Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes Need One More TD Connection for NFL History

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski set the standard with an NFL-record 15 touchdown connections in playoffs across their time together with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, they may soon have company.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce can catch, or even pass, Gronk and the “GOAT” on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills.

The Chiefs duo has teamed up for 14 career postseason scores entering the Divisional Round. One more Mahomes touchdown to Kelce will tie them with Brady and Gronkowski, who accomplished the feat in 22 playoff games, for the most ever by a pair of teammates in the postseason. Two touchdowns against Buffalo? That would give the Kansas City combo the record in just their 16th playoff contest together.

And what better team to do it against than the rival Bills.

“The Bills are a great challenge,” Mahomes said earlier this week. “I think everybody understands that they’ve gotten my number a lot of times. We’ve been lucky enough to get them in the playoffs, but they beat us earlier this year. So we understand that we’re going to have to play our best football to win the game, especially at their place…It’s about just advancing, trying to find a way to survive and advance and get to the next round, and whatever that takes this weekend we’re going to try to do and try to go out there and win a football game.”

Added Kelce on the matchup: “Buffalo? Cold? Playoff game? It doesn’t get any better, baby.”

Mahomes and Kelce passed Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice (12 scores) to move into second place on the list last postseason. And they were in a rhythm while doing so. Kansas City’s two-time MVP quarterback had thrown a TD to his nine-time Pro Bowl tight end in six consecutive playoff games—including a two-score performance—entering this year’s Wild Card Weekend.

That stretch included a memorable game-winning, overtime touchdown in a Divisional Round classic against the Bills two seasons ago at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce caught seven passes for 71 yards in last weekend’s 26-7 win over the Miami Dolphins, though his playoff scoring streak came to an end. If the four-time All-Pro can get back across the goal line against the Bills, or in any other playoff game with Mahomes, then he will surely have some friendly banter at the ready for whenever he next sees Gronkowski.

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The two 34-year-old, No. 87-wearing tight ends draw constant comparisons to one another. And the debate on who is better is a fierce one. But Gronkowski, now retired and an NFL analyst for Fox, and Kelce have often praised each other, even when the latter is breaking one of the former’s records.

“Oh, man,” Gronkowski said on The Ryen Russillo Podcast during the regular season when asked if he or Kelce is better. “That question. You’re just throwing it right out there. I would say in a different aspect. I believe that Travis Kelce is the best receiving tight end. If you’re talking about a tight end, he’s the best tight end in terms of catching the ball. There’s no doubt about it. You can’t even argue.”

A history-making grab in the latest Bills-Chiefs showdown would add another highlight to what has become one of the NFL’s top rivalries.

Buffalo’s clash with Kansas City at Highmark Stadium on Sunday will mark the seventh time the two teams have faced off with Josh Allen and Mahomes under center. The squads are an even 3-3 in those contests, including Buffalo’s 20-17 win earlier this season. The Chiefs have a 2-0 edge in the playoffs, though Sunday will be Mahomes’ first game in Buffalo with fans in attendance and his first true road game in the postseason.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will air on CBS. The winner advances to the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens.