The Kansas City Chiefs won their second NFL Championship in four years last weekend, edging out the Philadelphia Eagles in an instant-classic thriller, 38-35.
The Chiefs, led by head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, trailed the Eagles by ten points at the halftime mark. Mahomes limped to the sideline, noticeably in pain after re-aggravating a high ankle sprain. The majority of the fans at State Farm Arena in Arizona appeared to be cheering for their opponents. Yet the Chiefs, coming off their seventh consecutive division championship, refused to leave empty-handed.
“We need some energy!” tight end Travis Kelce told his teammates during their locker room huddle. “Where is your fight?”
The answer came quickly: the fight was still there. The Chiefs went on to play one of the most dominant thirty minutes in Super Bowl history. They had no turnovers, no penalties, and allowed no sacks. The Chiefs’ coordinating team – Reid, Eric Bieniemy, Steve Spagnuolo, and Dave Toub – called one solid play after another. They stifled the Eagles’ offense and pioneered first down after first down.
A field goal from kicker Harrison Butker with eight seconds left in the game propelled the score to 38-35 and secured the Chiefs’ victory. Mahomes was named the Most Valuable Player of the evening, notching 182 yards and three touchdowns with no thrown interceptions.
“Pat is a once-in-a-generation, lifetime type of player,” defensive tackle Chris Jones gushed to the media. Coach Reid had similar praise: “He strives to be the greatest. Without saying anything, that’s the way he works. He wants to be the greatest player ever.”
This second Super Bowl victory solidified Kansas City’s position as a powerhouse franchise, something Travis Kelce alluded to in his post-game comments: “It solidifies your greatness. You didn’t get lucky once. You can call it a dynasty.” Few could have imagined it fifteen years ago, as the Chiefs toiled at the bottom of league standings and longed for a franchise player. Now they have several, and a franchise coach, too.
Things were less sunny in Philadelphia, as the Eagles walked away empty-handed. Head coach Nick Sirianni put together perhaps the most joyous team in NFL history, a team which seemed destined for greatness in the first two months of their season.
“I didn’t even think about me and what I wanted. I just wanted it for the people I play next to,” defensive end Josh Sweat told reporters. “I know it sounds soft as hell, but I really just wanted them to have a good time. That’s all it was.”
Other players echoed the sentiment. “I built a family with all these guys,” said Zach Pascal.
“They care about one another,” linebacker TJ Edwards noted. “They want good things for other people.”
It was a tough pill to swallow for a team with so much promise. The dust had settled, the season was over. Only one team walked away with the win.
Image “Patrick Mahomes (51615475121)” by All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.