Five things that stand out about Chiefs’ playoff win against the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Chiefs might’ve avoided an all-out catatrasophe Saturday, but they did not escape its debris.

We’ll start with the headline — the Chiefs beat the Jaguars 27-20 Saturday to advance to their fifth straight AFC Championship Game.

But this is more than a footnote: The health of Patrick Mahomes’ ankle has now become the storyline of the next eight days — and, if the Chiefs are lucky, a couple of weeks beyond that.

Mahomes, on the verge of winning his second NFL Most Valuable Player award, injured his ankle on a first-quarter sack, when he got sandwiched between two linemen and one of them, Arden Key, landed his weight on the lower half of Mahomes’ right ankle.

A high-ankle sprain is typically a multi-week injury. It was more like multi-minutes for Mahomes, who battled through the pain, though clearly not as effectively as his usual self.

In a world in which we debate morale victories, this feels like something of the pure opposite. A sinking-feeling with a win?

In any event, the Chiefs did get by the Jaguars with a hobbled Mahomes — and one pinch-hit from Chad Henne, which I’ll get to — but the Bills and Bengals represent considerably tougher tests.

More on that is coming in our post-game coverage from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

For now, here are five observations from immediately after the game:

1. The Drive

Mahomes might’ve played after the injury — though he sat out two drives — but he was far from himself after the injury.

It’s not yet clear, probably even to him, what the lingering effects will be in the days to come.

Whatever comes next, though, we can’t forget what came last.

The toughness was more than symbolic — he was at the center of the game’s biggest drive. Like Michael Jordan taking over a game with the flu in Salt Lake City.

After Jaguars cut the lead to three points in the fourth quarter, Mahomes produced his only touchdown drive post-injury.

In what felt like a must-have-seven situation, he led the Chiefs 70 yards down field for a score to extend the margin back to double-digits.

And it was all Mahomes, too. He completed 4 of 6 throws for 48 yards, a floating pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling the touchdown throw.

The Jaguars would never again hold the ball down a single possession.

2. The 98

The ball rested at the Chiefs’ own 2-yard-line, the world’s best quarterback on the sideline with his injury, and a 37-year-old backup who had not completed a pass all season jogged onto the field in his place.

And then led the Chiefs 98 yards to the end zone.

Chad Henne’s first drive put some energy back into Arrowhead Stadium, but it was every bit as much an Andy Reid drive. He dialed up a pair of third-down calls that provided Henne quick, short throws to open receivers, first Kadarius Toney and then Travis Kelce.

The possession spanned 12 plays, supplied the Chiefs a double-digit lead and reminded that even without Mahomes, albeit momentarily, the Chiefs still have one of the league’s very best play-callers against a below-average secondary.

3. The 33-year-old

In terms of a matchup inside the matchup, the Chiefs were going to have a clear advantage in one particular spot.

Tight end.

I mentioned this a day earlier in the bets column, but nobody in football is worse at defending tight ends than the Jaguars, and in case you didn’t know, the Chiefs have a pretty good one.

And they used him.

Travis Kelce had four catches and a touchdown on the opening drive. He also caught Henne’s touchdown — another beautiful play design from Reid to set up an easy throw.

He finished with 14 catches for 98 yards.

Kelce had yet another career year — setting personal-best marks of 110 catches and 12 touchdowns — both it had been a minute since he found the end zone.

Week 12, to be precise.

That changed in the span of about seven minutes.

It’s nothing new for Kelce in the postseason. He now has 14 touchdown receptions in 16 playoff games. He entered the day averaging 86.1 yards per game.

4. Mahomes before the injury

The shame of the situation — beyond the human nature of it — is Chiefs weren’t the only ones robbed of their best by an injury.

The game was. We were. You were.

Mahomes gave us a glimpse of it early, too. He completed 10 of his first 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

This should have been a story about his response to the last time he played a leading role in a playoff game, the second-half collapse against the Bengals. And he was well on his way. A jump pass to Kelce. A sidearm throw to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

He looked great.

And we got only one quarter of it.

5. The playoff Frank

Every season, this time of year, Frank Clark likes to remind us that his playoff resume is quite good. Like, a lot better than his regular season resume.

And, well, he once again backed up the words.

Clark had an active game that included a sack and another tackle for loss.

He has 12 sacks in 15 playoff games.

A great record, but one worth a question: If this is his capability, why don’t we see more of it in the regular season?