ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Pro Bowl has long been considered a laughable representation of the NFL game.

It reached a new level of comedy Sunday as several players swapped positions during the annual all-star game.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey caught a touchdown pass in the final minute, capping a dominant performance for the AFC defense in a 26-7 victory over the NFC in steady rain. It was the third consecutive victory for the AFC, all of them at Camping World Stadium.

The last two were played in sloppy weather, with the latest one also coming amid temperatures in the mid-50s. It was far from ideal conditions, raising speculation about the game’s future in Orlando, but fairly fitting considering the effort players provided. It was two-hand touch most of the day, with officials blowing plays dead at the slightest hint of contact.

“Who cares, man?” New York Jets safety Jamal Adams said. “At the end of the day, we’re like little kids out there just playing in the mud, playing in the rain.”

Regardless of the elements, the AFC made the plays the NFC didn’t.

Kansas City‘s Patrick Mahomes completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Indianapolis’ Eric Ebron on the opening possession, helping Mahomes earn the offensive Most Valuable Player award. Mahomes pleaded with voters to give it to Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman, who caught three passes for 92 yards and ran for a score.

“Sherman had my vote. Sherman had my vote,” said Mahomes, who completed 7 of 14 passes for 156 yards. “I thought I told everybody on the camera. He made some plays out there. For a fullback, we have one of the best in the league so I’m always happy to try to get him a little vote like that.”

Adams, who made headlines for sacking the New England Patriots mascot during a Pro Bowl skills competition, was named the defensive MVP thanks to an interception and a sack.

“It’s a great achievement, but the main thing was to come out here and get the victory,” Adams said. “That was the main thing, just to get the money, man. That’s what we wanted.”

Mahomes and Adams each got a luxury vehicle.

AFC players will get $67,000 each for the victory, $8,000 more than the guys who lose the Super Bowl next week in Atlanta. The Pro Bowl losers will get $39,000 each.

The AFC defenders earned their share of the pot. The conference allowed the NFC 148 total yards and 10 first downs while intercepting three passes and notching seven sacks.

Ramsey got in on offense late, catching a 6-yard slant pass from Houston’s Deshaun Watson with 19 seconds remaining. Los Angeles Chargers rookie safety Derwin James failed to haul in the 2-point conversion.

“Man, me and Deshaun, that’s my brother from another mother,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been plotting and scheming all week, manifesting, and it just came about.”

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott, Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans and New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara all got in on defense for the NFC. Evans notched an interception.

The AFC led 20-0 early in the fourth quarter, looking like it might record the first shutout in Pro Bowl history. But Dallas’ Dak Prescott found Atlanta’s Austin Hooper for a 20-yard score on fourth down with 9:09 remaining.

The NFC had plenty of chances before that. The conference failed to score on a fourth-and-goal run early. Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky, Minnesota receiver Adam Thielen and Prescott threw interceptions.

Trubisky was sacked by Adams on a flea flicker, and Dallas’ Amari Cooper had a wide-open touchdown pass bounce off his face mask.

Seattle’s Russell Wilson also was sacked four times.

MASCOT MADNESS

Adams’ hit on the Pats mascot went viral, leading to false reports about the guy being hospitalized.

“It’s dying down now,” Adams said. “He never went to the hospital. They blew it up. It was all for the fans. I gained some fans and I gained some enemies, put it like that.”

IN-GAME HIJINKS

Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron had his phone tucked into the pocket of his sweatshirt and used it between the third and fourth quarters. Ebron took pics with opposing players, working his way around the entire NFC defense.

ANOTHER NO-CALL

Adams hugged a line judge who didn’t throw a flag on an obvious pass interference play against Green Bay receiver Davonte Adams. Davonte Adams dropped to the ground in disbelief, and several NFC teammates protested.

Players from both conferences spent the week lamenting a now-infamous no-call in the NFC title game.

INJURIES

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen left the game with bruised knees. Neither was considered serious, although Smith-Schuster was limping on the way to the bus and declined comment. Allen caught four passes for 95 yards before sitting out.

UP NEXT

New England and the Los Angeles Rams play in the Super Bowl next Sunday.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator, moving swiftly to replace Bob Sutton after his unit’s dismal performance against the Patriots in the AFC title game.

