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How Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes has played on the road during his postseason career

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made his run to a second consecutive Super Bowl, and fourth in the past five years, but he did so in much different fashion than years past.

First of all, the Chiefs came in as the No. 3 seed. Second of all, they had to play not one, but two road games en route to punching their ticket to Las Vegas. Those two games as visitors were the first of Mahomes' postseason career.

Although head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes doesn't "listen to much of that stuff," Mahomes said he heard the noise heading into the divisional round clash with the Buffalo Bills.

"It is what it is," Mahomes said matter-of-factly. "Obviously I’ve been really lucky to play a lot of games at home at Arrowhead Stadium. It’s just everything has fell that way."

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will make his first road start in a playoff game on Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will make his first road start in a playoff game on Sunday.

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Here's everything you need to know about Mahomes' playoff career, including his two road games:

Has Patrick Mahomes ever played a road playoff game?

Only twice, and both of those came after the 2023 season.

Of Mahomes' 17 career postseason games, 12 have been played at Arrowhead Stadium. Three games were Super Bowl appearances – Super Bowl 54, Super Bowl 55 and Super Bowl 57 – all of which took place at neutral sites, although Super Bowl 55 was played in Tampa against the Buccaneers.

Mahomes' first road playoff game was against the Bills in the division round. The very next week he took the Chiefs on the road for the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Before that game in Orchard Park, N.Y., against the Bills, the Chiefs' last road playoff game was Jan. 16, 2016, when they lost to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Chiefs drafted Mahomes out of Texas Tech with the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, he took over as the starter in 2018, and the rest is history.

How has Patrick Mahomes only played two road playoff games?

This season marks the first time the Chiefs have been lower than the No. 2 seed in Mahomes' playoff career. Prior to this season, Mahomes never played a road game in the postseason because the Chiefs were always a higher seed than their opponent in the AFC playoff bracket. The higher seed in each matchup always hosts.

Here's how the Chiefs stacked up each postseason during Mahomes' career and the result:

  • 2018-19: No. 1 seed - Lost AFC title game vs. New England Patriots

  • 2019-20: No. 2 seed - Won Super Bowl 54 vs. San Francisco 49ers

  • 2020-21: No. 1 seed – Lost Super Bowl 55 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • 2021-22: No. 2 seed – Lost AFC title game vs. Cincinnati Bengals

  • 2022-23: No. 1 seed – Won Super Bowl 57 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

  • 2023-24: No. 3 seed – Won Super Bowl 58 against San Francisco 49ers

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shake hands following their game on Dec. 10.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, left, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shake hands following their game on Dec. 10.

Patrick Mahomes playoff record

Mahomes is 15-3 in the postseason in his career, including 4-0 this season. His last loss came during the 2021 season when the Chiefs lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes on road in playoffs: Chiefs QB's stats, record on road