KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes hobbled down an injured ankle and threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a berth in their fifth straight line-up led AFC title game.
Mahomes missed most of the second quarter after his ankle landed off a Jacksonville defender. But the All-Pro quarterback returned in the second half, leading the Chiefs to a 75-yard TD drive in the fourth quarter that helped secure a date with the Bengals Bills winner for a Super Bowl berth to back up.
If Cincinnati wins on Sunday, the AFC title game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium. If Buffalo wins, it will be in Atlanta.
Travis Kelce had a career-high 14 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City (15-3). Isiah Pacheco rushed for 95 yards while Marquez Valdes-Scantling got the final touchdown about seven minutes from time.
The Jaguars (10-9), recovering from a 27-0 deficit to beat the Chargers in the wild card round, missed two chances to start another late rally. The first ended when Jamal Agnew popped the ball out in the Chiefs 5 with about 5 1/2 minutes left, and the second when Jaylen Watson hit a jumping, one-handed interception.
The Jaguars’ last chance ended when Kansas City caught up with an onside kick with 24 seconds left.
Trevor Lawrence ended with a 217-yard pass with a touchdown toss to Christian Kirk. Travis Etienne added 62 yards rushing and a touchdown for Jacksonville.
EAGLE 38, GIANT 7
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts erased lingering doubts about the condition of his right shoulder by throwing two touchdown passes and running for a goal in a dominant first half, and Philadelphia overwhelmed New York in an NFC divisional playoff game.
Hurts missed two late-season losses with a sprained right shoulder. He’s back and the Eagles as a Super Bowl threat. Top seeded Philadelphia will host next Sunday’s NFC Championship game against either Dallas or San Francisco.
Under bright postseason lights in the Linc, the Eagles unleashed an offensive aimed at beating the Giants. Hurts blinded early with his arm and Philadelphia’s offensive line opened big holes for Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell as the Eagles finished on the ground for 268 yards.
Hurts finished 16 of 24 for 154 yards. He showed he was fine when he aired a pass on the second play and hit DeVonta Smith in the crotch for a 40-yard reception. Hurts was clean on the drive, completing passes for 9 yards, 5 yards and then – boom – a 16-yard TD pass to a one-handed grab by tight end Dallas Goedert.
Second ride, more of the same. Hurts had completions of 12 yards and 9 yards en route to a 9-yard TD pass to Smith.
Hurts wrapped up the half with a 5-yard touchdown run — he bobbled the shotgun shot but still drove untouched into the end zone — for a 28-0 lead.
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