Spagnuolo began his coaching career as Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s assistant in Philadelphia, where he worked with several position groups over the course of eight seasons. He left to become the Giants’ defensive coordinator, and has held similar roles with the Saints and Ravens.

He’s best known for his two stints as head coach, though. Spagnuolo went 10-38 over three seasons with the St. Louis Rams and 1-3 as the Giants’ interim coach during the 2017 season.

Spagnuolo spent last season out of coaching.

Sutton was fired Tuesday, two days after his defense collapsed in the fourth quarter and overtime in a 37-31 loss to New England. The Chiefs failed to stop the Patriots in OT, meaning star quarterback Patrick Mahomes never got an opportunity to step on the field.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton on Tuesday, just two days after Kansas City failed to stop Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on what turned out to be the only possession of overtime in a crushing 37-31 playoff defeat.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced the firing in a brief statement. It came one day after he said he would evaluate all aspects of the team but declined to address Sutton’s future specifically.

“Bob is a good football coach and a great person. He played an integral role in the success of our team over the last six seasons,” Reid said. “I’ve said before that change can be a good thing for both parties, and I believe that is the case here for the Chiefs and Bob.”

The 67-year-old Sutton had been defensive coordinator since 2013, when he joined Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City. The longtime college and NFL assistant had previously spent more than a decade with the New York Jets, including a stint as defensive coordinator.

His defenses performed reasonably well the first few seasons in Kansas City, but the bend-but-don’t-break approach began to grow stale. The Chiefs struggled to stop anybody last season, and many fans called for Sutton to be replaced then, only for Reid to give him another chance.

Despite investing heavily in the defense, both through free agency and the draft, the unit fared even worse this season. Kansas City allowed 405.5 yards per game, better only than Cincinnati, and was the ninth-worst scoring defense in the league. The Chiefs were especially poor against the run, and it showed in Sony Michel’s success against them in the AFC championship game.

Michel ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns, while Brady threw for 348 yards and another score, as the Patriots dominated time of possession and piled up 524 yards.

That includes 75 yards in overtime, when the Patriots won the coin toss and marched downfield for the winning touchdown. All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, which led the NFL in scoring this season, never got an opportunity with the ball in overtime.

Even more damning to Sutton was the call by CBS analyst Tony Romo on the TV broadcast. Romo was uncanny in predicting exactly what New England would do, yet the Chiefs were unable to stop it.

“We wanted to do better there,” Reid said during his end-of-season news conference Monday. “When it comes down to the last drive, you magnify where it is, but this was the championship game. It was in overtime. When you really cut to the chase of it here, the few games we lost, we lost by minimal points, so we were obviously doing something right.”

Yet the Chiefs allowed an average of 37.6 points during their four regular-season losses and their playoff defeat. And while they were among the best in the league at rushing the quarterback this season, they failed to sack Brady during the AFC championship game.

“I put this on the defense,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said afterward. “We’ve got to build from it, learn from it and we’ll be better next year.”

Reid did not indicate who his new defensive coordinator might be, though there are unsubstantiated reports Tuesday that there was mutual interest with longtime NFL coach Rex Ryan. Reid could also promote from within his own staff, something he has chosen to do often with offensive coordinators.

The job should be attractive on a number of levels.

The Chiefs have several building blocks in place, including Jones and pass rushers Dee Ford and Justin Houston, and are poised to invest even more in the defense this offseason. They have three draft picks in the first two rounds, giving them a chance to plug up some of their biggest holes.

They are also well-positioned to compete for championships for years to come with Mahomes entering his third season and a bevy of playmakers around him, such as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

“I will tell you, this is a good group right here of young guys, the nucleus of this group,” Reid said. “And it is important in today’s football that the nucleus of this group gives you an opportunity to win football games and strive to win the championship.”

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The New England Patriots are headed to their third straight Super Bowl, once more thanks to Tom Brady’s brilliance.

The five-time NFL champion guided the Patriots 75 yards after winning the overtime coin toss, and backup Rex Burkhead’s 2-yard TD lifted New England past Kansas City 37-31 for the AFC championship Sunday night.

The drive, during which New England (13-5) had three third-down conversions, against an exhausted defense was reminiscent of when the Patriots beat Atlanta in the only Super Bowl to go to OT two years ago.

“Overtime, on the road against a great team,” Brady said. “They had no quit. Neither did we. We played our best football at the end. I don’t know, man, I’m tired. That was a hell of a game.”

