PITTSBURGH — Andy Reid donned a Santa Claus suit in a sweltering Kansas City Chiefs locker room on Christmas Day, then gave his team a gift it increasingly deserves: home-court advantage during the AFC playoffs.

How Reid managed to slip into the suit so quickly after Kansas City’s emphatic 29-10 victory over the reeling Pittsburgh Steelers and secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven years is a mystery (though he hinted at it that there is an elf in the game). ).

How Reid’s team manages to stand out from the crowd year after year is not an issue.

Lots of Patrick Mahomes. A pinch of Travis Kelce. A splash of speed. A defense that calmly goes about its business, even when its leader stands on the sidelines in sweatpants.

Yes, it was ugly at times — by Kansas City’s lofty standards — while the Chiefs were in the hunt for a third straight championship. But as the playoffs approach, the group that looked so fragile for most of the season suddenly appears to be returning to form.

And the road to the Super Bowl once again leads through Arrowhead Stadium. Just the way the Chiefs like it.

“It’s important to get No. 1,” Mahomes said after throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns. “It’s like winning a playoff game.”

Even if the way the Chiefs finished it didn’t exactly feel like it.

Kansas City (15-1) played the Steelers (10-6) for three hours like a cat batting around scraps of wrapping paper. The Chiefs jumped out to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by Pittsburgh, which has dropped three straight points, once again diminishing its chances of capturing the AFC North.

“That sucked, to be honest,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

This often happens when Pittsburgh is on one side of the battle line and Mahomes is on the other. Mahomes is now 4-0 against the Steelers with 17 touchdowns against just one interception. He connected on scoring throws to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson in the first half and added a history-making 12-yard touchdown flip to Kelce to seal the win in the fourth quarter.

The victory was the 77th goal of Kelce’s career, breaking a franchise record set by Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Kelce, 35, celebrated by throwing the ball over the goal post, a nod to Gonzalez’s signature move. The gesture resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, although it carried little weight. Harrison Butker made the long extra point and the Chiefs were firmly in control.

“It just shows Tony some love,” Kelce said with a laugh on the day he joined Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends to reach 1,000 receptions. Kelce finished the game with eight catches for 84 yards while playing for an offense that is slowly regaining momentum.

The defense wasn’t bad either, even though five-time Pro Bowl defender Chris Jones was sidelined with a calf injury. Jones’ teammates hardly looked gassed as they played for the third time in 11 days.

“It was tough,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “I mean, three games in 11 days is crazy for anyone. But I thought we handled it very well.”

The Steelers didn’t. Pittsburgh went 0-3 during that time, a brutal loss to Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City that left the Steelers looking outclassed.

Perhaps more worrying than the losses is the way they unfolded. Pittsburgh lost every contest by at least 14 points and could start the postseason on the road after playing fast with the two-game lead it had in the division just three weeks ago.

“I think every season has its ups and downs,” Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson said after throwing for 205 yards on a misplaced pick in the end zone in the first quarter. “We have to make sure we finish this final game on the right basis and with the right belief.”

That hasn’t been a problem in Kansas City for years. Not with Mahomes at the helm. He spread his 29 completions among eight different players, including a career-best eight to Worthy and four to Hollywood Brown, whose return from injury has given the Chiefs another playmaker in what looks like an entirely new team.

“We’re playing our best football of the year, especially offensively,” Mahomes said.

Looks like this. The two-time MVP was barely bothered by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, throwing touchdowns to cap Kansas City’s first two drives. And even though the Steelers tied the game 13-7 to 16-10, they never had the ball or a chance to take the lead in the second half.

Instead, the Chiefs — who spent much of the first three months of the season underperforming most weeks — stormed away with the No. 1 seed and several weeks off before attempting a three-peat that certainly looks achievable.

Injuries

Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the second half with a rib injury.

Steelers: DT Cam Heyward went out briefly in the fourth quarter but managed to return.

Next

Chiefs: End the regular season with a trip to Denver.

Steelers: Host Cincinnati in the regular season finale.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL