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 —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Philip Rivers and the Chargers finally beat the Kansas City Chiefs.

All it took was feverish fourth-quarter comeback, a questionable pass-interference call, a tense video review of the final touchdown and the gutsy decision to try a 2-point conversion.

The result: Chargers 29, Chiefs 28.

Justin Jackson’s touchdown run with a couple minutes left gave the Chargers a chance. They quickly got the ball back from Patrick Mahomes and the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, and Rivers led a tense final drive that included a fourth-down dart to Travis Benjamin and that crucial penalty on Kendall Fuller in the back of the end zone.

The flag gave the Chargers the ball at the 1, and Rivers found Mike Williams along the sideline on the very next play. And when his TD catch with 8 seconds left was confirmed, coach Anthony Lynn sent his offense back onto the field to end five years’ worth of frustration.

Williams found himself alone in the end zone to secure the 2-point conversion.

Not only did the Chargers (11-3) clinch a playoff berth, they forged a first-place tie with the Chiefs (11-3) in the AFC West while ending a nine-game losing streak to their longtime division rivals.

Rivers threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns, though he also tossed a pair of interceptions, and Williams had seven catches for 76 yards and two scores while adding another on the ground.

Jackson ran for 58 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Melvin Gordon.

Mahomes was held to just 243 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City, and his inability to pick up a first down in the closing minutes proved costly. The Chiefs forced the Chargers to burn two timeouts on their last drive, but Mahomes was sacked by Isaac Rochell and Kansas City had to punt.

The Chiefs never got the ball back on offense.

Hyped by the return of star safety Eric Berry, it looked for a while as if the Chiefs would simply resume their vexation of Rivers at Arrowhead Stadium. Steven Nelson leaped to snag a jump ball for an interception on the second play of the game, and Rivers tossed another just before halftime.

Mahomes and Co. took advantage of their early momentum.

Kansas City breezed downfield after Nelson’s interception, and the young MVP candidate threw a dart to Demarcus Robinson — while in the grasp of Chargers safety Adrian Phillips — for a 7-0 lead.

Then after a punt, Darrel Williams took a screen pass for his first career touchdown.

The Chargers finally reached the end zone in the second quarter, when Mike Williams caught a short TD pass. But it came moments after wide receiver Keenan Allen hurt his hip while trying to make a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone — he briefly returned before sitting out the rest of the game.

Mike Williams continued to pick up the slack the rest of the game.

After the Chiefs pushed their lead to 21-7 on Damien Williams’ touchdown run, the Chargers’ big, rangy wide receiver answered with a 19-yard end-around for a score. And when then Chiefs went on another methodical scoring drive to take a 28-14 lead with just over 8 minutes left in the game, Williams helped the Chargers head the other way for another answering touchdown to stay in the game.

TONY G’S AWARD

The Chiefs added TE Tony Gonzalez to their Hall of Fame at halftime. The six-time All-Pro played his first 12 seasons with the Chiefs before finishing his career in Atlanta. His name was unveiled next to that of WR Carlos Carson on the ring of honor inside Arrowhead Stadium.

INACTIVE STARS

Gordon (knee) tried to warmup before telling coach Anthony Lynn that he couldn’t play, joining Ekeler (concussion) on their inactive list. RB Spencer Ware (hamstring), WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and OL Cam Erving were the starters out for Kansas City.

INJURIES

Chargers: Allen received treatment on the sideline after nearly making his spectacular TD catch, and he returned briefly before slowly walking off. He left for the locker room and did not return.

UP NEXT

Chargers: Return home for a primetime game against the Ravens on Dec. 22.

Chiefs: Visit the Seahawks for another primetime game Dec. 23.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The fourth-down play was designed to go left, yet there was Patrick Mahomes scrambling to his right with a phalanx of Ravens in pursuit, his eyes trained on Tyreek Hill deep downfield.

Mahomes heaved an audacious throw. Hill made an incredible catch.

The Chiefs proceeded to score a tying touchdown on a pass to Damien Williams on another fourth-down play to force overtime. Then they watched as Harrison Butker booted a 36-yard field goal — atoning for a miss as time expired — and their maligned defense stuffed Baltimore to escape with a 27-24 victory Sunday.

“You always want to be in a position to go win a game,” said Mahomes, who threw for 377 yards and two scores as the Chiefs clinched a playoff berth. “These are the best wins when you have to battle, when you trade plays. These are the ones that you remember the most.”