Awaiting them in Atlanta are the Los Angeles Rams, who won 26-23 in overtime in New Orleans for the NFC championship. The Rams (15-3) last made the Super Bowl in 2002 while based in St. Louis, losing to the Patriots.

New England benefited from two critical replay reviews and made its ninth Super Bowl with Brady at quarterback and Bill Belichick as coach.

“This is crazy,” Brady said. “What a game.”

It’s the first time both conference title games went to OT. The last time both visitors won conference championship matches was 2012.

Several times, the Patriots appeared to have it won, only to see Kansas City (13-5) come back in spectacular fashion.

Brady, at 41 already the oldest quarterback to have played in a Super Bowl, drove New England 65 yards in 1:24 to Burkhead’s go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. That was enough, though, for his far younger counterpart, the 23-year-old Patrick Mahomes, to take the Chiefs 48 yards to Harrison Butker’s 39-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to force overtime.

It was a sizzling offensive showing in the fourth quarter after defense had been in charge most of the way. Indeed, the Chiefs were blanked in the opening half for the first time all season.

And they never saw the ball in overtime, which along with the two replay decisions might call into play NFL rules and officiating.

No matter to New England, which became the third franchise to reach three Super Bowls in a row. And Belichick now has 30 postseason victories, more than Bill Walsh and Don Shula combined. That Hall of Fame coaching duo also won five Super Bowls; Belichick shoots for No. 6 in two weeks.

An apparent muff by the usually reliable Julian Edelman on a fourth-quarter punt return was overturned by a lengthy video review, prompting raucous booing and some demonstrative arguing from the usually laid-back Andy Reid. Edelman definitely touched his next try when Brady’s pass deflected off his hands directly to safety Daniel Sorensen. His 22-yard return set up Kansas City at the Patriots 23, and Damien Williams, who scored three times, had no defender near him down the left sideline for the score that made it 21-17, KC’s first lead.

Back came Brady, engineering a 75-yard march on which Chris Hogan’s diving one-handed catch on third down appeared to touch the ground. Reid challenged — and lost.

Minutes later, rookie Sony Michel scored from the 10, his second TD of the night.

With 3 1/2 minutes remaining, there was plenty of time for more points. Williams’ 2-yard run gave the Chiefs a 28-24 edge that New England took up most of the remaining time overcoming before Butker’s field goal sent it to overtime.

The Chiefs hadn’t been blanked in any half this season, but they barely were a presence in the first 30 minutes, when they had the ball for 8:53. Mahomes was sacked three times for 43 yards; Kansas City’s record-setting attack ran only 16 plays and gained a mere 32 yards.

The zero disappeared quickly in the third quarter. Finally given solid protection, Mahomes unleashed a 54-yard completion to Sammy Watkins over All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He then hit another All-Pro, tight end Travis Kelce, on a slant to make it 14-7 — and awaken the slumbering crowd.

But one of several bad decisions further damaged Kansas City when Tyreek Hill, the All-Pro flex player, retreated deep in Chiefs territory returning a punt. Eventually, KC had to punt and the Patriots had excellent field position, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

Not one to be shy about innovation, Mahomes completely sidearmed a throw to Watkins for 10 yards on a third down, then a dump-off to Williams covered 33. Kelce drew a pass interference call on J.C. Jackson in the end zone, and Mahomes threw a strike to Williams for the score.

Although the Chiefs were on their heels much of the night, they were down only 17-14.

LOPSIDED FIRST HALF

Just as they did last week in manhandling the Chargers early and cruising, the Patriots delivered a message — and a touchdown — on their first series. It was a classic, covering 80 yards in 15 plays and using up more than eight minutes. Michel rushed for 32 yards and scored from the 1.

A familiar look continued on the next drive. Oh, it was shorter in length and distance, but took up the rest of the opening quarter, in which New England had the ball for 12:35. This 56-yard march as Mahomes watched helplessly from the sideline didn’t culminate in the expected, though. Brady’s third-down pass from the 1 for Gronkowski was short and Reggie Ragland picked it off.

Brady had never thrown an interception from the 1.

When the Chiefs finally got a trademark big play on Mahomes’ 42-yard completion to Hill, it went for naught. Mahomes overthrew a wide-open Williams near the end zone, then took a 14-yard sack to send KC out of field goal range.

