Halfway through the fourth quarter of the AFC wild-card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, half of the Arrowhead Stadium faithful started the trek toward the parking lot.
This was not an exodus of defeat. The Chiefs led by three possessions and were well on their way to advancing to next week’s divisional round. Who could blame the fans? It was -8 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -28 — slightly worse than the -4 (-27 wind chill) at kickoff. They’d braved enough harsh weather and were leaving satisfied. Coach Andy Reid’s mustache had been covered by icicles for three quarters.
The Chiefs led wire-to-wire in a 26-7 victory Saturday over the Dolphins. The defense dominated, the offense did more than enough, and kicker Harrison Butker booted four field goals — a Chiefs postseason record.
"Guys came with that attitude, that mentality. We knew it was going to be cold. But all we week were preaching, 'Let’s come in with that fire,'" Mahomes said.
Kansas City scored on its opening drive in less than four minutes when Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie receiver Rashee Rice for an 11-yard touchdown. Rice showed why he carried the Chiefs’ receiving room down the stretch; he had eight catches on 12 targets for a game-high 130 yards.
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Entering the third quarter, the Dolphins had managed just six first downs. A 53-yard touchdown from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill — the former Chief making his Arrowhead return — made it 10-7 early in the second quarter. Miami didn’t score again. Aside from Hill’s catch and run, the Dolphins had 98 total yards on 32 plays as the fourth quarter began. They had 76 rushing yards all game. Miami was 1-for-12 on third down.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 71 yards but dropped at least two balls. His partner, Taylor Swift, was a favorite of the Peacock cameras — the game was exclusively streamed on the service — and she donned a customized “87” jacket.
Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco (24 rushes, 89 yards) scored a touchdown from the wildcat formation in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Edge rusher George Karlaftis recorded 1.5 sacks to lead the defense, and safety Mike Edwards intercepted Tagovailoa, who airmailed a pass over the middle on Miami’s second possession.
Mahomes wasn’t overly efficient (23-for-41, 262 yards). He also had two scrambles for a combined 41 yards on the ground in key spots to bring the Chiefs into goal-to-go situations. One area of concern for Kansas City out of this game was its red-zone offense. The Chiefs scored TDs on just two of their six possessions that reached the red zone and were 0-for-2 in goal-to-go spots.
Less than three weeks ago, the Dolphins defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve and controlled their own destiny for an AFC East title and potentially the conference’s top seed. But they fell in consecutive weeks to the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, the eventual top two seeds, respectively, and dropped to the No. 6 seed. Their season ended in the wild-card round on the road for the second straight year. — Chris Bumbaca
The NFL playoffs kicked off with a pair of wild-card blowouts as Kansas City dispatched Miami with ease at frozen Arrowhead Stadium, while the Texans swamped the Browns thanks in part to a meltdown by the Super Bowl 47 MVP.
Well ... we don't know yet! The Chiefs will play the highest remaining seed in the AFC. So, if the Bills beat the Steelers Monday, the Chiefs will be traveling to Buffalo for the first road playoff game of Patrick Mahomes' career. But if the Steelers win, the Chiefs will remain at Arrowhead Stadium, where they will welcome the AFC South champion Houston Texans. The schedule for the divisional round will come out later this holiday weekend.
Seven years into a career that has featured two NFL MVPs, two Super Bowl titles and a laundry list of accomplishments, Patrick Mahomes still encountered a first on Saturday.
On a second-and-7 play with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter, Mahomes scrambled right and barreled ahead for a 13-yard gain. As he lowered his head, he was met by Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott, with the two players engaging in a helmet-to-helmet collision that sent a piece of Mahomes' crown flying.
Mahomes was able to play for two plays with the damaged helmet before officials made him seek out a replacement.
“I was very unhappy because my helmet’s warm and it cracked ... and I put the other helmet on, and it didn’t fit at all," Mahomes said in an interview after the Chiefs' 26-7 victory. "It was sitting out in the cold all day long.”
The vibes were high late Saturday night in Taylor Swift’s box as the Chiefs closed in on the divisional round. The Peacock broadcast showed Swift, Donna Kelce and Brittany Mahomes celebrating in the waning minutes of the Chiefs' game against the Dolphins. Swift was previously shown singing along to something with the crowd.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs put together a 14-play, 72-yard touchdown drive to extend their lead to 26-7 with 11:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco capped off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Pacheco now has 78 rushing yards on 21 carries. The Chiefs improved to 2-for-6 in the red zone.
The Dolphins were called for two roughing the passer penalties to help Kansas City extend the drive
The Chiefs have scored on their last three possessions. Miami hasn’t scored any points since the second quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Kicking a rock-solid football can’t be fun. But it hasn’t been an issue for Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.
