KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes pleaded with Chiefs coach Andy Reid to let him stay in the game on Saturday.
He argued with trainers, assistant coaches and anyone else within earshot on the Kansas City sideline to let him play through an injured right ankle.
“I’m not coming out of a playoff game,” Mahomes would say later, “unless they take me out.”
Well, the Chiefs did, forcing him to get X-rays late in the first half of their divisional game against Jacksonville.
But when they came back negative, and Mahomes proved he could protect himself in the halftime locker room, Reid decided to let his All-Pro quarterback back on the field — and he gamely led them to victory.
Mahomes finished with 195 yards passing and two touchdowns, the second capping a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, and lifted Kansas City to a 27-20 victory over the Jaguars and a spot in a fifth straight AFC championship game.
Mahomes also vowed to be ready for next week against the winner of Sunday’s game between Cincinnati and Buffalo. If the Bengals win, they will be back at Arrowhead Stadium; if the Bills win, they’re headed to Atlanta.
Chad Henne led a 98-yard touchdown drive while Mahomes was out. Travis Kelce had a career-high 14 catches for 98 yards and two scores. Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in the eventual clinching TD pass with about 7 minutes left in the game.