21 January 2023 , 23:53
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Patrick Mahomes may have been forced off the field for the Kansas City Chiefs, but his loss was back-up quarterback Chad Henne's gain.
The Chiefs suffered a major scare at the end of the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Mahomes went down clutching his right ankle following a sack. Mahomes then went to the locker room and was declared questionable to return, meaning 37-year-old Henne stepped in.
Just like Mahomes had done on the opening drive, Henne found Travis Kelce in the endzone as the Chiefs stayed consistent even without their star man. But it was Henne's first-ever play-off passing touchdown in the NFL, a league he joined back in 2008.
Henne has thrown 60 touchdowns in his NFL career, although they've all come during the regular season. He's only thrown two since arriving in Kansas City, but with Mahomes there, that comes as no surprise.
But he added a third on Saturday as he completed a stunning 98-yard touchdown drive, showing his experience at the age of 37. And it came at a crucial time, as momentum was starting to fall in the favour of the Jaguars.
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The Jaguars must have thought they were in dreamland as Mahomes went down injured, as although it's never nice to see a player hurt, having one of the league's best sit out was a major boost. But Henne held his own, before Mahomes came back out for the second half.
It was a short cameo from Henne, but one he won't forget as he finally completed a touchdown in the play-offs. Then again, he hasn't had many opportunities to do so.
Henne didn't make the play-offs at any point during his four-season stay with the Miami Dolphins. He then spent six years with the Jaguars, but didn't play when they reached the postseason back in 2017.
The back-up made one appearance for the Chiefs during the 2020 postseason after making the move, but he made the most of his opportunity on Saturday. To make it even sweeter, it was against his former side.
Henne completed five of his seven passing attempts while on the field, finishing with 23 yards to his name. But a stunning run from Isiah Pacheco put the Chiefs in the redzone, where Henne then found Kelce.
The 37-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Chiefs in March 2022, and could retire at the end of the campaign. But at least he can now retire with a play-off touchdown to his name.