Mahomes lifts Chiefs on to Super Bowl
Kansas City will play for league title for the first time since 1970 and third time in team’s history
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Patrick Mahomes tiptoed down the sideline for a game-turning touchdown, added three TD passes and the Kansas City Chiefs made their first Super Bowl in a half-century by beating the Tennessee Titans, 35-24, on Sunday for the National Football League’s AFC championship.
In two weeks in Miami, they will play the winner of the NFC title game between Green Bay and San Francisco, who were playing Sunday evening.
Mahomes did his usual superb job passing, but it was his 27-yard tap dance down the left sideline late in the first half that gave the Chiefs their first lead. From there, they outran the run-oriented Titans and star back Derrick Henry.
At last, for the first time since 1970 and the third time overall, the Chiefs (14-4) are Super Bowl bound. Adding to the joy of the achievement, coach Andy Reid and owner Clark Hunt accepted the Lamar Hunt Trophy — named after his father — emblematic of the AFC title.
As they had done in their past three “elimination” games, the sixth-seeded Titans (11-8) got started quickly. The dif- ference at Arrowhead as opposed to Houston, New England and Baltimore was that the Chiefs had Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Damien Williams on offence, and a vastly upgraded defence from when they lost in last year’s AFC title game.
A week after they overcame a 24-0 deficit against Houston, the Chiefs had to rally again.
Down 10-0 and 17-7, Kansas City didn’t flinch, building a 35-17 lead while controlling the clock with a strong ground game. Naturally, Mahomes complemented that with sharp passing, spreading the ball on short and deep throws. The dagger came with a 60-yard completion to Watkins for the Chiefs’ 28th straight point midway in the final period.
After taking a 3-0 lead on Greg Joseph’s first field goal — with Tennessee’s penchant for scoring in the red zone, he hadn’t been called upon in his previous four games with the team — the Titans got a huge break. Bashaud Breeland appeared to make a diving interception, but replay review showed the ball hitting the ground.
Helped by consecutive offside penalties and a fourth-down pass to Adam Humphries for his first career playoff reception, the Titans converted on, what else, Henry’s four-yard run.
Then the Chiefs got rolling, scoring on three successive series. Hill took it in on a shovel pass, later beat top Titans cornerback Logan Ryan for a 20-yard reception, and Mahomes finished the half with his brilliant jaunt down the left sideline with half the Tennessee defence seemingly expecting him to step out of bounds.
That gave the Chiefs a 21-17 lead. It went to 28-17 on Williams’ three-yard run to cap a seven-minute drive. Then Watkins toasted Logan for the clinching long pass.
Henry was held to 69 yards on 19 carries after rushing for 588 yards in the past three games as an unstoppable force. But the Chiefs easily outrushed the Titans on Sunday.
Mahomes had 53 of those yards and also was 23 for 35 for 294 yards passing.
Trickery
Last week, Henry threw a jump pass for a touchdown against Baltimore. On Sunday, Dennis Kelly emulated his coach, Mike Vrabel. He sneaked free for Ryan Tannehill’s lob, falling back awkwardly but holding on for Tennessee’s second TD. The backup tackle is the only offensive lineman since 2000 with two TDs receiving in a season. He also had one against Jacksonville.
Fourth downs
Displaying the gambling nature of both coaches, fourth-down conversions were key on early scoring drives. Humphries, who missed the last six games with an ankle problem, caught a three-yarder on fourth-and-two at the KC 29. Two plays later, Henry scored.
On the Chiefs’ ensuing possession, they went on fourth-and-two from the Titans 28. Travis Kelce’s four-yard reception continued a march to Hill’s first TD.