The Kansas City Chiefs haven't won a home playoff game -- checks dates -- since before Patrick Mahomes was born.
It's been 25 years since K.C.'s rabid fan base has enjoyed the supple treat of enjoying a postseason victory at Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes is 23 years old.
The playoff drought will be a storyline entering Saturday afternoon's tilt versus the Indianapolis Colts. Mahomes, for his part, has no time for narratives.
"For me, it's my first playoff game," Mahomes he said Wednesday, via Arrowhead Pride. "I'm excited just to be here, and at the same time, get the opportunity to go out there and win games like this. When you [are growing] up, you want to play games like this. You get older and you want to be a professional athlete, you want to win on the biggest stage. So for me, it's about going out there to be myself, lean on my teammates, and win a big football game."
If you're into streaks like the Chiefs home playoff struggles, you can double-down this week.
Not only is K.C. attempting to toss that stat into the fire pit, they also have a notorious record versus the Colts. Indy is 4-0 all-time versus Kansas City in the postseason -- 2-0 in the Divisional Round. The last time the Chiefs attempted to end the losing streak, the football gods laughed, and the Colts tied the second-largest comeback win in NFL history (28 points)
Again, Mahomes gives diddly-squat about these well-worn facts.
"That's... in the past," Mahomes said. "All of us... we're here now. We're focused on the present day. We feel like we have a different team -- that we can go out there and win a big football game."
Bingo.
Every team is different from its previous year's edition. Under Mahomes, the Chiefs can confidently state they're better than the version that collapsed last year at Arrowhead.
In 2018, the Chiefs offense compares favorably to some of the most high-scoring offenses of the last 20 seasons, per NFL Research:
Notable High-Scoring Offenses Since 1999
1999 St. Louis Rams: 32.9 PPG; 272.1 Pass YPG; 122 Big Plays
2007 New England Patriots: 36.8 PPG; 295.7 YPG; 99 Big Plays
2013 Denver Broncos: 37.9 PPG; 340.3 YPG; 116 Big Plays
2018 Kansas City Chiefs: 35.3 PPG; 309.7 YPG; 130 Big Plays
The '99 Rams, '07 Patriots, '13 Broncos all made Super Bowl.
Mahomes offense must dispatch a Colts defense playing much better than the sum of its parts the past few weeks to destroy the playoff-losing narratives. With Andrew Luck leading the other passing attack a shootout could unfurl at Arrowhead on Saturday.
However it plays out, Mahomes is ready for his first playoff game.
"I have a big advantage here -- that I have a lot of great teammates that can make a lot of plays," he said. "I don't have to try to do too much. I don't have to try and make a huge play every single time. Just get the ball out of my hands and get to Tyreek (Hill)... get it to (Travis) Kelce... get it to all these guys that can make plays, and let them do what they've been doing all season."
If Mahomes and the Chiefs do what they've done all season, K.C. fans won't have to hear about the losing streaks anymore.