Big mistake.

The Patriots kept dominating the line of scrimmage, Brady took them 90 yards and connected with Phillip Dorsett over sloppy coverage by Steven Nelson to make it 14-0 with 27 seconds left in the half.

COIN TOSS

Reid’s decision to defer after winning the opening coin toss proved unwise as New England had 22 plays in the opening period, and Kansas City had seven. Then, the Chiefs lost the more important toss before overtime. Less than five minutes later, they were headed to the offseason.

UP NEXT

The Patriots head to Atlanta to play the Rams in the Super Bowl.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid typically begins his postgame news conferences with a rundown of injuries, ranging from the run-of-the-mill bumps and bruises to the more serious stuff that keeps players out awhile.

After Kansas City routed the Indianapolis Colts last weekend to reach its first AFC title game in 25 years, Reid stepped to the podium and said, well, not much of anything.

”We really didn’t get anyone injured,” he admitted. ”Everyone, knock on wood, came out OK.”

In truth, the only teams healthier than the Chiefs at this juncture of the season have been done playing for weeks. Even guys that have been out of the lineup for a while, such as wide receiver Sammy Watkins, are back to full speed ahead of Sunday’s game against New England.

The Chiefs are so well off right now that they just activated another starter, offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, off injured reserve on Tuesday. He’d been out since Week 5 with a broken leg and has been practicing since Dec. 26, and now could be available against the Patriots.

Whether he starts remains to be seen; Andrew Wylie has played quite well in his place.

Regardless, the simple fact that the Chiefs’ best run blocker will be back on the sideline provides additional depth up front, and gives their high-powered offense even more confidence.

The Chiefs waived veteran safety Ron Parker in a corresponding roster move.

Watkins missed about six weeks with a foot injury, and the Chiefs’ offense seemed to be a beat off without their No. 2 wide receiver.

But he finally returned against the Colts and caught six passes for 62 yards while drawing some of the attention off Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who both had monster games against what had been a stingy Indianapolis defense down the stretch.

”I’m just thankful for the organization, the trainers, my coaches, for the six weeks getting me prepared to play this game and all week just getting me mentally prepared,” said Watkins, who signed a $36 million, three-year contract in the offseason to provide just what he did Saturday.

”Just being on the field was great,” he said, ”giving those guys energy.”

Reid said that Watkins appeared to come out of the game in good shape, and that he wasn’t worried about the speedster aggravating his foot injury before their showdown with the Patriots.

”I think he’s doing OK. He felt good after the game. He felt pretty good yesterday,” Reid said. ”He is sore just from playing, but the foot feels good.”

If only the same could be said of Eric Berry’s foot.

The one injury issue that has lingered for the Chiefs all season, and right into the playoffs, has been the painful heel of their star safety. Berry tore his Achilles’ tendon and missed nearly all of last season, and the heel began to cause him problems again in training camp. He tried to play late in the season, but was shut down again ahead of Week 17 and did not play against the Colts.

The Chiefs’ emotional leader, not to mention a three-time All-Pro, Berry remains one of the biggest wildcards for Kansas City as it prepares to host the AFC title game for the first time.

”We have had great communication through the process and most important that when he can play, he can protect himself and play at the level he wants to play at,” Reid said.

”He didn’t feel like he was at that level (Saturday), which he has been great with communicating. If he can go, he can go. If he can’t, he can’t. I’m proud of the guys that stepped in and played and played at such a high level.”

The Chiefs signed Parker in part to fill Berry’s spot, and he had started most of the season with mixed results. He was finally benched with two games left in favor of Jordan Lucas, who has flourished in his newfound starting role to the point that Parker became expendable.

Whether his release is another sign that Berry could play Sunday is an intriguing question.

Reid remained noncommittal on Monday and the Chiefs were off Tuesday, so the first chance for Berry to test out his bum heel will come during Wednesday afternoon’s practice.

The first injury report of the week will also come out Wednesday.

Berry’s name notwithstanding, it ought to be a pretty clean one for the Kansas City Chiefs.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense had heard the chorus of critics all season long, the ones that claimed their sieve-like line and shaky backfield would spoil young superstar Patrick Mahomes and cost them a chance to chase their first Super Bowl appearance in decades.

Well, that defense is a big reason why the Chiefs are one step away.

