Is there anything that Patrick Mahomes can’t do? Despite playing on one leg, Patrick Mahomes led his Chiefs to overcome a hungry Jaguars team 27-20 to advance to the AFC Conference Championship.
Patrick Mahomes really is the most incredible quarterback in the NFL today.
Not only was he cooking the Jacksonville Jaguars defense on two healthy feet for a quarter, but he also secured his team’s 5th straight conference championship on a bad leg. And that’s with the Jaguars defense coming after him and forcing him to move around in the pocket, even though he literally could only hop around.
Completing 22/30 passes for 195 yards and 2 TDs, Mahomes was simply sensational under the Jags pressure as he was able to connect with Travis Kelce (14 REC, 98 yards, 2 TDs) an NFL playoff record 14 times to keep the Jags defense back in coverage, which allowed the KC running game to explode for 144 rushing yards.
Even though Mahomes was the superstar of the game for his resiliency on a bum leg for three quarters, the skill position players proved their worth today.
Travis Kelce again showed why he is a Top-3 (at least) tight end in NFL history with a record-breaking performance, Isiah Pacheco was a beast with 12 CAR for 93 hard-earned yards, Jerrick McKinnon (11 CAR, 25 yards) brought out his inner Larry Csonka with his blocks in the backfield, and Kadarious Toney (5 REC, 36 yards, 1 CAR, 14 yards) finally justified his midseason pickup with 50 combined scrimmage yards.
And I must also point out how calm and composed Chad Henne was when he stepped in for Patrick Mahomes for a few drives, which resulted in him going 5/7 for 23 yards and 1 TD to pad the KC lead.
If anyone doubted if the Kansas City offense could step up if Patrick Mahomes went down, they won’t be doubting anymore with this performance.
In truth, the only reason why this game was so close was because Mahomes went down with an ankle injury. The Chiefs offense was rolling in that 1st quarter, while the Chiefs defense pretty much shutdown Trevor Lawrence (24/39, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the Jags offense the entire game.
Aside from a great TD throw by Lawrence to Christian Kirk in the 1st quarter and a long TD drive that Travis Etienne (10 CAR, 62 yards, 1 TD) capped off early in the 4th quarter, the Chiefs defense gave the Jaguars nothing.
Nick Bolton (10 tackles, 1 FR), L’Jarius Sneed (9 tackles), Justin Reid (6 tackles, 1 QB hit), Frank Clark (3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 QB hit), Juan Thornhill (5 tackles, 2 PD), and Co. clogged up the passing lanes and forced the Jaguars to have to pick up all their yards on the ground.
It was truly impressive to watch a defense stop one of the best passing attacks left in the playoffs dead in its tracks, forcing it to rely on poorly timed short throws and rushing attempts to win the game.
Nevertheless, I don’t want to discredit the Jaguars too much as they gave their all and were able to keep this game a close, one-score affair, though Mahomes was on one leg for 3/4ths of the game. The two costly late turnovers, the Lawrence INT and the Jamal Agnew (2 REC, 5 yards, 1 FUM) fumble, really killed any chance of the Jags coming back, but that might just help this team out for the future.
Failing before succeeding always results in growth and character development, and that’s something a young team like the Jaguars need to develop into a powerhouse of the AFC. Under Doug Pederson’s tutelage, Trevor Lawrence will have an outstanding season next year and bring the Jaguars right back to the Divisional round. The future is definitely bright in Jacksonville.
Though, the immediate future is far brighter in Kansas City as the Chiefs are now on their way to their 5th straight AFC Championship, which has only been done by the New England Patriots (2011-18) and the Oakland (Las Vegas was in Oakland in the 70s) Raiders (1973-77) in modern AFC history. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have truly built another AFC dynasty in the blink of an eye.
It’s going to be really tough against either the Bills or Bengals if Mahomes still has mobility issues come next weekend, but if any team and player can overcome insurmountable odds, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
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