KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 262 yards and a touchdown, had his helmet shattered when he took a hit in the second half, and proceeded to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 26-7 rout of the Miami Dolphins in the fourth-coldest game in NFL history Saturday night.
The reigning league MVP found Rashee Rice eight times for 130 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card playoff game, and Isiah Pacheco added 89 yards rushing and another score, sending the Chiefs (12-6) past the Dolphins for the first time in four post-season meetings.
Harrison Butker added four field goals for the defending Super Bowl champs.
The injury-depleted Dolphins (11-7) looked nothing like the dynamic offence that led the league in yards during the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa was pressured relentlessly by the NFL’s second-ranked defence, wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a 53-yard TD catch but was otherwise shut down in his return to Kansas City, and the Dolphins finished with just 264 yards in all.
The Chiefs won their 15th consecutive home playoff game. But they will head to Buffalo next week if the Bills beat the Steelers on Monday in a game pushed back a day by a blizzard. Otherwise, the Chiefs will host Houston.
Elsewhere in the NFL on Saturday:
TEXANS 45 BROWNS 14
HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie C.J. Stroud became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns as Houston routed Cleveland.
Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft last April, picked apart Cleveland’s vaunted defence, throwing touchdown passes of 15 yards to Nico Collins, 76 to Brevin Jordan and 37 to Dalton Schultz before halftime as the Texans (11-7) built a 24-14 lead.
Houston's defence took over after that, with Steven Nelson and Christian Harris returning interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive drives in the third quarter to extend the lead to 38-14.
The picks by 38-year-old Joe Flacco were too much for the Browns (11-7) to overcome. Flacco finished with 307 yards passing and had a touchdown pass in the first half.
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The Associated Press
