How an unpleasant loss propelled the Chiefs to a Tremendous Bowl LVIII win

LAS VEGAS — Earlier than Tremendous Bowl LVIII, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs declined to speak a lot about changing into an NFL dynasty.

On Sunday, the Chiefs took their place among the many all-time greats by claiming a 25-22 victory, making them the fourth franchise to win three Tremendous Bowls in a five-year interval and the primary to win back-to-back championships in 20 years.

The Chiefs have 4 Tremendous Bowl titles, tying them with the Inexperienced Bay Packers and New York Giants for fifth most.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes polished his personal legacy by main the Chiefs on the game-winning drive and his third Tremendous Bowl MVP award.

The Chiefs seemed extra weak in the course of the season than at any time since Mahomes turned their beginning quarterback and seemed equally shaky within the first half Sunday.

They have been overwhelmed on offense by the 49ers early within the recreation. They fumbled thrice within the opening two quarters and twice extra later and have been lucky to lose only one.

The Chiefs trailed 10-0 late within the second quarter. However, as that they had achieved in rallying from a double-digit deficit in every of their different two Tremendous Bowl wins with Mahomes at quarterback, they got here again.

“The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are by no means underdogs, know that,” Mahomes stated from the championship podium.

IT WAS HARD to image the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl on the finish of December. On Christmas Day towards the Las Vegas Raiders, their season hit a low level in certainly one of their ugliest outings of the Mahomes period.

The Raiders scored two defensive touchdowns inside seven seconds within the second quarter — one on a fumble by operating again Isiah Pacheco and the subsequent on a Mahomes interception.

The Chiefs misplaced 20-14 and fell to 9-6 with two regular-season video games remaining, essentially the most losses they’ve had within the Mahomes period. The postseason was looming, and one thing needed to give.

“That was a great wake-up name for us,” coach Andy Reid stated after the AFC Championship Recreation. “It gave our guys a pleasant little, for [lack of] a greater time period, a wake-up name that, ‘Hear we have to step issues up right here. Issues aren’t simply going to fall in our lap.'”

Reid’s Chiefs answered the decision, rattling off 5 straight wins heading into Tremendous Bowl LVIII. They clinched their eighth straight AFC West division title, gained three highway playoff video games and bought themselves proper again to the championship video games. All this after it appeared Mahomes, Reid and a surprisingly dominant protection could not be capable to claw their solution to one other title.

“It is powerful to [do] again to back-to-back [long] seasons,” Reid stated. “We have performed loads of soccer video games. You have to work by means of that mentally. That is not a simple factor. … What you get is all people’s finest shot. You have to carry it each week. To be on this place, that tells you a bit of little bit of one thing concerning the psychological make-up of this crew.”

As disagreeable as that Christmas Day loss was for the Chiefs, the turnaround might go down because the Chiefs’ most spectacular Tremendous Bowl run but — solidifying them as a dynasty.

“Generally the worst issues that occurred to you or in your season turned out to be one of the best factor,” common supervisor Brett Veach stated.

TRAILING THE RAIDERS 17-7 on Christmas with lower than three minutes remaining within the first half, the Chiefs transformed a faux punt on fourth-and-5 to maintain their drive alive. However on the sidelines, tight finish Travis Kelce fumed, slamming his helmet into the bottom when the Chiefs ran the trick play from their very own 48-yard line. With seven factors on the board, Kelce’s frustration on the offensive facet on the ball was evident.

And he wasn’t the one one displaying cracks. After the Chiefs put up minus-18 yards within the first quarter, Mahomes was seen delivering an impassioned plea to his offensive line.

The frustration of that Raiders recreation epitomized Mahomes’ subpar statistical efficiency by means of Week 16.

From Weeks 8 to 16, Mahomes’ QBR was 47.1. The Chiefs went 3-5 in that span and turned the ball over 15 occasions. Kelce, his longtime favourite goal, was averaging 55.5 yards per recreation.

However the Raiders loss helped reignite the spark their offense had been lacking.

