Patrick Mahomes showcases his generational talent as Chiefs reach Super Bowl again

Patrick Mahomes was alleged to be hobbled, or on the very least restricted.

A proper ankle sprain suffered every week earlier than the AFC championship recreation made the trash-talking Cincinnati Bengals favorites over Mahomes and a Kansas Metropolis Chiefs workforce enjoying host to the convention title recreation for the fifth yr in a row.

However on Sunday evening, Mahomes confirmed as soon as once more why he’s considered maybe the NFL’s finest quarterback and a generational expertise.

Mahomes made the important thing play when he scrambled for a primary down — and absorbed a late hit — to arrange Harrison Butker’s 45-yard area objective with three seconds left that gave the Chiefs a 23-20 victory earlier than 73,426 at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs ended a three-game dropping streak in opposition to the Bengals, who defeated them in final season’s AFC championship recreation, and superior to the Tremendous Bowl for the third time in 4 years.

“We wished to play this workforce, and we obtained ’em at Arrowhead Stadium and we have been capable of end the job this time,” Mahomes stated. “And the job’s not completed for us.”

The Chiefs will play the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, 31-7 winners Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers, in Tremendous Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

For anybody conversant in NFL historical past, it would as properly be dubbed the Andy Reid Bowl.

The Chiefs coach is in his tenth season in Kansas Metropolis after 14 with the Eagles, whom he led to the Tremendous Bowl in 2004.

“I had a good time there,” Reid stated of his years in Philadelphia. “I’m pleased for them. Joyful for the town.”

Nobody was happier than Mahomes to return to the Tremendous Bowl. He received the NFL’s Most worthy participant award in 2018 and received the Tremendous Bowl the following season.

However he fell in need of successful back-to-back titles when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LV. And he endured three straight defeats by the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow.

“After I first obtained within the league, all of it occurred so quick,” he stated. “I received MVP. I received the Tremendous Bowl.

“I assumed that’s simply form of the way it went. … Now that I’ve handled failure, dropping the AFC championship, dropping the Tremendous Bowl, I understand how a lot arduous work and each day grind it takes.”

Mahomes and his teammates didn’t want further motivation going into Sunday’s recreation. However the Bengals supplied it.

Cornerback Mike Hilton dubbed Arrowhead Stadium “Burrowhead.” The mayor of Cincinnati even obtained in on the act.

“Burrowhead my ass,” tight finish Travis Kelce stated throughout a tv interview after the sport.

Mahomes stated he and his teammates heard the barbs.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow carries the ball in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the second half.

(Brynn Anderson / Related Press)

“Guys have been in all probability as pumped up as I’ve ever seen them going right into a soccer recreation,” Mahomes stated. “A whole lot of trash discuss coming from plenty of totally different locations.”

Mahomes shook off the discuss and the harm and performed a recreation that was quick on magic however lengthy on clutch play.

On a day that featured a temperature of twenty-two levels at kickoff and a wind chill of 10, Mahomes accomplished 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards, together with landing throws to Kelce and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

He appeared restricted only some instances. Within the third quarter, Mahomes rolled to his left and threw again to his proper to finish a move. However as he ran again to the huddle, he was noticeably limping for the primary time.

“It positively didn’t really feel good,” he stated.

The ache was worse the following collection when he tried to retrieve a ball that slipped out his hand and was recovered for a fumble by the Bengals.

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker celebrates the workforce’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals within the AFC championship recreation.

(Brynn Anderson / Related Press)

Burrow additionally was absorbing photographs. A Chiefs protection led by deal with Chris Jones and Frank Clark sacked Burrow 5 instances — 4 within the first half — and rookie cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams intercepted passes.

Burrow accomplished 26 of 41 passes for 270 yards and a landing.

And the Chiefs stored giving him alternatives to repeat final season’s championship recreation efficiency, when he led the Bengals again from a 21-3 deficit to win in time beyond regulation.

After Kansas Metropolis took a 13-6 halftime lead on two area objectives and Kelce’s landing catch, the Chiefs’ incapacity to totally capitalize on alternatives appeared to set them up for an additional disappointing outcome in opposition to the Bengals.

Burrow’s landing move to huge receiver Tee Higgins early within the third quarter tied the rating, 13-13. Bengals operating again Samaje Perine’s landing run early within the fourth quarter tied the rating, 20-20.

“The tide was turning our means,” Burrow stated. “It felt like we have been simply going to discover a option to win this recreation.”

Williams’ interception with simply lower than seven minutes left gave Mahomes an opportunity, however the Chiefs didn’t take benefit. The protection, nevertheless, pressured the Bengals to punt, and Skyy Moore’s 20-yard return gave Mahomes the ball on the Chiefs’ 47-yard line with 30 seconds left.

On third and 4, Mahomes scrambled for a primary down after which was hit late by Bengals linebacker Joseph Ossai. A 15-yard penalty for pointless roughness moved the ball to the 27, and Butker’s kick cleared the objective submit for the victory.

“It was pure grit,” Reid stated of Mahomes’ efficiency. “For Pat to do what he did, and that run on the finish, I can’t say sufficient. He’s the MVP in my eyes.”

Stated common supervisor Brett Veach: “Folks don’t understand how damage he was. … It simply provides to his already nice legacy.”

Apprised of Veach’s feedback, Mahomes indicated he nonetheless has work to do.

“My objective is to win a Tremendous Bowl,” he stated. “To me, the job’s not completed.”