The Ravens looked as if they might match Butker’s field goal, marching across midfield in overtime, but Ronnie Stanley’s holding penalty put them in a bind. Jackson was then sacked by Justin Houston and Dee Ford — and left with an ankle injury — before Robert Griffin III threw two incompletions to end it.

“We played a heck of a game. Just didn’t get it down,” said Jackson, who insisted after X-rays came back negative that he would be OK. “We’ve got to regroup next week and get ready for our next game.”

Tyreek Hill caught eight passes for 139 yards for Kansas City (11-2), including three in overtime to set up the eventual winning field goal. Travis Kelce had seven catches for 77 yards and another score, becoming the first tight end in league history with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving in three consecutive seasons.

Jackson finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens, who had never lost in three trips to Arrowhead Stadium. Jackson also had 71 yards rushing in his fourth start in place of Joe Flacco .

“We didn’t come here for no moral victory,” Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs said. “We didn’t come here to `do well’ against a 10-2 team, now 11-2. No, we came to win.”

Both teams looked as if they had the game won in regulation.

The Ravens (7-6) took the lead with 4:04 to go when a long punt return gave them a short field, and Jackson threw a third-down touchdown pass to John Brown. But the NFL’s top-ranked defense twice allowed the league’s highest-scoring offense to convert on fourth down .

The first came on fourth-and-9 at the Chiefs 40, when Mahomes scrambled to his right and threw his absurd cross-body heave to a hobbled Hill for a 40-yard gain. The second came on fourth-and-3 at the Ravens 5, when Mahomes threw his dump-off to Williams for the tying touchdown.

“I mean, Pat makes unbelievable throws every game, it’s just the kind of player he is,” Kelce said. “You’re never dead on any play as a wide receiver, tight end or running back in the routes.”

As the Ravens tried to get into range for kicker Justin Tucker, Houston strip-sacked Jackson to give Kansas City the ball. Butker proceeded to miss his second field goal of the game to force overtime.

He made up for that miss a few minutes later.

“All I’m trying to do is make it through the uprights. That’s what I do every time,” he said. “I try to split up the kicks, so I’m not thinking about the past. Every kick is a new kick.”

The Chiefs at times had no problem slicing up the Ravens’ staunch defense, putting together a pair of long TD drives to take a 17-10 lead into the break. Williams capped the first with his short TD plunge and Kelce finished the other with a nice over-the-shoulder catch.

At other times, the Ravens got enough pressure on Mahomes to make him look like a rookie.

The Chiefs, whose own defense ranks near the bottom of the league, held their own much of the game. They allowed a 75-yard drive entirely on the ground in the first half, which Kenneth Dixon finished with a 3-yard run, but otherwise kept Jackson and Co. from making big plays.

“We played really well,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, “and they made some plays.”

HUNT NEWS

Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said the organization was aware of three separate off-field incidents that led to the release of star running back Kareem Hunt nine days ago. That includes the alleged assault in a Cleveland hotel that was captured on a security camera. All three cases were reported to the NFL. “The NFL was investigating them,” Clark Hunt said in his first comments on the case. “The league has spent a lot of time and resources trying to build a department that can handle these types of situations. Obviously it is imperfect. I’m not sure you can ever reach perfection.”

TWEET TROUBLE

Ravens FB-DL Patrick Ricard apologized after the game for racist and homophobic tweets that he made in high school and surfaced late Saturday, calling them “inappropriate and unacceptable.” The Ravens said in a statement before the game that they condemned the tweets. Ricard was a healthy scratch for the game.

SACKS STREAK

Kansas City defensive lineman Chris Jones recorded a sack, giving him at least one in each of the Chiefs’ past nine games — the first player with a sack in at least nine consecutive games in a single season since the individual sack became an official statistic in 1982. He’s also the sixth player since 1982 to record at least one sack in nine consecutive games at any point.

SELECT COMPANY

Mahomes joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Dan Marino (1984) and Kurt Warner (1999) as the only first- or second-year quarterbacks in league history with at least 4,000 yards passing and 40 touchdown passes in a single season.

INJURIES

Ravens: Flacco (hip) and SS Tony Jefferson (ankle) were inactive for the game.

Chiefs: RB Spencer Ware left late in the first half after FS Eric Weddle forced him out of bounds and he landed hard on his right shoulder. He returned after halftime. … Hill (heel) also left late in the half before returning. … WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and SS Eric Berry (heel) were inactive.

UP NEXT

Ravens: Return home to face the Buccaneers next Sunday.

Chiefs: Play the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.

— Associated Press —