KANSAS CITY Riley Ridley Jersey , Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t draft Patrick Mahomes merely to make the playoffs.Matt Cassel accomplished that, and quarterbacks Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac, Trent Green and Alex Smith went one better by making it to the divisional round. Smith even won a wild-card game, the first playoff victory by the long-suffering Chiefs since Joe Montana led them to the AFC title game in the 1993 season.No, the Chiefs didn’t trade up to select Mahomes just to make the playoffs.They did it to win in the playoffs.Now, Mahomes gets his first chance when the first-year starter leads the AFC West champions against the Colts — their longtime playoff nemesis — on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.Win and the young All-Pro quarterback has the Chiefs one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. Lose and Mahomes must wait a full year to get another crack at wiping away the stink of all those playoff failures.“A playoff run in general would mean a ton to everyone in this community, including us. I know the history,” Mahomes said, “but at the same time, we are a different generation.”That may be true, but he was on the sideline last season for the latest postseason letdown.Mahomes was given his freshman season to learn the ropes under Smith, who ended a Chiefs streak of eight straight playoff defeats by beating Houston in the wild-card round in January 2016. But they lost the following week at New England to end their playoff run, then lost at home to the Steelers in the divisional round in 2017 and blew a big lead at home against the Titans in the wild-card round a year ago.Three defeats after that rarest of playoff wins.The sting has been even more brutal at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Colts have won just as many playoff games as the Chiefs (two apiece) over the years. Both of the Chiefs’ wins were in the wild-card round.They’ve never won a home playoff game in the divisional round or beyond.Yet if there’s any reason to believe that stretch of futility will end Saturday, it just may be the optimistic kid with the big arm and curly Mohawk. Bono, Grbac and the rest never put up the kind of numbers that Mahomes has this season, nor did they engender the same kind of confidence in their teams.Mahomes exudes poise. And the rest of the Chiefs can feel it.“It’s the way he plays,” Chiefs center Mitch Morse said recently. “Not only his talent Greedy Williams Jersey , which is uncanny, but the way he prepares, the way he conducts himself in the huddle, and then the guy has got a swagger about him that’s infectious.”There is no denying this is a new experience, though. Mahomes played in only one bowl game in three seasons at Texas Tech, which would be the only thing even remotely close to an NFL playoff game with the entire football world watching.“So far I haven’t seen anything that’s too big for Pat. I’m not even worried about that,” coach Andy Reid said Monday, just before the Chiefs resumed practicing following a well-earned week off.“He’s going to get himself ready, just like he does every week, to play against a good football team,” Reid said. “But I don’t think he’s wired the other way. I’m not predicting anything, I’m just telling you, matter of fact, how he’s wired, how he goes about his business.”That doesn’t mean Reid hasn’t pulled him aside for a few extra chats.“Everything is a little faster in the playoffs. That’s how things go,” Reid said. “At the same time, he has to be himself and continue to lead and play like he has been doing. I don’t think he will have a problem with that. I think he understands that. He is wired the right way to handle all of it.”Mahomes said he’s chatted with Smith about his postseason experience, and he’s soaked up what he can from the veterans in his locker room. Defensive back Ron Parker, linebacker Justin Houston and fullback Anthony Sherman are among those who have been part of several postseason letdowns.As they take the field with Mahomes on Saturday Sione Takitaki Jersey , they have a chance to scribble over that history.“I mean, we are definitely ready. We know what it’s going to take,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to take a full effort from everyone, every single day, to the game and hopefully on. We know that you have to capitalize on every single play. You can’t let one play get you down for the next. The next play is the most important play. We are excited we get the chance to do that.”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Sam Darnold had difficulty containing his excitement after the New York Jets rookie enjoyed his first fourth-quarter comeback victory in the NFL.On the other side of the tunnel, Buffalo rookie Josh Allen had difficulty keeping his frustrations in check after his three turnovers contributed to costing the Bills.Darnold, drafted third overall, one-upped Allen in their first meeting as AFC East rivals by rallying the Jets to a 27-23 win Sunday.Article continues below ...