Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 130 yards and a landing, Harrison Butker kicked 4 discipline objectives and the host Kansas Metropolis Chiefs overcame frigid circumstances to put up a 26-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins in an AFC wild-card sport on Saturday night time.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 262 yards and a landing and Isiah Pacheco rushed for 89 yards and a rating to tempo the third-seeded Chiefs within the frosty climate. At kickoff, the temperature was minus-4 (felt like minus-27), making it the fourth-coldest sport in NFL historical past.
“The mindset was we knew it was going to be chilly however let’s go on the market with that fireside and see what occurs,” Mahomes stated.
Former Chiefs star Tyreek Hill caught a 53-yard landing move for sixth-seeded Miami. It was the primary time Hill (5 catches, 62 yards) performed in Kansas Metropolis since being traded away following the 2021 season.
Mahomes accomplished 23 of 41 passes for Kansas Metropolis, which has recorded a playoff victory for the sixth straight season. Rice set a franchise postseason document together with his 130 receiving yards, surpassing Elmo Wright (104 in opposition to Miami on Dec. 25, 1971).
Tua Tagovailoa was 20-of-39 passing for 199 yards with one landing and one interception for the Dolphins. Miami has misplaced six straight playoff video games since a wild-card victory over the Indianapolis Colts in 2000.
Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle returned from two-game absences as a result of accidents however weren’t significantly efficient. Mostert rushed for 33 yards on eight carries and caught one move for minus-3 yards, whereas Waddle had two receptions for 31 yards.
“Dropping isn’t enjoyable. It is a group sport,” Tagovailoa stated. “We did not come collectively the way in which we needed to tonight. We had delay of video games. We had communication errors.”
The temperature had dipped to minus-9 previous the halfway level of the fourth quarter with Miami going through a 19-point gap.
Butker’s second discipline aim of the sport, a 26-yarder, gave Kansas Metropolis a 13-7 lead with 7:36 left within the first half.
He added a 32-yarder with 18 seconds to go within the first half and tacked on a 21-yarder to make it 19-7 with 7:49 remaining within the third quarter.
Pacheco delivered a pivotal blow when he took a direct snap and scored from the three to spice up the result in 19 with 11:06 left within the sport.
Kansas Metropolis started the sport with the ball and it took simply 9 performs for the Chiefs to journey 69 yards. Mahomes capped the drive with an 11-yard landing move to Rice.
Butker kicked a 28-yard discipline aim to make it 10-0 9 seconds into the second quarter. Miami answered when Tagovailoa discovered Hill for a 53-yard landing play with 14:01 left within the half.
–Area Degree Media/Reuters