With persistent snow turning Arrowhead Stadium into a winter wonderland, the Chiefs successfully shut down Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

Mahomes and the rest of their own high-powered offense took care of the rest, rolling to a 31-13 victory in the divisional round to end 25 years of playoff frustration.

“We’re such a different team,” said Mahomes, who threw for 278 yards while running for a score. “We have such young players. We have such confidence we’re going to win every single game.”

Damien Williams ran through snow and muck for 129 yards and another score, and Tyreek Hill had 72 yards receiving and a touchdown run, as the Chiefs beat Indianapolis for the first time in five playoff meetings to earn their first AFC title game appearance since January 1994.

The AFC West champions will play the winner of Sunday’s game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta.

“We wanted to light up the city,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We didn’t want to take the road down memory lane.”

Andrew Luck was held to 203 yards passing for the Colts, while Marlon Mack was a non-factor on the ground. He had 46 yards rushing before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

“Was not expecting it to end today,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “We knew we were going up against a very good team, a very well-coached team. It’s hard to lose. It’s hard to lose when you’ve come this far with the team that we have and the guys that we have, so credit to the Chiefs.

“They outcoached us, they outplayed us,” Reich said. “We just gave them too many opportunities.”

The Chiefs set out to change history from the opening minutes, when they forced a three-and-out and then waltzed right over a Colts defense that nearly shut out the Texans a week ago. Mahomes and Co. scored on their first three possessions , then again just before halftime, to take a 24-7 lead.

If there was any question whether this would be Kansas City’s day, it was answered when Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field-goal try off the upright just before halftime. It was the first time in 22 postseason attempts that he’d missed from that close.

Not that the Chiefs thought they had it wrapped up.

They’ve had bigger playoff meltdowns against the Colts.

There was the 10-7 loss in which Lin Elliott missed three field goals when the Chiefs were the No. 1 seed, and the loss at Arrowhead Stadium in 2003 in which nobody punted. Five years ago, they blew a 38-10 second-half lead against Luck and the Colts to spoil Andy Reid’s first season.

Not this time.

Not with this Kansas City quarterback.

After shattering nearly every franchise passing record, Mahomes picked up right where he left off in his regular-season finale. He led the Chiefs on touchdown drives of 90 and 70 yards to open the game, quickly identified a favorite target in Travis Kelce, and shook off a banged-up knee to scramble for a touchdown late in the first half to give his team a big cushion.

Of course, the Chiefs (13-4) didn’t need it the way their defense was playing.

The Colts (11-7) went three-and-out on their first four possessions, were outgained 185-12 in the first quarter, and Luck didn’t complete a pass until he found T.Y Hilton early in the second.

Their lone bright spot came when Zach Paschal recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown .

Even when the Colts caught a break and Sammy Watkins fumbled the ball to them late in the third quarter, they were quick to give it back. Dee Ford stripped Luck and fellow linebacker Justin Houston plopped on the ball, ruining another red-zone opportunity.

“It seemed like the rushers were getting there all night,” Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller said. “Guys sticking coverage, playing good technique, good eyes and things like that.”

The Colts finally scored an offensive touchdown with 5:31 left in the game. But in the perfect summation of their lousy afternoon, their erstwhile star kicker missed the extra point.

By that point, the party in the stands already had begun.

The Chiefs had lost six straight home playoff games, including heartbreakers to Pittsburgh and Tennessee the past two years. But a proud franchise that won its only Super Bowl title with Len Dawson in 1970, and last played for a spot behind Joe Montana, is once more one step away.

“I’m just happy for these guys in this locker room,” Kelce said. “Playoff wins are hard to come by, let alone wins in the NFL. So, I mean, it’s just exciting for us to be able to play next week.”

SNOWBALL FIGHT

Reid was summoned to the corner of the stadium during the two-minute warning in the first half to implore fans to stop throwing snowballs on the field. Earlier in the half, one almost hit Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez while he was kicking.

INJURIES

Colts: Center Ryan Kelly (knee) left late in the fourth quarter. … FS Malik Hooker (foot) and DE Tyquan Lewis (knee) were inactive, while SS Mike Mitchell (calf) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. That left the Colts defense without some key pieces.

Chiefs: Safety Eric Berry (heel) and running back Spencer Ware (hamstring) were inactive, though Berry — the team’s emotional leader — broke down the pregame huddle in the north end zone.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Await the Chargers-Patriots winner in the AFC title game.

