KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes certainly deserved a game ball in Sunday night’s AFC title game when the All-Pro quarterback pounced on his sprained right ankle in the final seconds to help set up the game-winning goal.
Travis Kelce probably does too. With the Chiefs missing three wide receivers to injuries, the All-Pro tight end played through the remnants of back spasms that nearly sidelined him and finished with seven catches for 78 yards and a score.
A true MVP a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, however, could very well have been longtime Chiefs coach Rick Burkholder and his staff. It was Burkholder and fellow coach Julie Frymer who came up with the plan to get Mahomes ready for the Bengals, then had to find a way to get Kelce ready when his back went down 48 hours before kickoff.
“I didn’t expect to be able to run a lot,” Mahomes admitted. “The coaching staff, Julie, they did a great job of giving me enough range and mobility to be able to defend myself, and then at the end of the game I had to run to score first and get us into field goal range. So what belongs to them.”
Credit to them and for Kelce.
“I wasn’t sure if I could do it,” he said, “but we’ve got the best coaching staff in the entire NFL. … I’m just very thankful and grateful. I don’t know where I would be mentally if I didn’t get to play this game.”
One thing’s for sure: The Chiefs probably won’t be preparing for the meet The Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl.
However, the work is just beginning for Burkholder and his team.
Mahomes limped badly toward the end and will undoubtedly use the next two weeks to get his ankle ready for another game. Kelce will also use the time to rest his sore back. Then there’s cornerback L’Jarius Snead, who is in concussion protocol; linebacker Willie Gay Jr. with an injured shoulder; and wide receivers Kadarius Toney (ankle), Juju Smith-Schuster (knee) and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) all watched Sunday night’s dramatic unfolding from the sidelines.
The practice facility could be the busiest place in Arrowhead Stadium before the Chiefs travel to Phoenix next week.
WHAT WORKS
Chiefs sacked Joe Barrow of the Bengals five times., including one by Chris Jones that forced a final punt and gave Kansas City a chance to score the eventual game-winning field goal. That pressure has helped a defensive backfield that sports a trio of rookie cornerbacks and a rookie safety with one of the best wide receiver groups in the league.
“My whole offseason was about this game,” said Jones, who had never been sacked in the postseason through 11 games before getting two Sunday night. “Making sure that when the moment calls me specifically, I answer the call.”
WHAT HELP IS NEEDED
Without three injured receivers and a limping quarterback, the Chiefs were constantly trying to mount a run Sunday night. But they managed just 42 yards on 20 carries, a paltry 2.1 yards per attempt.
STOCK UP
Frank Clark had five sacks in 15 regular season games, but the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher was on a postseason tear. He has 2 1/2 between the division and the AFC title game, giving him 13 1/2 in the playoffs for his career. He trails only Willie McGinest (16) and Bruce Smith (14 1/2) for most sacks since 1982.
INVENTORY REDUCTION
Right tackle Andrew Wiley had some rough moments against the Bengals. His holding penalty returned an Isaiah Pacheco touchdown and forced a Kansas City field goal. Wiley was later called an unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting, and Mahomes fumbled three times later to set up Cincinnati’s tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
INJURIES
Mahomes, Kelce, Sneed, Gay, Hardman, Smith-Schuster and Toney would be plenty. But the Chiefs also had WR Justin Watson (illness) inactive Sunday and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (sprained ankle) is still not fully back from injured reserve.
KEY NUMBER
3 — The Chiefs will be in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years and the fifth time in franchise history. They will also be looking for their third Lombardi trophy after winning the first two 50 years apart.
NEXT STEPS
The Chiefs are 5-4 against the Eagles and coach Andy Reid has won their last six games. How did he do it? Reid won his last three games before being fired by Philadelphia and has since won all three against his former team in Kansas City.