The Kansas City Chiefs entered Saturday as the league's best offense, in yardage (425.6) and in points (35.3) and the third-best passing attack with the most yards per play in football (6.84).
But in their 31-13 Divisional Round win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Chiefs relied on the forgotten aspect of their historic season: the 16th-ranked running game.
Led by a career night from Damien Williams, the Chiefs rushed for 180 yards, their second-most all season and their fourth-most in franchise postseason history.
Williams, who took over starting back responsibilities after Kareem Hunt was released midseason and Spencer Ware caught the injury bug, rumbled for a career-best 129 yards and racked up 30 touches. His most entering Saturday afternoon was 103 rushing yards and 20 touches, both achieved in Week 16.
Against a Colts front seven that held Houston's running backs to just 29 yards on eight carries in the Wild Card Round, Kansas City used the run to set up an early lead -- Tyreek Hill's 36-yard sweep with six minutes left in the first quarter was the game-winning score -- leaned on Williams to pick up three key fourth-down conversions and rode it for a clock-killing, win-sealing drive in the final frame.
In other words, Kansas City ran Indianapolis into the ground and out of the playoffs.
"They was on a roll, but we on a roll too," Williams said of the Colts, who entered having won 10 of their last 11 games, to NFL Network's James Palmer. "And they came to our house and we had to lay it down."
All four of Kansas City's touchdowns came on the ground. With running scores from Williams, Hill and Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs became the first team in postseason history with a rushing TD from a QB, RB and WR in the same game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Adding to the odd nature of K.C.'s home postseason victory, Saturday's win was just the second game all season that Mahomes failed to throw a touchdown pass.
The Chiefs still moved the ball comfortable through the air, especially in the first half.
But with a resurgent defense and an emerging running game, Kansas City has finally found balance, just in the nick of time.