Colts: Begin preparing for April’s draft.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes stalked Chiefs wide receiver Damarcus Robinson on the sideline as chants of “MVP” echoed throughout Arrowhead Stadium, trying to track down a football that would serve as a keepsake not only of this night but of this season.

The first-year starter had just thrown an 89-yard scoring strike to Robinson, the 50th time one of his passes ended up in the end zone. It also gave Mahomes more than 5,000 yards passing, not to mention put a dagger in Oakland and clinched the AFC West title and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“They’re special,” Mahomes said after securing that memento, and after Kansas City had wrapped up a 35-3 whitewash of the Raiders on Sunday. “To do those things in this league, that doesn’t happen.”

Not very often anyway.

Mahomes finished with 281 yards passing, the highlights the strike to Robinson and a 67-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hill. That gave him 5,097 yards and 50 touchdown passes, and allowed Mahomes to join Peyton Manning as the only QBs to hit 5,000 and 50 in the same season.

“This team, we love each other. We root for each other. And that’s why we’ve had so much success,” said Mahomes, who already had shattered just about every franchise passing record.

Hill finished with five catches for 101 yards, becoming the Chiefs’ single-season leader for yards receiving with 1,479, while adding a fourth-quarter touchdown run. Damien Williams added 51 yards and a score on the ground as the Chiefs (12-4) beat the Raiders for the eighth time in nine games.

The decisive win came after Kansas City squandered a chance to clinch the division with a fourth-quarter collapse against the Chargers and again in a shootout loss last weekend in Seattle.

“This was a tricky game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We felt like we let off the accelerator there lately and we didn’t take advantage of opportunities.”

No problem with that on Sunday.

Derek Carr had his league-leading streak of 332 passes without an interception snapped when the Chiefs’ Daniel Sorensen returned a pick for a touchdown in the first quarter. Carr threw another pick and lost a fumble as Oakland (4-12) turned the ball over on its first four possessions.

He finished 23 of 32 for 184 yards, and Doug Martin ran for 100 yards but also lost a fumble, as the Raiders headed into an offseason of uncertainty surrounding where they will play next season.

“Obviously, we got a lot a work to do,” said Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who wrapped up his first season back with the franchise. “I know today was not a good note, but it’s a great group of guys who laid quite a foundation and I think we can build on that. I’m excited about that.”

The Chiefs eliminated any drama in the first 20 minutes.

Mahomes started the scoring barrage when he threw a perfect post pass to Hill, who waltzed into the end zone for his long touchdown reception. And a few minutes later, Sorensen stepped in front of tight end Jared Cook — who had inexplicably stopped his route — for a 54-yard pick-6.

The Chiefs defense kept causing turnovers, and Williams capped another effortless drive with a short touchdown run, giving Kansas City a comfortable 21-0 lead late in the first half.

“This was a tricky game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “and the guys took care of business.”

The league’s highest-scoring offense continued its onslaught after the break.

Mahomes delivered the clincher when he floated a pass deep downfield to Robinson, who ran out of the grasp of his would-be tackler. Robinson was so far ahead of the defense that he turned around at the 15-yard line and backpedaled into the end zone — getting a taunting call as his reward.

Not that it mattered for the Chiefs, who were already celebrating their postseason bye and what they hope is a Super Bowl road through Arrowhead Stadium. Hill merely added to the party when he added his rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

“We’re all trying to reach a goal,” Hill said, “and that’s the Super Bowl. Head down, and we’re all focused, man. Like I said, it feels great, but right now, I just want to win the Super Bowl. We just want to win the Super Bowl.”

KELCE’S CATCHES

The Chiefs’ Travis Kelce had five catches for 62 yards, giving him 1,336 yards this season. That broke the NFL record for tight ends set by the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski in 2011, only for the 49ers’ George Kittle to pass him a few minutes later. “The individual accolades in this game alone, I think, are a bit overrated,” Kelce said. “You’ve got 11 guys out there trying to push for one goal and sure enough, we achieved that as a team.”

MORE RECORDS

Mahomes was 14 of 24, giving him a franchise-record 383 completions this season. He began the day tied with Trent Green with 369. … Reid broke a tie with former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer for seventh on the NFL’s career wins list with his 206th.