“I noticed extra from inside the constructing simply how arduous guys have been working, how guys have been taking it personally,” Mahomes stated after the AFC Championship Recreation. “You sort of understand how they react after video games if you are going to be on this spot or if you are going to an opportunity to be within the spot and guys weren’t pleased and so they have been placing within the work to get higher and that is what you want so as everytime you undergo opposed occasions.

Between Week 17 and the AFC Championship recreation, Mahomes’ QBR was 84.9 and Kelce averaged simply shy of 70 yards per recreation. In Tremendous Bowl LVIII, Kelce had 90 receiving yards on 9 receptions.

“If you happen to watched the receivers each single day, they’re catching on the facet when the protection is up [in practice],” Mahomes stated. “They’re catching after apply, catching earlier than apply. I keep in mind I used to be strolling to lunch sooner or later and Skyy [Moore] is on the market simply catching by himself. These guys had that mindset of they are going to proceed to get higher, and that is been out all through the entire complete crew. We weren’t losing any moments in apply.”

THROUGH THE OFFENSIVE inconsistency, the Chiefs’ protection saved Kansas Metropolis afloat on Sunday — very similar to the common season.

After the 49ers gained the toss in time beyond regulation, the Chiefs compelled them to kick a subject objective on their opening drive after making all of it the way in which to the pink zone. On the following possession, the Chiefs drove 75 yards and scored the game-winning landing on a 3-yard move to Mecole Hardman Jr.

“How about that D, child?” Reid stated in the course of the postgame ceremony.

Underneath coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the unit completed second in scoring protection in the course of the common season and have been even higher within the playoffs towards the Miami Dolphins, Payments and Ravens, permitting fewer than 14 factors per recreation till the Tremendous Bowl.

“I actually wouldn’t need to play [against] our protection,” Mahomes stated. “You’ve depth, guys rotate in, can do all of it after which you might have Spags with the scheme. All the fellows are so well-coached within the scheme that they use it to their benefit, and also you by no means know the place they’re at.”

Led by defensive deal with Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs protection had given up a landing 42% of the time when the opponent is within the pink zone since Week 17. From Weeks 8 by means of 16, they averaged 56%.

Jones, 29, has been one of many NFL’s high pass-rushers for years. He had 10.5 sacks this season to tie for the crew lead after lacking coaching camp and the primary regular-season recreation whereas holding out for a brand new contract. On Sunday, Jones had 4 tackles and a pair of quarterback hits on Brock Purdy.

The Chiefs had a league-high 80 pressures from defensive tackles together with the playoffs going into Sunday, based on ESPN Stats and Info. Their means to swing a recreation’s momentum was on show early and sometimes within the Tremendous Bowl. With the 49ers driving within the first quarter on Sunday, defensive finish George Karlaftis recovered a fumble by operating again Christian McCaffrey at Kansas Metropolis’s 27-yard line. In addition they compelled San Francisco to punt 5 occasions. In addition they held the 49ers to a subject objective on the primary possession of time beyond regulation earlier than Mahomes led the Chiefs down the sphere for the successful landing.

“I nonetheless keep in mind in ’17 and ’18 simply saying if we will simply get [the other team] to punt simply as soon as we have got a shot,” Veach stated final week. “Now hastily it is like all we have got to do is simply rating as soon as and we’re good.”

Mahomes and coach Andy Reid entered uncommon territory with the comeback victory. Mahomes turned the seventh participant from the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB to win three championships and two regular-season MVPs in his first seven seasons, becoming a member of legendary gamers in Larry Chook, Man LaFleur, Invoice Russell, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio.

Reid turned the fifth NFL coach with at the very least three Tremendous Bowl titles. Solely the Patriots’ Invoice Belichick (six) and the Steelers’ Chuck Noll (4) are forward of him. He’s tied with the 49ers’ Invoice Walsh and Washington’s Joe Gibbs.

When the Chiefs had a result in shield or a one-score recreation to remain inside attain of their opponent, their protection discovered a solution to reply. It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t straightforward, however the Chiefs are Tremendous Bowl champions for the second yr in a row.

“When it got here time to place the hammer down,” Reid stated, “we put the hammer down.”