Andy Reid on His Message to Patrick Mahomes: ‘When It’s Grim, Be the Grim Reaper'
In the AFC Divisional Round, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills went back and forth in what was one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history. More importantly, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen went toe-to-toe and traded blows throughout the evening and into the night.
Ultimately, it was Mahomes's Chiefs that came out on the winning side. Mahomes, who completed 33 of his 44 pass attempts on the night, finished the game with 378 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns through the air. He also ran the ball seven times for 69 yards and added another touchdown. The MVP-winning field general added to his already impressive resume, making play after play for Kansas City.
The Chiefs faced plenty of adversity against the Bills, and Mahomes led them through it all. From the onset of the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter and into overtime, the 26-year-old superstar went 10-of-13 for 188 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns. With 13 seconds left, down three points, he calmly marched Andy Reid's offense into field goal range. After the game, Reid said his message to Mahomes was to take over the moment and avoid letting it take control of him.
"When it's grim, be the Grim Reaper and go get it," Reid said. "He did that. He made everybody around him better, which he's great at. He just does it effortlessly. When it gets tough, he's going to be there battling. Players appreciate that."
The Grim Reaper nickname could quickly catch on, and rightfully so. Throughout the course of his still relatively young career, Mahomes has built a reputation for being one of the best clutch performers in the sport. Despite being years away from turning 30, he possesses a unique blend of poise, anticipation and leadership that is extremely uncommon for players his age. The Chiefs lost to the Bills earlier in the season and when Reid was asked how Mahomes viewed things heading into Sunday's rematch, the answer was simple.
"He looks at it like, 'I want to get you,'" Reid said. "That's the way he approaches every day. Every time he comes in that huddle, he says, 'let's be great.' That's a great characteristic to have. When he says it, it's not corny — it doesn't come off that way. The guys believe in it, and he tries to do it every snap. He handles himself the right way."
As the Chiefs get ready to host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, they'll be doing so coming off back-to-back huge performances from Mahomes. Kansas City's offense has been far from perfect in the 2021-22 campaign and still drags along at times but when Mahomes is at his best — as he has been this postseason — it's nearly impossible to stop. That was the case down the stretch against Buffalo, as Sean McDermott's squad caught more than just a glimpse of what it's like to see the aforementioned Grim Reaper in person.
