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The Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are right at home in the AFC championship.
After beating the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round last weekend, the Chiefs will face the Baltimore Ravens on the road for what will be their sixth straight appearance in the AFC championship game.
The Chiefs won three of those games to advance to the Super Bowl and won a pair of titles.
Mahomes stands to make history with a win Sunday. A victory for Kansas City would mark his 14th postseason win, making him one of only six quarterbacks in league history to win 14 or more postseason starts.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the first half of a wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins Jan. 13, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
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But Mahomes’ success didn't happen overnight. Here’s a look back at the highlights from each of Mahomes’ five appearances in the AFC championship.
2023 AFC championship — Bengals vs. Chiefs
Joseph Ossai (58) and Zach Carter (95) of the Cincinnati Bengals tackle Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Mahomes’ latest visit to the AFC championship game holds claim to arguably one of his greatest playoff moments.
While battling through an ankle injury sustained during the divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mahomes led the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl appearance in four seasons with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
After trailing 13-6 entering the second half, the Bengals managed to tie the game at 20-20 early in the fourth quarter with a two-yard run by Samaje Perine.
With less than 30 seconds remaining, Mahomes orchestrated a four-play, 26-yard drive from the Chiefs’ 47 to get Kansas City within field goal range. The real magic happened when, on third and 4 with 17 seconds remaining, Mahomes dropped back and scrambled to the sidelines for a first down.
But a shove by Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai when Mahomes was already out of bounds gave the Chiefs an extra 15 yards, and Harrison Butker sent a 45-yard kick over the crossbar with three seconds to go.
2022 AFC championship — Bengals vs. Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass to running back Jerick McKinnon (1) during the first half of the AFC championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals Jan. 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Mahomes missed the opportunity to make three straight trips to the Super Bowl with a thrilling 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals in the AFC championship game Jan. 30, 2022.
Despite the loss, Mahomes’ highlight reel in the first half was stacked.
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The Chiefs scored a touchdown on their first three possessions, including a 10-yard sliding pass to five-time All Pro receiver Tyreek Hill on their opening drive. Mahomes led the Chiefs to an 18-point lead just before halftime.
But the momentum would shift in the Bengals’ favor with a minute remaining in the second quarter after Perine scored on a 41-yard run to begin Cinninnati’s comeback.
Mahomes was picked off in overtime, eventually giving way to the Bengals’ game-winning field goal.
2021 AFC championship — Bills vs. Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates with teammates after the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills Jan. 24, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 38-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Fresh off a Super Bowl championship, Mahomes completed 29 of 38 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns to defeat the Buffalo Bills 38-24 Jan. 24, 2021, to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for a second straight year.
Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, played with plenty of style in the dominating win, but his best of the game was an underhand pass to star tight end Travis Kelce.
Late in the third with the Chiefs leading by nine, Mahomes took a chance on first and goal, lobbing the ball to Kelce, who ran it in to give Kansas City a 31-15 lead.
Kelce finished with 13 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill added nine catches for 172 yards, becoming the first duo in NFL history with consecutive games of at least 100 yards receiving each in a single postseason.
2020 AFC championship — Titans vs. Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after a 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the AFC championship game against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Mahomes showed off his footwork in the Chiefs' 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC championship game Jan. 19, 2020, when he scored on a 27-yard run with seconds remaining in the first half.
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On second and 10, with the Chiefs trailing by three, Mahomes dropped back to the 35-yard line searching for an open receiver. With Kelce and Hill tied up by the Titans’ defense, Mahomes ducked and dodged for a touchdown.
"I was thinking about running out of bounds, but as I got to the sideline, I realized I could cut up," Mahomes said after the game. "I was running down the sideline, and I knew we had two timeouts. So, I was like, ‘I might as well cut it back.’ So, I cut it back and, luckily, I was about to hang onto the ball and get in the end zone."
2019 AFC championship — Patriots vs. Chiefs
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs rolls out against pressure from strong safety Patrick Chung (23) of the New England Patriots during the first half of the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 20, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
In just his first year as the Chiefs starting quarterback, Mahomes led Kansas City to a 12–4 record, their third straight division title and the AFC championship game, where they took on the New England Patriots, who were seeking their third straight Super Bowl appearance.
New England, led by veteran quarterback Tom Brady, took an early lead in their eventual 37-31 overtime victory over the Chiefs. Despite taking the lead twice in the fourth quarter, Mahomes’ biggest moment of the game was getting the Chiefs within field goal range to force overtime.
Trailing by three with just over 30 seconds remaining, Mahomes led a four-play, 48-yard drive to set up Butker’s 39-yard, game-tying field goal.
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Rex Burkhead scored on a 2-yard run to seal the Chiefs’ fate.
Mahomes finished 16 of 31 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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