Chad Henne probably didn’t expect to have his name called, or chanted out by Arrowhead Stadium fans, on Saturday afternoon.
Henne was suddenly put in a divisional-round playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars when Patrick Mahomes was hurt and had to go back to the locker room. Even worse, a Jaguars punt put the Kansas City Chiefs at their own 2-yard line.
The Jaguars couldn’t take advantage. Henne led the Chiefs downfield for a huge 98-yard touchdown drive, capped by a Travis Kelce touchdown in the second quarter.
After the touchdown, some fans chanted Henne’s name. Not a bad moment.
Henne, who spent five years with the Jaguars, had one of the biggest moments of his long career. He completed 5-of-7 passes during the drive that put the Chiefs ahead 17-7. Most of the damage was done by the running game, but Henne came in and did his job well. He did have a scare when a pass was batted in the air but the Jaguars couldn’t catch what would have been an enormous interception. Mahomes came back to the sideline and was standing behind Andy Reid during the drive but Henne finished it out and finished it well.
Henne did finish a 2020 divisional round playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, so he isn’t unfamiliar with big moments in Kansas City. Henne was put in a tough spot on Saturday and he came through. That’s what you expect from a veteran backup.
