Kansas City Chiefs: 3 standout players from comeback win over Browns
After a fascinating win over the Cleveland Browns, which Kansas City Chiefs players stood out among their peers?
On Sunday afternoon, from noon to 3 p.m., I paid less than half attention to the early slot of games. Between my screaming children, I might have caught a play or two, but I approached it with roughly the same amount of zeal that someone eats a lackluster appetizer before a highly anticipated meal (I’m talking to you Red Lobster, and your overrated mozzarella sticks).
Needless to say, when the Kansas City Chiefs season opener finally started, and the deep tones of the voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus sounded through the speaker of my cell phone, I was filled with excitement at the game and the season to come.
As things started off, I was already spying out my 3 players for this piece, and by the fourth quarter, with the Kansas City Chiefs trailing the entire game, I still hadn’t come up with any.
It is safe to say that I was nearly completely resigned to the fact of the Chiefs opening the season with a loss, and was trying to emotionally reconcile with it so I wouldn’t be in a bad mood around my family the rest of the night. I say “nearly” because with Reid, Mahomes and the Chiefs, it simply ain’t over till it’s over. In the space of just a few plays, I went from not knowing who I would write about, to having to choose between several, and below is what I came up with.
No. 3: Patrick Mahomes leads the way for the Kansas City Chiefs:
Okay, let’s start with the obvious choice. Some might even call it a cop out, but if it’s true, then it’s true, and the Kansas City Chiefs absolutely don’t win that game without Mahomes. There are multiple plays from yesterday’s game that would back up this absolute fact, but there is one in particular.
It’s the fourth quarter, with roughly ten minutes to go, and the Kansas City Chiefs are trailing the Browns 29-20. The offense comes out, Mahomes launches a pass for Tyreek Hill, and he is off to the races with no one even having a chance of catching him, scoring the TD and bringing the Chiefs within two points.
Even though it looks like Hill is the star of that play (and he absolutely was, more on that later), credit must be given to Mahomes for what Holthus’ partner Danon Hughs said after the play “you can’t blame the corner for not stopping Hill, cause no normal quarterback makes that play.”
That was a Mahomes-ish play that simply doesn’t get made unless he is the one throwing the ball, and that score proved to be one of the major differences. It was also one of two touchdowns that was needed to pull out a win over a very good Browns team that had been having its way with the KAnsas City Chiefs defense all afternoon.
Mahomes was his usual self, posting a stat line of 27-36 for 337 yards, 3 touchdowns and 12.5 yards per play. But it was his quick strike to Hill, down by nine in the fourth quarter, that will be remembered from a rough game with the Browns.