Mahomes, Chiefs defeat Dolphins 26-7 in frigid conditions to advance to the divisional round
Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, Harrison Butker kicked four field goals, and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins, 26-7, in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday night.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 262 yards and a touchdown, while Isiah Pacheco rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown to lead the third-seeded Chiefs in the chilly conditions. The temperature at kickoff was minus-4, making it the fourth coldest game in NFL history.
Tyreek Hill, a former Chiefs star, caught a 53-yard touchdown pass for sixth-seeded Miami. Hill (five catches, 62 yards) made his first appearance in Kansas City since being traded after the 2021 season.
Mahomes completed 23 of 41 passes for Kansas City, which won a playoff game for the sixth straight season. Rice set a franchise postseason record of 130 receiving yards, surpassing Elmo Wright's 104 against Miami on December 25, 1971.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 20 of 39 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception for the Dolphins. Miami has lost six consecutive playoff games since a wild-card victory over the Indianapolis Colts in 2000.
Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle returned from two-game absences due to injuries, but neither was particularly effective. Mostert rushed for 33 yards on eight carries and caught one pass for -3 yards, while Waddle had two receptions for 31.
The temperature had dropped to minus-9 by the middle of the fourth quarter, with Miami trailing by 19 points.
Butker's second field goal of the game, a 26-yarder, put Kansas City up 13-7 with 7:36 remaining in the first half.
With 18 seconds left in the first half, he added a 32-yarder, followed by a 21-yarder to make it 19-7 with 7:49 remaining in the third.
Pacheco dealt a decisive blow when he took a direct snap and scored from three with 11:06 remaining in the game.
Kansas City started the game with the ball, and it only took nine plays for them to travel 69 yards. Mahomes completed the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Rice.
Butker kicked a 28-yard field goal nine seconds into the second quarter, making the score 10-0. Miami responded with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Hill with 14:01 remaining in the half.
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