game losing streak on Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), Denver would clinch the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs.It would be the first playoff berth for the Broncos since they won Super Bowl 50 during the 2015 season.Nix has thrown for 3,454 yards and completed 65.1 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Even though the Miami Dolphins (8-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) are next in line should the Broncos slip up against the Chiefs, Nix insisted he doesn't feel any stress."I think this lifestyle, the situation as quarterbacks, we live with pressure, it's second nature at this point," Nix said. "I believe pressure is a privilege and I was taught that a long time ago."Because the Chiefs already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 29-10 Christmas win at the Pittsburgh Steelers, starting quarterback and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes won't play.Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Carson Wentz will start at quarterback and a number of other starters will sit out or see limited action. The Chiefs want to be well rested as they attempt to become the first team to win a third straight Super Bowl.Regardless of which players see the field, Denver coach Sean Payton said roster limits mean the Broncos will still be challenged."Our focus has got to be on this team in general," said Payton, whose team lost 16-14 at Kansas City in Week 10. "There will be some different people in different places, I'm sure. But this is not like college. We don't have a roster of 105 players."Competing against the Kansas City defense in practice has prepared Wentz. The Chiefs own the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 18.0 points per game. The Broncos check in fifth at 19.4 points per game.

The Kansas City Chiefs will rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters in Sunday's regular-season finale against the host Denver Broncos.The Chiefs (15-1) have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and head coach Andy Reid confirmed Wednesday that veteran Carson Wentz will be under center on Sunday.Wentz, 32, has played a total of nine snaps in two games this season, his first with Kansas City. He completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.Drafted No. 2 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, Wentz is 47-45-1 as a starter with the Eagles (2016-20), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023) and Chiefs.Wentz has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 22,312 yards with 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2017.

Kansas City will rest running back Isiah Pacheco at practice this week and has ruled him out for the regular-season finale Sunday at Denver because of a rib injury, with Chiefs coach Andy Reid saying that he will be ready for the postseason."He'll be available playoff-wise. He is tender," Reid said Monday. "I'll probably hold him back this week in practice just a bit so he can be fresh and ready to go."Pacheco, 25, has played in only seven games (six starts) this season and has 83 carries for 310 yards and one touchdown, along with 12 receptions for 79 yards. The starting running back sustained a broken right fibula in his team's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.He played in Kansas City's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day and sustained the rib injury.Kansas City selected Pacheco in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has rushed for 2,075 yards and 13 TDs on 458 attempts and caught 69 passes for 453 yards and two TDs in 38 games (30 starts).

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce narrowly beat out Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs as the fans' top vote-getter for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 2 in Orlando.Amid another strong season for the AFC's No. 1 seed, Kelce totaled 252,200 votes when balloting ended on Dec. 23, just ahead of Gibbs (252,082).Following Gibbs were a trio of quarterbacks -- the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels (242,352), the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow (239,526) and the Lions' Jared Goff (225,858).NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" will reveal the rosters for the AFC and NFC on Thursday.Gibbs and Goff helped the Lions -- who have a chance to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings -- finish first among all NFL teams in total votes, ahead of the Vikings, Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs clinched homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 29-10 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.Travis Kelce became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and also took over the franchise lead with his 77th career touchdown catch. Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson also caught scoring passes and Kareem Hunt rushed for a touchdown for the Chiefs (15-1) during the Christmas Day affair.Russell Wilson completed 23 of 37 passes for 205 yards and one interception as Pittsburgh (10-6) failed to clinch the AFC North for the second straight game. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games.Mahomes was 29-of-38 passing while helping the Chiefs win their sixth straight game. Kansas City also set a franchise record with its 15th victory.Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards to raise his career receptions total to 1,004. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228) are the only two tight ends with more catches.Ironically, it was Gonzalez's franchise record for receiving scores that Kelce broke. He celebrated by doing Gonzalez's signature dunking of the football through the uprights. Gonzalez was a college basketball player in addition to being a star football player.The Chiefs racked up five sacks and thrived defensively without star tackle Chris Jones (calf).Kansas City led by six at halftime and increased the lead to 16-7 on Harrison Butker's 32-yard field goal with 12:21 left in the third quarter.The Steelers responded with Chris Boswell's 36-yard field goal to move back within six with 5:45 left in the quarter.

Kansas City Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones is officially inactive for Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh due to a calf injury.Jones, 30, did not practice on Monday and was limited on Tuesday. The five-time Pro Bowl selection has five sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 37 tackles in 15 starts this season.Also inactive for the Chiefs (14-1) are starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, offensive linemen Ethan Driskell and C.J. Hanson, defensive ends Joshua Uche and Malik Herring, and defensive back Chamarri Conner.

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions during Wednesday's contest against the host Pittsburgh Steelers.Kelce reached the milestone by making a 19-yard catch late in the third quarter. He later caught a touchdown to set a franchise record for receiving scores.Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228) were the first two tight ends to gain membership in the 1,000 receptions club. Witten, a 11-time Pro Bowl selection, retired after the 2020 season and isn't yet eligible for enshrinement.Kelce also caught a touchdown pass to become Kansas City's all-time leader with 77, one more than Gonzalez, who earned 10 of his 14 Pro Bowl selections with the Chiefs.After making the catch to surpass Gonzalez's touchdown mark, Kelce dunked the football over the crossbar. Gonzalez, who also played college basketball, celebrated TD catches with the same maneuver.