How Patrick Mahomes Led Kansas City Back to the Super Bowl

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have the perfect file within the N.F.L. prior to now 5 seasons, profitable 64 video games.

But for all that profitable, the Cincinnati Bengals had proved to be Kansas Metropolis’s kryptonite. The Bengals had overwhelmed the Chiefs thrice in a row, together with in final 12 months’s A.F.C. championship recreation.

The groups met once more on Sunday in a rematch that may decide who would face the Philadelphia Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz. And the Bengals appeared on the verge of upsetting the Chiefs but once more, simply as that they had executed the earlier thrice.

However Kansas Metropolis quarterback Patrick Mahomes took over with 30 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter. On a hobbled proper ankle, he scrambled 5 yards for a primary down on the Cincinnati 42-yard line and was shoved after he was out of bounds. The following 15-yard penalty was the distinction maker for kicker Harrison Butker, whose 45-yard game-winning subject aim simply handed the cross bar with three seconds remaining, giving the Chiefs a 23-20 victory.

“In some unspecified time in the future in video games, it’s important to put all of it on the road,” Mahomes stated about his late scramble.

Kansas Metropolis will now head to the Tremendous Bowl for the third time in 4 seasons. The sport will characteristic the highest seeds from each conferences for the 14th time in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Kansas Metropolis Coach Andy Reid will face his previous workforce, the Eagles, and Kansas Metropolis tight finish Travis Kelce will play in opposition to his older brother Jason, the middle on Philadelphia.

The Chiefs have been solely slight favorites heading into the sport; Mahomes was recovering from a excessive ankle sprain he sustained per week in the past in opposition to Jacksonville within the divisional spherical, and Travis Kelce had again spasms. Mahomes didn’t scramble for a lot of yards, however he was in a position to run out of the pocket to purchase time to search out receivers.

“I didn’t have that burst I often have,” Mahomes stated. “However I used to be in a position to do sufficient to get out of bounds.”

Although he wasn’t comfy planting his proper foot at instances, Mahomes completed the sport 29 for 43 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns.

He led Kansas Metropolis on three scoring drives within the first half, together with a 14-yard landing strike to Kelce on fourth-and-1. Kansas Metropolis’s protection sacked Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow 4 instances within the first half after notching none when the groups met in December.

“It was pure grit for him and Kelce,” Reid stated of Mahomes and his tight finish.

However the Bengals didn’t panic. They’d trailed by 7, 14 and 18 factors of their final three video games in opposition to Kansas Metropolis, and so they received every time by 3 factors. After gaining no yards on offense within the first quarter, the Bengals got here alive within the second quarter, notching two subject objectives and heading into halftime behind by only one rating, 13-6.

Burrow, who in his third season has emerged as one of many league’s high passers, went 26 for 41 for 270 yards, one landing and two interceptions. He additionally had a team-high 30 yards dashing.

On the Bengals’ first drive of the second half, Burrow picked up the place he left off, main the Bengals on a 62-yard drive that ended with receiver Tee Higgins leaping over a defender to seize a 27-yard go close to the pylon ultimately zone to tie the rating at 13.

Like in final 12 months’s A.F.C. title recreation, the 2 rivals traded blows for a lot of the second half and appeared destined for time beyond regulation once more.

Mahomes, who had been visibly limping as he ran to his left on the earlier possession, led Kansas Metropolis on a powerful 11-play drive. It ended with Mahomes, beneath stress within the pocket, throwing a 19-yard go to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the aim line.

On their subsequent drive, the Chiefs tried to construct a cushion that the Bengals wouldn’t have the ability to overcome. However Mahomes, out of the shotgun, misplaced management of an tried go that was dominated a fumble and recovered by Cincinnati defensive finish Sam Hubbard on the Kansas Metropolis 45-yard line.

The Bengals cashed in on the chance. On a fourth-and-6, Burrow threw a 35-yard go to receiver Ja’Marr Chase in double protection. Two performs later, working again Samaje Perine crossed the aim line to tie the sport once more at 20.

The Bengals’ protection appeared to close down Mahomes twice on the following drive, however one play was referred to as again as a result of the referee stopped the clock earlier than the snap. On the do-over play, the Bengals have been referred to as for defensive holding, which gave Kansas Metropolis an computerized first down.

The Kansas Metropolis drive fizzled. However Burrow tried to do an excessive amount of on the following drive. He threw to receiver Tee Higgins in double protection, and the go was tipped by security Bryan Cook dinner and intercepted by cornerback Joshua Williams.

With just below seven minutes remaining, Kansas Metropolis appeared poised to seize the lead after Mahomes related with working again Isiah Pacheco, who broke free from a sort out and scrambled 16 yards down the sideline. However once more, the Bengals shut down the drive. Reid selected to punt and that pressured the Bengals to begin their final drive deep in their very own finish of the sector.

With two and a half minutes remaining, the Bengals got down to steal one other recreation from Kansas Metropolis. However penalties undid their drive, and Kansas Metropolis, after a 29-yard punt return, took over with 30 seconds and two timeouts.

That was on a regular basis Mahomes and the Chiefs wanted to rewrite the script in opposition to the Bengals, and earn one other journey again to the Tremendous Bowl.

“I’m using a wave proper now,” Reid stated of the chance to face his previous workforce.