“As a kid, you dream of converting two-minute drives and going down there and scoring,” Darnold said. “To be able to score a touchdown and put the ball in their hands at the end of the game was awesome.”Allen, drafted seventh overall, was left dejected in a game he outran, out-passed and ultimately out-turnovered Darnold.“I’ve got to be smarter with the football,” said Allen, who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. His fumble and first interception led to the Jets kicking two field goals.His second interception sealed the loss with 59 seconds left, when he was picked off by Trumaine Johnson at Buffalo’s 45.Running back Elijah McGuire scored on a fourth-and-goal run from the 1 with 1:17 remaining to cap a drive during which Darnold completed three of five passes for 52 yards. The rookie quarterback particularly showed off his deft touch on a 37-yard pass to Robby Anderson, who made an over-the-shoulder catch up the right sideline.Darnold finished 16 of 24 for 170 yards with a 7-yard touchdown to Anderson and an interception in his first start since missing three with a strained right foot. Aside from shaking off the rust, Darnold also overcame a scare in the first quarter when he left for one series after hurting the same foot.Darnold was cleared to return after having the injury examined.The Jets (4-9) snapped a six-game losing streak Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , and bounced back a week after squandering a 16-0 lead in a 26-22 loss at Tennessee.The Jets won when embattled coach Todd Bowles elected to gamble after Darnold was stopped at the 1 on third-and-goal from the 4.McGuire scored by taking a handoff and running to his right before finding a crease to squeeze his way into the end zone. He finished with 60 yards and was playing in place of starter Isaiah Crowell, who left with a shoulder injury in the second quarter.“No decision whatsoever. We came up here to win the game,” Bowles said on deciding to go for the touchdown. “I’m just happy for them. … To see them smile makes me smile.”Buffalo dropped to 4-9.Allen went 18 of 36 for 206 yards and scored on a 6-yard run. He also had 101 yards rushing to become just the second quarterback in NFL history to top 90 yards in three consecutive games, joining Tobin Rote, who did that with Green Bay in 1951.Allen didn’t care much for the feat, and wasn’t in the mood to discuss the matchup with Darnold. The two became friends while spending the pre-draft process working out with each other.“I mean, it was cool,” Allen said. “But, I’m playing against their defense, and we just didn’t make as many plays as we needed to.”Buffalo squandered a 14-3 lead, and was undone by a special teams unit that allowed Andre Roberts to return five kickoffs for 176 yards. Roberts’ 86-yard return set up Trenton Cannon’s 4-yard run, which cut Buffalo’s lead to 17-13 with 6:31 left in the second quarter.It was the first touchdown scored by the Jets’ offense in 24 possessions, dating to the first quarter of a 27-13 loss to New England two weeks ago.The Jets’ special teams also blocked Stephen Hauschka’s 49-yard field-goal attempt at the end of the first half.New York trailed until Darnold capped an 11-play, 85-yard drive by hitting Anderson for a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 20 with 12:06 left.The Bills responded with Hauschka hitting a 36-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining.Allen scored on a 7-yard run and Isaiah McKenzie also scored on a 15-yard run.BANGED UP BILLSBuffalo was down to third-string running back Marcus Murphy after LeSean McCoy was sidelined by a hamstring injury in the first quarter and Chris Ivory hurt his ankle in the third quarter. Starting linebacker Matt Milano was carted off the field after getting his leg tangled while stopping Darnold at the goal line. Coach Sean McDermott provided no updates on his injured players.CATCHING ONBills undrafted rookie Robert Foster had 104 yards receiving in his first career start after the Bills released Kelvin Benjamin on Tuesday. Foster now has two 100-yard outings, both of them coming against the Jets. He had 105 yards receiving in a 41-10 win at the Meadowlands on Nov. 11.LEE SUSPENDEDJets linebacker Darron Lee served the first game of a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. “A great disappointment,” Bowles said. “He made a big mistake and only time will tell whether he will learn from it or not.”UP NEXTJets: Host Houston on Saturday.Bills: Close their non-conference schedule by hosting Detroit on Dec. 16.