Butker’s fourth field goal, a 21-yard chip shot, capped a 13-play, 68-yard drive for the defending Super Bowl champs. Kansas City led 19-7 with 7:49 left in the third quarter.
Patrick Mahomes connected with tight ends Noah Gray and Travis Kelce for gains of 20 and 13 yards, respectively. The big play of the drive came on a Mahomes 13-yard scramble down to the Miami 3-yard line. Part of the quarterback’s helmet chipped off following the collision, but he remained in the game. Kansas City couldn’t convert in the goal-to-go scenario and are 1-for-5 in the red zone (0-for-2 in goal-to-go).
Butker's four field goals are a Chiefs postseason record. None of Butker’s makes have been from further than 32 yards.
Rookie wideout Rashee Rice was banged up during the drive. — Chris Bumbaca
With the Chiefs leading 16-7 in the third quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled 13 yards to the Dolphins’ 3-yard line before he was stopped short of the end zone by Miami safety DeShon Elliott. Mahomes and Elliott bumped heads on the play, which subsequently cracked Mahomes' helmet.
The Chiefs ran two more plays before referees stopped the game and the play clock without charging the Chiefs a timeout for an equipment change, so Mahomes could swap out his helmet for a new one. — Cydney Henderson
Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice has been the most productive player in tonight's game, leading all players with seven receptions plus a game-high 102 yards from scrimmage. He also has Kansas City's only score, an 11-yard hookup with QB Patrick Mahomes in the first quarter. Rice joined Elmo Wright as the only K.C. rookies with 100-plus receiving yards in a playoff game. However Rice limped off the field four minutes into the third quarter after stumbling near the sideline following a 10-yard reception. He returned in the fourth quarter, though, and added 28 more yards with his eighth catch of the game. Rice's 130 receiving yards (and counting) is a new record for a Chiefs rookie in a playoff game. — Nate Davis
HBO's NFL docuseries, produced in conjunction with NFL Films, has been running for nearly a quarter-century since it first detailed the 2001 Baltimore Ravens in training camp. But tonight, the 2023 Dolphins become the first team ever covered by the show during the playoffs. This is the third season during which HBO has done an in-season version of "Hard Knocks," the Dolphins following the 2021 Indianapolis Colts and 2022 Arizona Cardinals. — Nate Davis
Chiefs Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce entered Saturday with the second-most catches (133) and receiving yards (1,548) in NFL playoff history, trailing only legendary Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Though he dropped a few in the first half, Kelce has five snags for 55 yards at intermission. He and Patrick Mahomes have hooked up for 14 postseason TDs, second all-time behind only the Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski connection (15). — Nate Davis
Untimely penalties and inefficient red zone offense cost the Chiefs in the first half, but they still have a 16-7 lead at halftime.
The Chiefs scored on four of their six possessions in the first half but went 1-for-4 in the red zone.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 167 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice produced six catches, 92 yards and Kansas City’s lone touchdown. Rice’s catches and receiving yards leads both teams.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has made all three of his field goal attempts.
Chiefs safety Mike Edwards has the game’s only interception.
Playing in freezing temperatures, the Dolphins haven’t been able to generate much offense. Tua Tagovailoa has just six completions for 94 yards. Most of Tagovailoa’s yards came on a 53-yard touchdown bomb to speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott has a game-high six tackles. — Tyler Dragon
Pop superstar Taylor Swift is shaking off the subzero temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium.
Swift arrived to the Kansas City Chiefs wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins sporting a custom puffer jacket featuring the name and No. 87 number of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Swift's beau. The red-and-yellow jacket was created by Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
"An honor of a lifetime!" Kristin Juszczyk wrote on Instagram. "Thank you @taylorswift."
Kristin Juszczyk transformed Kelce's football jersey into the puffer coat, featuring No. 87 front and center, in addition to his number and last name on her sleeve. Swift paired the jacket with an all-black ensemble and white beanie, all the better to brave the minus-4 temperature in Kansas City, Missouri. — Cydney Henderson
A Dolphins’ turnover on downs didn’t cost them because of a blatant missed call.
On third-and-3 from the Dolphins' 48-yard line, Patrick Mahomes tossed a deep pass to Mecole Hardman. While Hardman was tracking the football, Dolphins safety Brandon Jones clearly grabbed the wide receiver’s jersey as the ball sailed over Hardman's head incomplete.
Hardman and Mahomes were visibly frustrated over the non-call as the Kansas City crowd booed.
