Finding Perspective Through the Sting of Defeat
That certainly wasn’t the way anyone imagined the season would end for the Kansas City Chiefs: A 21-3 lead late in the second quarter being squandered against the Cincinnati Bengals. First, there were several missed tackles on a screen pass that went for a 44-yard touchdown with 1:05 left in the first half. That cut the Chiefs' lead to 21-10.
We all saw what happened against the Buffalo Bills. 13 seconds was enough to get into field goal range. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the offense did what they’d done the entire first half: move the ball with ease. They got all the way to the one yard line and had first-and-goal with 10 seconds left. Then, things took a turn for the worse.
A shotgun pass was thrown away for an incompletion and that left five seconds left on the clock. Mahomes told head coach Andy Reid he had one more play in him.
Of course, that play will go down in Chiefs infamy. A pass short of the end zone left Tyreek Hill in the middle of two defenders and short of the goal line. With no timeouts left, the Chiefs came away with zero points heading into halftime. The offense was never the same from that point forward.
Did that play alone shatter the team's confidence for the rest of that game? Probably not, but it had to play a part in it. The Bengals played more of a prevent-style defense throughout the second half to force the Chiefs to run the ball or lead Mahomes to make tough decisions. The Chiefs' coaching staff didn’t adjust and Mahomes couldn’t get out of his own way.
The Chiefs' defense only gave up one touchdown in the second half, and that touchdown was set up by a Mahomes’ interception late in the third quarter. That touchdown, along with a two-point conversion, tied the game and the Chiefs would never lead again.
The Chiefs finally started to look like a competent offense on their final drive of the game until they got into the red zone. The sequence of events that landed the Chiefs from second and goal at the four yard line to fourth-and-goal from the 29 yard line still boggles my mind. The team was lucky that Harrison Butker continued his streak of hitting clutch kicks to send it into overtime.
The Chiefs won the coin toss to start overtime. Despite the second-half breakdown, maybe there was a chance to overcome the putrid output? Think again. Two pass attempts to Demarcus Robinson and a long pass to Tyreek Hill on third down that was broken up and ultimately intercepted essentially ended the Chiefs season. The Bengals had the ball at midfield and just needed a field goal to win. The Chiefs couldn’t force a three-and-out, and the Bengals capped off the short drive with a game-winning field goal.
That sucked. When the Chiefs played almost a perfect first half of football on offense, everyone was thinking they were heading to the Super Bowl. To see them come out and do absolutely nothing in the second half was jaw-dropping and painful. It’s been a week, but it still stings.
There’s been some time to reflect, and despite the unfortunate outcome of the AFC Championship game, there is still some perspective to be gained.
First, the Chiefs have hosted the AFC Championship in each season that Mahomes has been the starter. He has never had to play a playoff game on the road. That is incredible. Does it leave you wanting for more? Of course. There will always be a feeling that this four-year stretch of football should have produced another Super Bowl trophy for the Chiefs.
Jan 30, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (94) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) to cause a fumble during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
That doesn’t take away from what this team has accomplished, though. Two AFC titles and one Super Bowl trophy is an incredible accomplishment. Before Mahomes arrived on the scene, the Chiefs had not won a home playoff game since 1993.
Think about this before complaining about the Chiefs not making it to a third straight Super Bowl: In the modern era of the NFL (post-1970), the Chiefs had only won one home playoff game. In the same time frame between 1970 and 2018, the team had only won four playoff games total before Mahomes arrived.
After four seasons with Mahomes as the starting quarterback, the Chiefs have won eight playoff games. Chiefs fans could have only dreamed of such a scenario five years ago. Some franchises would give anything to have this type of success.
Yes, the losses will sting a little more the further into the playoffs the team goes. However much it hurts now, though, it will make the Chiefs' next Super Bowl victory that much sweeter.
