Kansas City Chiefs: 10 likes and dislikes from Super Bowl LIV

10 Likes

1. In Andy We Trust

When the Kansas City Chiefs were down 20-10 with 8:33 left in the fourth quarter, I about lost my mind when, on the third play of the drive from the team’s own 38, head coach Andy Reid called for a run. Now, he’d run the ball quite a bit already by that point (the Chiefs finished with 29 rushing attempts), and I understood why he’d done it earlier. But down 10 points with so little time left? I couldn’t fathom it.

That run only went for two yards. It didn’t seem to have much outcome on the drive (which ended up lasting 10 plays as the Chiefs scored a touchdown to make it 20-17), but in the end, Reid knew what he was doing. He had a plan, and that little run was part of it.

Heck, it turns out the Chiefs scored two touchdowns almost too quickly anyway.

2. The Big Throw

Same drive, but with 7:13 left and the Chiefs facing a 3rd-and-15 from their own 35 right after a 16-yard pass to Hill was overturned. Mahomes is (of course) pressured, but gets just enough time to heave a bomb down the field to (of course) Hill, who hauls it in and goes down at San Francisco’s 21.

Holy cow. Talk about a breath of fresh air. This play gave the Chiefs life.

3. Travis Kelce

What more do I have to write than the man’s name? All season in my Likes & Dislikes column, I’ve talked about Travis Kelce being Mahomes’ No. 1 security blanket, but he’s so much more*. Along with Mahomes and Hill, Kelce creates a triumvirate that’s hard to account for on every single play.

*Sure, he’s got some warts, like a couple of easy passes dropped throughout the season and sometimes inexplicably going backwards instead of merely grabbing the first down yardage.

In particular in the Super Bowl, he caught a touchdown pass to cut San Francisco’s lead down to three while on the preceding play he drew a defensive pass interference call to set up the Chiefs with 1st-and-Goal from the 1.

For the game, the best tight end in the National Football League caught six passes for 43 yards and one touchdown while rushing the ball once for two yards–but a first down.

4. Damien Williams

Arguably, Damien Williams was the only other play who deserved a shot at Super Bowl MVP. He finished the day with 17 rushes for 104 yards and one touchdown while he caught another four passes for 29 yards and one touchdown.

His receiving touchdown, which included a mighty stretch, gave the Chiefs a 23-20 lead with 2:44 left in the ballgame. His 38-yard rushing touchdown down the sideline with 1:12 left to go sealed the team’s Super Bowl victory.

Not bad for an undrafted free agent jettisoned by the woeful Miami Dolphins.

5. Q4

The fourth quarter started with the Chiefs in possession and down 10 points. With 11:57 on the clock, Mahomes threw his second interception in as many drives.

Here are the 49ers drives after that point:

• Five plays, 17 yards, punt.
• Three plays, five yards, punt.
• Seven plays, 27 yards, turnover on downs.
• Two plays, zero yards, interception.

And the Chiefs:

• 10 plays, 83 yards, touchdown.
• Seven plays, 65 yards, touchdown.
• Two plays, 42 yards, touchdown.
• Four plays, -15 yards, turnover on downs/Chiefs win the Super Bowl.