But the team responded well to those situations. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in his Wednesday press conference that being an underdog was different for Kansas City in the postseason, with it providing an extra motivating factor for some in the locker room.

“We just haven’t had that aspect, so it kind of lit fire under some guys, including myself,” Mahomes said. “At the end of the day, it’s playoff games, you want to win. This is what you play for, and I think that fire would have been — regardless of if we were an underdog or not, that fire would have been lit because this is the time of year that you work for and you put in those hard practices for.

“I think we have that mindset that if we’re going to practice the way we do, we’re going to work the way we work, we’re not going to let it slide by, we’re going to make sure we maximize our opportunity every time we’re out there. “

In three postseason games so far, Mahomes has completed 68 percent of his passes for 718 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions — good for a 100.7 passer rating. He’s also rushed 14 times for 75 yards.