The Chiefs were forced to punt the football away. — Tyler Dragon
A thick mustache is one of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid’s trademarks. By halftime, the ‘stache of “Big Red” had frozen over.
The temperature at Arrowhead Stadium, according to play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, dropped to -7 Fahrenheit in the second quarter. — Chris Bumbaca
A Jawaan Taylor penalty nullified a Chiefs touchdown.
The Chiefs again got deep into Miami territory and reached the end zone, but Taylor was called for an illegal block that negated the TD. The Chiefs settled for a 26-yard Harrison Butker field goal to give the club a 13-7 advantage.
Butker's connected on both his field goals thus far — each have been within 30 yards.
The Chiefs are 1-for-3 in the red zone midway through the second quarter. — Tyler Dragon
For most of the season, Tyreek Hill’s explosive speed was the catalyst for Miami’s (at times) high-powered offense. He gave the Dolphins a jump-start against his former team early in the second quarter.
Hill caught his first pass of the game, on a short, designed play-action completion for 9 yards. On the next play, Tua Tagovailoa dropped back and Hill beat his man on a go route. The ball was slightly underthrown, but Hill adjusted to catch it. He evaded a pair of Chiefs defenders to make it to the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown.
The Dolphins trailed 10-7 with 14:01 to go in the half. — Chris Bumbaca
The Chiefs converted a field goal off Tua Tagovailoa’s interception.
Kansas City put together a 10-play, 48-yard drive and got inside Miami’s 15-yard line, but a bad snap on third down forced the Chiefs to settle for a short field goal. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker converted the 28-yard field goal with 14:51 on the game clock in the second quarter to give Kansas City a 10-0 lead.
The Chiefs have 121 total yards early in the second quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Tua Tagovailoa entered with seven NFL starts in sub-50 degree temperatures – and Miami was 1-6 in those games, losing by an average of 13.4 points per game.
He’ll have to shake off an early turnover to avoid falling to 1-7.
With Kansas City edge rusher George Karlaftis pressuring him, Tagovailoa airmailed a third-and-5 attempt over the middle in the direction of receiver Jaylen Waddle. Chiefs safety Mike Edwards hauled in the errant pass and the Chiefs took over at their own 42-yard line with three minutes left in the first quarter.
The Dolphins had a first down on the previous play, but rookie running back was flagged for illegal formation and the new set of downs was negated. — Chris Bumbaca
WR Rashee Rice's 11-yard TD catch extends a recent Kansas City trend. Three of the team's last four postseason TDs have been scored by first-year players, RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Skyy Moore finding the end zone in the second half of the Chiefs' 38-35 win in Super Bowl 57. — Nate Davis
The Chiefs came out throwing in the cold, and after a first-down conversion from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce on the third play of the game, running back Isiah Pacheco took over. He carried four times for 39 yards, including a 23-yarder. Mahomes then connected with a wide-open Rashee Rice for an 11-yard touchdown.
Kansas City led 7-0 3 minutes, 55 seconds into the game. — Chris Bumbaca
According to a press box announcement, the temperature at kickoff was -4 Fahrenheit, which would make Saturday's Chiefs-Dolphins contest the fourth-coldest game in league history. The wind chill of -27 was third-lowest on record.
Today is the fourth time the Chiefs and Dolphins have met in postseason ... and you might want to stop reading here, Kansas City fans.
For those of you still here, Miami is 3-0 against K.C. in the playoffs. The last time the teams clashed in the Super Bowl tournament, New Year's Eve 1994, Dan Marino and Co. prevailed 27-17 in what turned out to be Hall of Famer Joe Montana's final NFL game.
Going further back, to Christmas of 1971, the Dolphins topped the Chiefs 27-24 at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium (the team moved into Arrowhead Stadium in 1972). A 37-yard Garo Yepremian field goal in double overtime ended the longest game in NFL history, 82 minutes and 40 seconds of game time, the Dolphins ultimately advancing to Super Bowl 6 — where they were filleted by the Dallas Cowboys. — Nate Davis
Saturday marks five years and one day since Patrick Mahomes made his NFL playoff debut. The Chiefs beat the Colts 31-13, though the eventual 2018 league MVP didn't pass for a TD — though he did run for one while throwing for 278 yards. It remains one of Mahomes' two postseason appearances without a TD pass, the other K.C.'s Super Bowl 55 blowout loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mahomes' playoff coming-out party also marked the final appearance for Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck, who shocked the NFL world by retiring seven months later. — Nate Davis
The Dolphins and Chiefs kick off in Kansas City at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
This prime time wild-card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins is airing exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
According to the Weather Channel, the kickoff temperature in Kansas City will be around -4 degrees and will feel like -21, making this one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history.
Taylor Swift is at frigid Arrowhead Stadium to watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs take on the Dolphins.
On multiple occasions during the final game of the 2023 NFL regular season, NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico offered viewers a variation of the same promotion over and over.
“And don’t miss the first-ever exclusively streamed playoff game Saturday night,” Tirico said as the Buffalo Bills battled the Miami Dolphins with the AFC East on the line. “Available only on Peacock.”
Downloading a streaming app to watch an NFL playoff game? For some, the idea seems ludicrous. For another type of media consumer, it’s normal. For the NFL and NBCUniversal, it’s a forward-thinking way to stay ahead of the curve – and make more money. — Chris Bumbaca
See all USA Today Sports' expert NFL picks here.
Ever since Taylor Swift showed up alongside Donna Kelce during Kansas City's Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears, football and music fans have wondered how often the pop icon would be seen attending Chiefs games. She showed up to several more games, with the last being the Week 17 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. Swift had been busy with her Eras Tour in Argentina and Brazil, which included a visit from Kelce in Buenos Aires.
But with the regular season over and the NFL playoffs set to begin, Swift could be in attendance for a Super Bowl run before her Eras Tour resumes in early February. Not only will it captivate audiences, but it could also give Kelce a boost in his stats.
Here is how much different Kelce's performance has been with Swift cheering him on, versus when she isn't around. — Jordan Mendoza
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has played in 159 regular-season games since 2013, starting in 152 of them. He has caught 907 passes (on 1,267 targets) for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is shutting down any talks of retirement.
"I have no reason to stop playing football," Kelce said on Thursday ahead of the Chiefs' wild-card weekend playoff matchup against the Miami Dolphins. "I have no desire to stop anytime soon." — Cydney Henderson
Saturday’s high in Kansas City is forecast to be 5 degrees with a low of minus-10. At kickoff, the temperature is forecast to be minus-4 degrees (feels like minus-28).
The NFL record for the coldest game still belongs to the 1967 NFL Championship Game between the Cowboys and Packers at Green Bay's Lambeau Field where the temperature at kickoff was minus-13. — Antonio Fins and Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post
Here’s the full list of the coldest NFL games ever.
The matchup against the Chiefs will be the coldest game in Dolphins history. The Dolphins are 3-7 all-time when the temperature is 23 degrees or colder. Miami's coldest game was actually a win at Kansas City in 2008, when it was 10 degrees. — Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post
"No sleeves," Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead said.
"Sleeveless," Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler said.
"You wear sleeves, obviously they’re going to think you’re soft," said Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins receiver who played six seasons in Kansas City. — Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post
The top NFL betting apps favor the Chiefs over the Dolphins in their wild-card playoff game.
The Chiefs are 4.5-point favorites over the Dolphins according to the BetMGM NFL odds.
The over-under is 43.5, according to BetMGM.
Kansas City is a -225 favorite on the moneyline. Meanwhile, Miami is a +195 underdog, according to BetMGM.
Neither running back Raheem Mostert nor wide receiver Jaylen Waddle were listed as inactive, indicating they will suit up for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have seen devastating season-ending injuries to Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel and Cameron Goode.
In addition, cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) won’t play, his game status listed as out on the team’s injury report.
Safety Jevon Holland (knees) did not practice this week and is also out.
Safety DeShon Elliott (calf) also did not practice this week and is questionable, but McDaniel said he’s optimistic and Elliott wasn't on the inactive list. "DeShon really pressed through that game last week. He isn't taking reps this week. But he is stubborn. I am optimistic. But he'll take all the time," Dolphins coch Mike McDaniel said.
Running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) were both limited in practice this week, but didn’t have any setbacks will play. McDaniel said he was optimistic about both. — Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post
Offensive tackle Wanya Morris (concussion) is listed as out. WR Justyn Ross (hamstring) and WR Kadarius Toney (hip/ankle) are also both out.
Tyreek Hill (quad/ankle) was limited in practice this week but he will play. In Week 18 against the Bills, he had seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Tight end Travis Kelce was not listed on the Chiefs’ injury report this week so he's set to play.
The Dolphins are 20-22 all-time in the NFL playoffs. They have played in five Super Bowls, winning two — the last coming 50 years ago.
The Chiefs are 20-21 all-time in the playoffs. They have won three Super Bowls (four championships total) and appeared in five overall.
The Dolphins and Chiefs have played 29 times, Kansas City holding a 16-13 edge and winning the last five matchups. The sides have faced each other three times in the playoffs — 1971, 1991 and 1994 — the Dolphins winning all three.
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