The Kansas City Chiefs claimed a seventh consecutive AFC West title after coming back to defeat the Houston Texans, 30-24, on Sunday in a wild game that came down to veteran tailback Jerick McKinnon’s touchdown run in overtime.
Got it done in Houston pic.twitter.com/LOTAzWfAqA
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 18, 2022
“Patrick looked at me and said, ‘Two hands on the ball. Let’s go.’ I said, ‘I’m about to score,'” McKinnon said.
“(Wide receiver) JuJu (Smith-Schuster) looked at me and said, ‘I got your block, bro. Find me when you get out there.’
“It worked out exactly like that. I made it to the second level, I literally ran off of JuJu’s block and was able to score. It’s just crazy it worked out like that, man. It’s crazy.”
JET FOR THE WIN. pic.twitter.com/qJwEjvRV3Z
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 18, 2022
Only the Patriots, with 11, have a longer streak of divisional wins than Kansas City’s current dominant run, but with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback the Chiefs have found a rare level of consistency as they make yet another bid for the Super Bowl.
“The thing I was proudest [of] about our guys was that they kept playing,” Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid said. “They didn’t let anything hinder them – whether it was calls, fumbles or whatever. They kept playing.”
Guess who's back … again 😤 For the 7th consecutive season, the @Chiefs are your AFC West Champs! #NFLPlayoffs@budlight | #CellyClinched pic.twitter.com/ZvZQF6UcPV
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2022
Both teams remained tied at 24 points apiece when Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Texans’ linebacker Blake Cashman on third down to force a Kansas City punt with just over six minutes left in overtime.
“I think one of the most difficult things in the National Football League is consistent success,” said Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.
“The rules are designed to make that difficult, whether that’s the draft or the salary cap. So, it’s a real testament to the job that general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid have done over the last several years.”