Unlikely 2019 Hero Fondly Remembers Helping Chiefs by Accident
By Joe Summers
![Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10), makes a catch on third and fifteen, for a critical first down against the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Feb. 2, 2020. [BILL INGRAM/The Palm Beach Post]
Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs Vs San Francisco 49ers](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1104,h_621,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F220%2F01j27emzcynfny9ks94b.jpg "Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10), makes a catch on third and fifteen, for a critical first down against the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Feb. 2, 2020. [BILL INGRAM/The Palm Beach Post]
Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs Vs San Francisco 49ers")
Chiefs fans fondly remember the epic end to the 2019-20 regular season as Kansas City clinched a first-round bye in the final week of the season thanks to some help from the Miami Dolphins' upset win over Tom Brady's New England Patriots.
Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins to that epic victory and recently spoke to Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire, fondly remembering that game and the kind way Chiefs fans still treat him to this day.
The unlikely victory helped propel Kansas City to its first Super Bowl win of Patrick Mahomes' career, though it's possible the celebrations would never have occurred if not for Fitzpatrick's heroics.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Fondly Remembers Helping Chiefs Secure 2019 First-Round Bye
Week 17, 2019. When Kevin Harlan called two games at once. 🐐 @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/0hr62aNW46
— NFL (@NFL) July 24, 2023
"Every time I see a Chiefs fan, they come up to me and say something,” Fitzpatrick said. "I’ve been in Kansas City a few times for Thursday night football or my cousin’s wedding, but Chiefs fans in general, in the airport, I get that quite a bit still."
Miami was a 17-point road underdog and with a 4-11 record, the Dolphins had virtually nothing to play for except pride. They took an early 10-0 lead before Brady connected on a go-ahead TD pass to James White late in the fourth quarter, essentially clinching the contest and giving New England that much-needed bye week.
Fitzpatrick had other plans, marching down the field to stun the Patriots with a game-winning TD to Mike Gesicki with 24 seconds left. Coupled with the Chiefs' win over the Chargers, that magical moment flipped the entire postseason script.
We have a “Thank you Fitz 12/29/19” sign right in front of Ryan Fitzpatrick, thanking him for his service for beating the Patriots and giving the Chiefs a 1st round bye. pic.twitter.com/F4S4DMCRNK
— Chase Snyder (@ChasingSnyder) September 15, 2022
Brady and his Patriots shockingly fell at home to Ryan Tannehill's Titans the following week, which would ultimately be the final game Brady ever played for New England. Put simply, Fitzpatrick helped accelerate the Patriots' downfall while ushering in the new era of Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Kansas City very well may have won the Super Bowl anyway and dominated Tennessee in the AFC Championship game, but luckily, we'll never need to know. There's no way Fitzpatrick could've known what would happen after his incredible win, though he's reminded of it every time he's in town.
He continued that even the Kansas City-based CEO of American Century Investments, whose golf tournament Fitzpatrick participated in, sent him some local barbecue “because he was so appreciative of that win.”
The entire city is appreciative of you, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Chiefs Kingdom is happy to hear you're feeling the love even several years later.
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