Kansas City and Pittsburgh on Saturday advanced in the NFL playoffs with wild-card road wins achieved in contrasting fashion, with the Chiefs cruising past disappointing Houston and the Steelers needing a late field goal to beat playoff-jinxed Cincinnati.
Kansas City had gone 22 years without a playoff victory, but secured this one early thanks to a touchdown from the opening kickoff and a harassing defense that forced five turnovers and beat the Texans 30-0.
The Chiefs have won 11 straight games since starting the season 1-5, and advance to a divisional playoff game at New England next weekend.
Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY
The Steelers are to travel to Denver after winning a bad-tempered encounter against the Bengals 18-16, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning from a shoulder injury sustained in the third quarter and leading his team on a final drive which set up a 35-yard field goal by Chris Boswell with 14 seconds left.
Kansas City began in ideal fashion when Knile Davis took the opening kickoff, got three good blocks near the 10-yard line and then simply outran the rest of the defenders for the 106-yard kickoff return score; the second-longest kickoff return touchdown in post-season history.
The defense took over after that, forcing Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer into a fumble and three interceptions in the first half as the Chiefs took a 13-0 lead.
Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith threw a touchdown pass late in the third and Spencer Ware added a 5-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 27-0.
The victory breaks a streak of eight straight playoff losses by the Chiefs and is their first post-season win since 1994, when they beat the then-Houston Oilers.
Hoyer had a miserable game, getting booed by his owns fans, as he completed only 15 of 34 passes for 136 yards as Houston lost a home playoff game for the first time.
Travis Kelce, who also had more than 100 yards receiving in the first meeting with the Texans this year, had another big day, finishing with eight receptions for 128 yards.
Houston’s J.J. Watt missed most of the second half after injuring his groin in the third quarter. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year and the NFL sack leader did not have a sack on Saturday as Houston’s defense played well, but could not hold off an offense that got so many extra chances because of Hoyer’s terrible day.
Pittsburgh was in control for much of a rain-sodden contest at Cincinnati, but was forced to find a late winner after the Bengals turned it into a contest late.
After Martavis Bryant somehow clung on to a somersaulting touchdown reception, the Steelers led 15-0 heading into the final quarter, but Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron put together a late rally.
Cincinnati ripped off 16 straight points, the last six on a 25-yard pass from McCarron to A.J. Green that put the Bengals in front. They missed the two-point conversion.
When Vontaze Burfict intercepted on Pittsburgh’s ensuing possession, Cincinnati appeared set to record its first post-season win in 25 years; the sixth-longest post-season drought in NFL history.
However, the team that said it would keep it together then completely fell apart.
Jeremy Hill saw the ball knocked out of his grasp for a fumble, which the Steelers recovered at the Pittsburgh 9-yard line with 1 minute, 23 seconds remaining.
Roethlisberger, who had been carted off the field after injuring his throwing shoulder in a third-quarter sack by Burfict, returned for the game-winning drive.
He received help from some costly Bengals indiscipline, as they gave up two 15-yard penalties.
The first was on Burfict for a hit on defenseless Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, then Adam Jones compounded the problem when he lost his cool for another penalty.
That put Boswell well inside field-goal range, and he slotted his fourth goal of the night to give the Steelers their first playoff win in five years.
Roethlisberger finished 18 of 31 for 229 yards and one touchdown pass.
Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint combined for 123 yards rushing, filling in for DeAngelo Williams.
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