Patrick Mahomes was full of praise for Travis Kelce after the tight end’s monster performance in the Chiefs’ 23-14 divisional round win over the Texans on Saturday.
Kelce turned back the clock with his second 100-yard performance of the season, tallying seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
‘You know eight-seven was gonna show up whenever [there’s] a big time moment, and he did that,’ Mahomes told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game.
‘I mean, everybody was asking, ‘Where’s Travis Kelce at?’ And I think he showed the world where he’s at.’
Kelce looked rejuvenated by his time off following the Chiefs first-round bye, and also registered his longest catch of the year as he broke loose for 49 yards in the second quarter.
It was the first time that Kelce, Mahomes and many of the Chiefs other starters had played since Christmas Day, as coach Andy Reidrested his stars in a dead-rubber clash against the Broncos in Week 18.
Travis Kelce, seen dancing after scoring a touchdown, had a great game in the 23-14 win
Patrick Mahomes tossed 177 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs win on Saturday night
And while the Chiefs didn’t score a touchdown until there was 4:36 remaining in the first half, Mahomes doesn’t believe rust was a factor.
‘I don’t think it was rust. That’s a good defense, and we scored 23 points against them. That’s a really good team,’ he said.
‘So I’m not going to use that excuse as rust. We came out there, we battled, we found ways to get points, but we’re going to be even better going into this next week.’
Mahomes also singled out defensive ends Felix Anudike-Uzomah and George Karlaftis, with the latter racking up three sacks in a dominant performance.
‘We have a full football team,’ he said. ‘That’s what makes us so special, it’s not just one guy, it’s the entire unit, and we all believe in each other that we’re gonna go out there and make the play.
‘And guys like George, like Felix, they make plays all day long and held a good offense to only 14 points.’
The Chiefs will now set their sights on the Ravens or Bills, with the winner of the Baltimore-Buffalo divisional round matchup traveling to Kansas City for the AFC Championship Game next Sunday.
It’s the seventh consecutive year that the Chiefs are in the conference championship.