The NFL playoffs witnessed a memorable moment as Chad Henne stepped up for the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Patrick Mahomes sidelined due to injury, Henne's performance became a key factor in the Chiefs' 27-20 victory.
Chad Henne during the playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Henne's Historic Drive
Former Jaguars quarterback defied age, the situation and a layer of rust to lead Kansas City to a crucial score. The Jaguars might not have been able to believe their good fortune in the second quarter of Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game at Kansas City. Trotting out as the quarterback wasn’t the NFL’s best, Patrick Mahomes, who was out of the game with an injured right ankle. It was 37-year-old ex-Jaguar Chad Henne, who had not completed a pass in 30 consecutive games, dating back to Week 7 of the 2021 season. Henne turned in a pinch-hitting job for the ages: he led the Chiefs almost the entire length of the field in 12 plays, eating 6:05 of the clock and ending with his first career playoff touchdown pass, a 1-yard TD flip to tight end Travis Kelce for a 17-7 lead. The 98-yard drive was the longest in postseason history for Kansas City, covering 39 games.
To show how impressive being able to put together a 98-yard drive with Chad Henne under center in a playoff game, consider that there were only seven 98+ yard drives in the entire 2022 NFL season to this point.
Henne completed five of seven passes for a modest 23 yards on the drive, and benefited from the fast and hard running of running back Isiah Pacheco, who had four carries for 57 yards, and 95 on 12 carries for the game.
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Chad Henne replaces Patrick Mahomes and leads a 98-yard drive! | 2023 Divisional Round
Key Moments and Stats
Henne was helped by drop, penalty. On second-and three from the Kansas City 23, Henne threw a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Jaguars tackle DaVon Hamilton. Three plays later defensive end Arden Key, who had knocked Mahomes out of the game when he landed inadvertently on his ankle, was charged with roughing the passer when he knocked Henne down after a short completion to Kelce that picked up a first down.
Prior to his injury, Patrick Mahomes was 11 of 12 for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Chad Henne's Playoff Game Statistics
The following table summarizes Chad Henne's playoff game statistics based on available data:
| Date | Opponent | CMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/17/2021 | CLE | 6 | 8 | 75.0 | 66 | 8.3 | 1 | 0 | 159.4 |
| 1/21/2023 | JAX | 5 | 7 | 71.4 | 23 | 3.3 | 1 | 0 | 114.9 |
| Average | 5.5 | 7.5 | 73.3 | 44.5 | 5.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 137.15 | |
| Total | 11 | 15 | 73.3 | 89.5 | 5.9 | 1 | 1 | - |
Chad Henne on the sidelines.
Chiefs' Confidence in Henne
The Chiefs have a lot of confidence in Henne as their backup. Granted, he's no Patrick Mahomes, but they usually remain aggressive on offense when he steps in. Henne typically avoids mistakes and has more mobility than you'd expect from a 37-year-old quarterback.
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Henne has done this before in the playoffs. In the division round in 2020 against Cleveland, Mahomes went out with a head injury with the Chiefs leading Cleveland 19-10 late in the third quarter. Henne was under center to complete a scoring drive that ended in Harrison Butker’s field goal for a 22-10 lead, then after the Browns cut it to 22-17, Henne scrambled for a 13-yard gain on third-and-14, then hit Tyreek Hill with a short pass to convert the fourth down. The Chiefs ran out the rest of the clock after that.
Kelce called Henne "Playoff Chad" after the game. "He keeps finding a way," Kelce said.
And there were rewards. Henne got the game ball and after his scoring drive, Chiefs fans started chanting his name.
Additional Game Highlights
- Travis Kelce's Performance: Travis Kelce already has 10 catches today. It's the most he's recorded in a first half all season. And it also ties his season high in catches in a game.
- Isaih Pacheco's Longest Gain: Chiefs rookie running back Isaih Pacheco gets loose down the sideline for a 39-yard gain. The carry was Pacheco’s longest of the season.
- Frank Clark's Playoff Sacks: With Frank Clark's sack on that recent drive - the 12th playoff sack in his career - he ascended to tied for fourth since 1985 on the list of players who have racked up the most sacks in the playoffs.
The Chiefs advance to the AFC Championship Game where it will face the winner of Sunday's Bills-Bengals matchup.
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