Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Ben Niemann celebrates after Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, not pictured, missed a field-goal attempt during the first half of the teams' AFC divisional-round playoff game Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs' defense had heard the chorus of critics all season long, the ones who claimed their sieve-like line and shaky secondary would spoil young superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes' success and cost the team a chance to chase its first Super Bowl appearance in decades.
Well, that defense is a big reason why the Chiefs are one step away.
With persistent snow turning Arrowhead Stadium into a winter wonderland Saturday afternoon, Kansas City's defense shut down quarterback Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis Colts. Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs' own high-powered offense took care of the rest in a 31-13 divisional-round playoff victory to end 25 years of postseason frustration.
"We're such a different team," said Mahomes, who threw for 278 yards and ran for a touchdown. "We have such young players. We have such confidence we're going to win every single game."
Damien Williams ran through snow and muck for 129 yards and a touchdown, and Tyreek Hill had 72 receiving yards and a touchdown run as the Chiefs beat Indianapolis for the first time in five playoff meetings to earn their first appearance in the AFC title game since January 1994.
The AFC West champions will play the winner of today's game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta.
"We wanted to light up the city," Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. "We didn't want to take the road down memory lane."
Luck was held to 203 passing yards and Colts running back Marlon Mack was not a factor on the ground. He rushed for 46 yards before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.
"Was not expecting it to end today," Colts coach Frank Reich said. "We knew we were going up against a very good team, a very well-coached team. It's hard to lose. It's hard to lose when you've come this far with the team that we have and the guys that we have, so credit to the Chiefs.
"They outcoached us, they outplayed us. We just gave them too many opportunities."
The Chiefs set out to change history from the opening minutes, when they forced the Colts three-and-out and then waltzed right over a defense that nearly shut out the Houston Texans a week earlier in the wild-card round. Mahomes and Co. scored on their first three possessions, then again just before halftime, to take a 24-7 lead.
If there was any question whether this would be Kansas City's day, it was answered when Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field-goal attempt off the upright just before halftime. It was the first time in 22 postseason attempts that he'd missed from that close.
Not that the Chiefs thought they had it wrapped up. They've had bigger playoff meltdowns against the Colts.
There was the 10-7 loss in January 1996 in which Lin Elliott missed three field goals when the Chiefs were the No. 1 seed, as well as the loss at Arrowhead in 2003 in which nobody punted. Five years ago, they blew a 38-10 second-half lead against Luck and the Colts to spoil Andy Reid's first season as coach in Kansas City.
Not this time. Not with this Kansas City quarterback.
After shattering nearly every franchise passing record in his first year as the starter, Mahomes picked up right where he left off in his regular-season finale. He led the Chiefs on touchdown drives of 90 and 70 yards to open the game, quickly identified a favorite target in Travis Kelce, then shook off a banged-up knee to scramble for a touchdown late in the first half and give his team a big cushion.
The Chiefs didn't need it the way their defense was playing. The Colts went three-and-out on their first four possessions and were outgained 185-12 in the first quarter, and Luck didn't complete a pass until he found T.Y Hilton early in the second quarter.
Their lone bright spot came when Zach Paschal recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Even when the Colts caught a break and Sammy Watkins fumbled the ball to them late in the third quarter, they were quick to give it back. Dee Ford stripped Luck and fellow linebacker Justin Houston plopped on the ball, ruining another red-zone opportunity.
"It seemed like the rushers were getting there all night," Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller said. "Guys sticking coverage, playing good technique, good eyes and things like that."
The Colts finally scored an offensive touchdown with 5:31 left in the game, but in the perfect summation of their lousy afternoon, their erstwhile star kicker missed the extra-point attempt.
By that time, the party in the stands already had begun.
The Chiefs had lost six straight home playoff games, including heartbreakers to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans the past two years. But a proud franchise that won its only Super Bowl title with Len Dawson in 1970 and last played for a spot in the big game behind Joe Montana in the 1990s is once more one step away.
"I'm just happy for these guys in this locker room," Kelce said. "Playoff wins are hard to come by, let alone wins in the NFL. So, I mean, it's just exciting for us to be able to play next week."