Chiefs stock watch: Which players impressed during wild-card round vs. Steelers

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving on to the AFC divisional round game after a dominant victory on Sunday over the Pittsburgh Steelers 42-21.

The victory sets the Chiefs up with another home game next week against the Buffalo Bills for the right to return to the AFC championship game. Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the wild-card playoff game; check it out:

Stock Up: Patrick Mahomes

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Patrick Mahomes’ first wild-card round start went without a slight hitch as he asserted his dominance once again over the Steelers. Following a first-quarter interception caused by a tip at the line from T.J. Watt, Mahomes was untouchable, finishing the game with 404 yards passing and five touchdowns. Mahomes now owns the Chiefs’ single-game record for passing yards in the postseason, topping the previous mark set by Alex Smith.

Stock Up: Travis Kelce

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Sunday night’s wild-card game was a party for Travis Kelce as he had his way with Steelers defenders for another historic night. The All-Pro tight end caught five passes for 108 yards leading the team, and he added a spectacular 48-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Kelce capped off his big night behind center, converting a touchdown pass late in the game to Byron Pringle to seal the blowout victory.

Stock Up: Jerick McKinnon

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The uncertainty behind the game time status of Darrel Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire presented an opportunity for Jerick McKinnon to get more playing time. The veteran running back hadn’t seen the field often this season but showed little rust on Sunday night with a breakout performance. McKinnon finished with 61 yards rushing and 81 yards receiving and a first-half touchdown reception from Mahomes’ special underhanded shovel pass.

Stock Down: Darrel Williams

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There was plenty of speculation as to the status of Darrel Williams heading into Sunday’s matchup as he was still dealing with a toe injury suffered last week. He was announced as active just before the game, but his role was significantly depleted after a first-quarter fumble that led to the Steelers taking the early lead with T.J. Watt’s scoop and score. Williams is a critical part of the Chiefs offense but didn’t have much of an impact in Sunday’s win in part due to the injury.

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