INJURIES

Raiders: DT Maurice Hurst was inactive after dealing with an ankle issue all month. He finished with four sacks, matching the lowest total to lead the Raiders since sacks became a stat in 1982.

Chiefs: SS Eric Berry (heel), WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and RB Spencer Ware (hamstring) were among the inactives. … LB Reggie Ragland left after his interception with a hip injury. FS Jordan Lucas (neck) and DT Derrick Nnadi (concussion) also left the game.

UP NEXT

Raiders: Draft prep begins with Oakland holding three first-round selections.

Chiefs: A postseason bye and divisional-round game at home await.

— Associated Press —

SEATTLE (AP) — Doubted before the season began, questioned even more after a 0-2 start, the Seattle Seahawks are back where they’ve spent most seasons since Pete Carroll arrived.

The Seahawks are in the playoffs and perhaps as the type of opponent no one would like to see in the postseason.

“You hear it. You hear the noise. You hear the 4-12 predictions, the 5-11 and that stuff motivates you,” Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright said. “We kept believing.”

Seattle clinched its spot in the NFC playoffs after toppling Kansas City 38-31 on Sunday night, thanks to three touchdown passes from Russell Wilson and a pair of TD runs by Chris Carson.

Wilson got the better of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and helped lead Seattle back to the postseason after missing the playoffs a year ago. Seattle has now made the playoffs in seven of the nine seasons with Carroll in charge, and six of seven with Wilson at quarterback.

It was an unexpected accomplishment after Seattle overhauled its roster in the offseason. But the discovery of the best run game in the NFL, coupled with vets like Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Doug Baldwin was enough for Seattle to navigate its way into the postseason.

“There’s an emotion to it that’s deep and it’s because there wasn’t very many people that thought we could do this,” Carroll said. “Most everybody thought we didn’t have a chance and to hang together, hang through it, we got it done before the season is even over.”

The Seahawks (9-6) can wrap up the No. 5 seed and a matchup with Dallas by beating Arizona in Week 17.

Wilson was 18 of 29 for 271 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with 7:31 left for his third TD. But it was Seattle’s next drive that stood out as the best run team in the NFL put the game on the arm of its quarterback and receivers in the fourth quarter.

Leading 31-28, Wilson hit David Moore for 7 yards to convert a key third-down and after Kansas City used its first timeout with 3:04 left. He followed with a 45-yard strike to Tyler Lockett, and Baldwin added a one-handed catch for 29 yards to the Chiefs 1. Carson capped the decisive drive with his second TD run with 2:29 left gave Seattle a 38-28 lead.

Carson rushed for 116 yards, while Baldwin had seven catches for 126 yards and an acrobatic 27-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

“When it’s our time to make plays and we’re given opportunities to make plays, we are going to make them. We have shown that,” Baldwin said.

Mahomes had a few of his own magical moments that will enhance his MVP candidacy. But for the second straight week the Chiefs (11-4) were unable to come through with a victory that would have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will go into Week 17 with the chance of being division champs for find themselves on the road for the opening weekend of the postseason.

“I know if you take care of business, you don’t have to talk about anything,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “When we play the way we can play, and we are going to play, we are a tough team.”

Mahomes was 23 of 40 for 273 and three TDs. Mahomes had only 83 yards passing in the first half. He had 76 and was 6 of 6 on Kansas City’s first possession of the second half, finishing the drive with a scrambling, sidearm fling to Charcandrick West for a 25-yard touchdown that pulled the Chiefs even at 17-all midway through the third quarter.

That was the last time the teams were tied.

Harrison Butker’s 32-yard field goal with 1:20 left pulled the Chiefs within seven, but the onside kick went out of bounds and Seattle ran out the clock.

“It’s frustrating knowing that we’ve had it so close both times,” Mahomes said. “Luckily we are still in the position where we will have the opportunity to go out there and win it next week.”

Damien Williams rushed for 103 yards and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the first half. But Seattle managed to keep Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce from taking over and the Seahawks pass rush did enough to disrupt the Chiefs passing attack. Mahomes was sacked only once, but was hit 11 times. Kelce had five catches; Hill had four. Neither scored.

“We knew (Hill) and (Kelce) were the go-to guys and if you eliminate those two guys you have a good chance of winning,” Wright said.

