KC Chiefs: Making the case for Damien Williams as Super Bowl MVP

By Leigh Oleszczak | Feb 4, 2020

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 02: Damien Williams #26 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

When the confetti finished falling after the KC Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years, Patrick Mahomes was crowned MVP of the big game despite Damien Williams maybe being more deserving.

It seemed like a safe bet that if the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV, Patrick Mahomes would be named MVP and anyone else would have to have a phenomenal game in order to strip him of that award.

Well – The Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV and Mahomes did indeed win the MVP award for the game even though he didn’t play a great game.

This post isn’t to say that Mahomes didn’t deserve to win the MVP for Super Bowl LIV, but rather to argue why it’d have made sense for Damien Williams to have gotten that nod instead. Williams had a great game on Sunday and he was the one who essentially clinched the Lombardi Trophy for the Chiefs in the final minutes of the game with his 38 yard touchdown run that sent Chiefs fans into full on celebration mode.

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Williams finished the evening with 17 carries for 104 yards and one rushing touchdown while also hauling in four receptions for 29 yards and a receiving touchdown. Whenever Mahomes needed an easy play, Williams was there to get the few extra yards needed.

It was surprising to see too, as the Chiefs had not been very good at running the ball all season long, but at the end of the night, their run game was what propelled them to a Super Bowl victory. Williams was everywhere on Sunday and had he been a more well known name, it’s very likely that he would have been crowned Super Bowl MVP over Mahomes.

Let’s be real here – Mahomes didn’t play great in the Super Bowl. In fact, it’d be fair to argue that Sunday’s game was the worst of Mahomes’ career to this point. The 49ers were getting pressure on him and shutting him down for the first three quarters of the game and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that he started to show the explosiveness that we’ve come to know and love.

The reason Mahomes got the MVP title over Williams is due to name recognition and the fact that he was the one mounting the comeback. Someone had to make those throws to Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins that helped get the Chiefs back into the game and that someone was Mahomes. Plus, when in doubt, it’s easier to give the MVP award to the quarterback.

The last time a running back won Super Bowl MVP was in 1998 when Terrell Davis of the Broncos won the award, proving that unless it’s an absolutely incredible performance, a running back isn’t going to be named MVP of the Super Bowl. It’s just how the league is now.

Damien Williams had 133 total yards and two touchdowns (plus another near touchdown in the first half) and was a consistent playmaker throughout the game, but when it came down to it, Mahomes was MVP of the game because he’s the quarterback, the bigger name, and ultimately made the plays that people will remember the most when we look back on this game in the future.

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