22 January 2024 , 17:09
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finding tight end Travis Kelce for two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills means they have combined for more touchdowns than any other pairing in NFL postseason history.
Kelce, 34, caught a 22-yard pass from Mahomes in the second quarter and followed that up with a hard-fought three-yard reception after halftime in the third quarter. Those were the 15th and 16th touchdowns they have connected on in Mahomes' 16 playoff games.
That surpasses the 15 amassed by tight end Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady during their 22 games together on the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Joe Montana are third on the all-time list with 13.
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The two touchdowns ended a seven-game streak without scoring for Kelce. That dates back to last November's loss to his brother Jason's Philadelphia Eagles.
It was the joint-longest run of his 11-year career, tied with seven straight games during the 2016 regular season. But with these two most recent scores, Kelce moves past Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris up to fourth for all-time touchdowns in the playoffs.
He is three behind fellow Hall of Fame running backs Emmitt Smith and Thurman Thomas, who did their scoring for the Dallas Cowboys and the Bills, respectively, and four from Rice in top spot. Mahomes also moved up in the all-time list for postseason passing touchdowns and now sits sixth on 38.
Gronkowski and Brady won four Super Bowls together but were not as productive statistically as Mahomes and Kelce (No credit)He surpassed long-time New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on Sunday, and the Chiefs quarterback is two from displacing Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning in the top five. From there, Brett Favre is on 44, while New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Montana are in a two-way tie for second on 45.
Brady is way out in front with 88, double as many as Favre in third. While that Brady record looks unbreakable, Chiefs coach Andy Reid commended Mahomes and Kelce for statistically surpassing Brady and Gronkowski as a pairing.
"Patrick and Kelce, with the record that they broke there with Gronk and Tom. I mean, that was a great job there," Reid said after the game.
They also did so while playing on the road for the first time in the playoffs. "I love playing Arrowhead," he told reporters, "but it is cool to go on the road for a playoff game and come out to win this one."
Mahomes continued: "I love being at Arrowhead and playing in front of that crowd. But when you're on the road, it's you versus them, you versus everybody in the stadium, and you have to come together as a team, and the guys do that.
"You saw that in the game today." The Chiefs are back on the road next weekend against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.