RECORD WATCH

Carson became the first Seattle running back since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to have 1,000 yards rushing. … Kelce passed Tony Gonzalez for most yards receiving in a single season by a tight end in Chiefs history. … Mahomes has 31 touchdown passes on the road, most in NFL history. Tom Brady had 29 in 2007. … Wilson is first QB in NFL history with winning record in each of first seven seasons.

INJURIES

Kansas City running back Darrel Williams suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. Seattle’s banged up offensive line saw J.R. Sweezy go down with an ankle injury in the second quarter and he did not return. D.J. Fluker, who was only supposed to play a limited number of snaps filled in and played the entire second half.

KICKING IT

Seattle had kicking concerns arise after Sebastian Janikowski was roughed on a field goal attempt in the second half. He was able to hit a 28-yard field goal later in the drive, but it was punter Michael Dickson handling the next two kickoffs with drop kicks. Dickson has done it in special situations this season.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Kansas City hosts Oakland in Week 17.

Seahawks: Seattle hosts Arizona to close out the regular season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Football League announced on Tuesday that six members of the Kansas City Chiefs have been selected to participate in the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl. The below players have earned a spot on the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster:

Eric Fisher (Tackle) – 1st Nomination

Dee Ford (Linebacker) – 1st Nomination

Tyreek Hill (Wide Receiver) – 3rd Nomination

Travis Kelce (Tight End) – 4th Nomination

Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback) – 1st Nomination

Anthony Sherman (Fullback) – 1st Nomination

Players for the game are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be selected to the Pro Bowl. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its All-Star teams. NFL players and coaches cast their votes on Friday, December 14. The game kicks off at 2:00 PM CT on Jan. 27 and will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Disney XD and simulcast on ABC – the second time the game will be available on both broadcast and cable networks, and the first time that the game is being televised on Disney XD.

For the third-consecutive year, Pro Bowl Week festivities will take place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort and across the Orlando area, bringing free experiences and activities to fans as well as an extraordinary number of events focused on commemorating all levels of football – from youth to high school to the NFL’s best. Some of the Pro Bowl Week events include: Pro Bowl Practices, Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, NFL Flag Championships Powered by USA Football and Play Football Celebrity Flag Game.

More information about these and all of the events taking place during Pro Bowl Week is available at ProBowl.com.

Fisher (6-7, 315) has started all 14 games this season, allowing only 2.0 sacks in 516 pass attempts. He has played a key role on an offense leading the league in scoring (35.6 points per game) and has helped pave the way for the Chiefs 1,602 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Currently in his sixth NFL season, Fisher originally joined the Chiefs as the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. The Rochester, Michigan, native, played collegiately at Central Michigan.

Ford (6-2, 252) has started at linebacker in all 14 games this season, registering a career-high 45 tackles (36 solo) and 11.5 sacks (-64.0 yards). Ford recorded a season-high 3.0 sacks in Week 8 against Denver. This season, Ford has recorded nine tackles for loss to go with a career-high six forced fumbles. This is Ford’s first selection into the NFL’s All-Star game. A native of Odenville, Alabama, Ford was selected as the Chiefs first-round pick (23rd overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Auburn.

Hill (5-10, 185) has started in all 14 games this season, recording 78 receptions for 1,304 yards (16.7 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. This marks Hill’s third-consecutive selection into the NFL’s all-star game, and his first as a wide receiver. Hill has tallied 19 punt returns for 210 yards (11.1 avg.) with one touchdown this season. Offensively, he has recorded career-highs in yards and touchdowns in his third NFL season and ranks third among all NFL receivers in overall touchdowns since the start of the 2016 season. The Pearson, Georgia, native, played collegiately at West Alabama. He was selected by Kansas City in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Kelce (6-5, 260) has started at tight end in all 14 games this season, tallying 93 catches for 1,220 yards (13.1 avg.) with 10 touchdowns. This season Kelce has recorded five 100+ yard receiving games and set a career-high in receiving touchdowns (10). He passed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the third-consecutive season in Week 13, becoming just the second tight end in NFL history to have 1,000 yards receiving in three consecutive seasons. Kelce owns 400 receptions for 5,120 yards (12.8 avg.) with 32 touchdowns for his career. He has now caught a pass in 77 straight games, the third-longest streak in franchise history. This marks Kelce’s fourth-consecutive selection into the NFL’s all-star game. A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Kelce was selected by Kansas City in the third round (63rd overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.

— Chiefs Media Relations —