Chad Henne likely didn’t expect to see much action Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional playoff round game at Arrowhead Stadium.
However, when called upon, Henne delivered.
The Kansas City Chiefs quickly needed to adapt and weather the storm that was the sudden injury concern surrounding starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In the second quarter, Mahomes suffered an ankle injury which left him questionable after a visit to the locker room. And to make matters worse, a Jaguars punt placed Kansas City at its own 2-yard line ahead of their next offensive drive.
This left Chiefs head coach Andy Reid no choice but to defer to Henne, Kansas City’s backup, in a win-or-go-home scenario. Yet, with the stakes at their highest, the 37-year-old did not waver in the moment.
Afterward, Mahomes, who did return by the start of the second half, tipped his cap to Henne.
“He’s been in the building every single day,” Mahomes said, as seen on NBC’s postgame coverage. “He’s made me so much of a better quarterback in the way he teaches me and just the most ready-to-go at all times quarterback. He’s a special type of guy and he stepped up and drove 98 yards, touchdown which ended up being the difference in the game.”
Henne led a crucial drive for Kansas City which resulted in a 98-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs a 17-7 cushion and ensured sole possession of the game’s lead by halftime. He finished with five completions and threw for 23 yards.
Mahomes added: “That’s what a great team does. When somebody gets a little banged up, everybody around them steps up.”
Travis Kelce, who notched a career-best 14 catches alongside two touchdowns and 98 yards, also spoke highly of Henne. He also referred to Kansas City as “the ultimate team” due to their ability to grind out the brief Mahomes absence with ease.
“What was working for me was everybody around me,” Kelce said, as seen on NBC’s postgame coverage. “And we got the ultimate team right now, we’re playing great ball on all three phases. I can’t say enough about Chad Henne stepping up and doing his thing.
“Hennething’s possible, baby.”
With the 27-20 victory, the Chiefs punched their ticket into the AFC Championship Game. They’ll await the winner of Sunday’s Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals contest.
