“This is why I play.’’

Those were words from Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne after Kansas City survived the Browns, 22-17, in Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff win with their starting quarterback and star of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes, knocked out of the game in the third quarter with a concussion.

Henne, who entered the game with the Chiefs leading 19-10 and 7:27 still remaining in the quarter, put only three points on the board for the rest of the game and threw an interception in the end zone.

But it was his play on the Chiefs’ final possession, as they ran out the clock to clinch the game and a berth into their second consecutive AFC Championship game, that will be remembered — maybe more than anything Henne has ever done since his NFL career began in 2008.

Henne scrambled for 13 yards on a third-and-14 to leave a fourth-and-1 from the Kansas City 48. Then, with his coach Andy Reid opting to go for it, he completed a 5-yard pass on that fourth-and-1 to ice the game.

Henne, when he entered the game, had never thrown a pass in the playoffs in his 11-year NFL career as a journeyman. He finished 6 of 8 for 66 yards and an interception.

“When you’re around him you just know,’’ Reid said. “That was a heck of a throw. We go through all of those plays on Saturday night with the quarterbacks for those situations — fourth-and-1 to win the game. That play happened to be there.

“It’s a credit to Chad. You don’t earn the respect of the coaching staff, the players, without handling yourself every day like he does in the locker room, the meeting rooms. Nobody has any doubt [in him].’’

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said “nothing changed’’ with the team when Henne entered the game.

“Chad came in and uplifted us, we uplifted him and we rallied together,’’ Kelce said. “He’s a professional. He comes to work every day knowing he’s a snap away from playing. Secondly, he’s a competitor.’’

Henne, who played in the Chiefs regular-season finale with Mahomes resting, called entering the game “definitely a big adrenaline rush.’’

He’d thrown 43 NFL passes since 2014 and that included the 38 that came in the regular-season finale. So before that game, he’d thrown five passes in six years.

“You never want to see a guy like Patrick, one of the best players in the league, go down,’’ Henne said. “But I have a lot of great players around me. They made me feel confident. I love the game still. I love being around the locker room. Coming here [to Kansas City] enlightened me. It brought a lot out in me — especially being around Patrick and seeing all his success. He’s helped me out more than I feel like I help him.’’

That, of course, changed quite dramatically on Sunday.