With his sixth straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to add to his future Hall of Fame résumé. So, just how well has Mahomes performed on this stage?
Let’s take a look at Mahomes’ history in the AFC Championship Game.
Where Do the Chiefs’ Six Straight AFC Title Game Appearances Rank?
By beating the Buffalo Bills last week, the Chiefs assured themselves of an appearance in the AFC Championship Game for the sixth consecutive season. That moved the Chiefs all alone to second place on the list of teams who have made the most consecutive Conference Championship Games.
Kansas City had previously been tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for second on the list. The Raiders, then located in Oakland, played in five straight AFC title contests from 1973-77.
The Chiefs now trail only one team on this list. The New England Patriots played in eight straight AFC Championship Games from 2011 through 2018, winning five of those eight.
But much like the Patriots had with the combination of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, the Chiefs’ duo of head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes could challenge New England’s record.
Patrick Mahomes’ History in AFC Championship Game
Mahomes has a 3-2 record in the AFC Championship Game, participating in some of the most memorable conference title games in NFL history.
Here’s a look back at Mahomes’ history in these games.
2018 (Patriots 37, Chiefs 31, OT)
In his first season as the Chiefs starting quarterback, Mahomes and the Chiefs went toe to toe with the mighty Patriots before falling in overtime. The game featured 38 combined points and four lead changes in the fourth quarter.
The 23-year-old Mahomes did everything he could do against the 41-year-old Brady, going 16 for 31 for 295 yards, with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Mahomes finished with a 117.0 passer rating, while Brady finished with a 77.1 rating.
2019 (Chiefs 35, Titans 24)
The Chiefs earned their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1969 season with a victory over the Tennessee Titans. A 27-yard touchdown run late in the first half by Mahomes gave the Chiefs the lead for good.
MORE: Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart
This time, Mahomes was terrific with the arm and his legs. He threw for 294 yards, three touchdown passes, and, again, zero interceptions. But Mahomes also added 53 rushing yards and a score on the ground in leading the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
2020 (Chiefs 38, Bills 24)
The Chiefs rallied from a 9-0 deficit after the first quarter to outscore the Bills 38-15 over the final three quarters to make their second straight Super Bowl appearance.
For the third straight year, Mahomes finished with three TD passes and zero interceptions in the conference title match. Mahomes also threw for 325 yards, which was his career high for a playoff game at the time.
2021 (Bengals 27, Chiefs 24, OT)
For the second time in four years, the Chiefs’ quest to reach the Super Bowl died in overtime of the conference championship game. This time, the Cincinnati Bengals outlasted the Chiefs, coming back from an 18-point first-half deficit and rallying after Kansas City forced overtime with a field goal on the final play of regulation.
Mahomes threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns but also threw a pair of interceptions, including one in overtime that helped set up the Bengals’ winning field goal and send them to the Super Bowl.
2022 (Chiefs 23, Bengals 20)
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicked another last-second field goal in regulation against the Bengals. Still, the kick didn’t force overtime this time but sent Kansas City to its third Super Bowl appearance in four years.
While playing on a sprained right ankle, Mahomes still managed to throw for 326 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
His key five-yard run on 3rd-and-4 on the Chiefs’ final drive — along with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the Bengals — kept the drive going and set up the eventual game-winning field goal.
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