Tuesday, October 02, 2018

Mahomes Rises to the Occasion in Mile High

Comebacks. They are the losses that sting the most and the most thrilling wins. When your team is down you mentally prepare for the loss. So when your team pulls it out in the final seconds, it's even better than a normal win—it's like winning twice. The opposite is true when your team gives up a comeback. You've mentally counted on that win. You're celebrating internally. And then it all goes up in smoke. And you're in a pit much worse than a normal loss.

Oh, and when you're talking about a divisional rival it hurts way more. Especially one with an active contentious history. Even more so, if you happen to live in the opposing city. Just saying. 

I've been on the wrong end of comebacks many times, but 2015 week 2 takes the cake. The Chiefs at home in search of their first win over the Manning Broncos. KC takes the lead 24-17 with just over 2 minutes to go. You just need one stop to finally beat them. (And I'm living in Denver at the time.) And then Manning drives down the field. Converts 3rd and 8. Converts 3rd and 10. Scores. Game tied. So you think you're headed to overtime. And then they strip Jamaal Charles and it's 31-24 and the game's over in a blink. You just needed one stop. It sent the Chiefs in a tailspin. Broncos go on to win the Super Bowl. Still stings. 

- - -


Coming in the game, I had lots of conflicting thoughts. The Broncos aren't that good. Never discount a divisional rival. Mahomes and the offense is unstoppable but the Chiefs D is pretty awful. Chiefs are already 2-0 on the road. But they're 2-0 on the road, you can't win every road game. I'm not scared of Keenum...but he did do the Minnesota Miracle so there's a sliver of doubt. 

Chiefs have huge games coming up after this...Jaguars, Patriots, Bengals, Broncos again. This is a stretch that will validate or expose their 3-0 start. Would this be a trap game on the road?

By the end of the Chiefs' second drive, you could tell this wasn't going to be business as usual for KC. First time they didn't score a TD on the opening drive. Broncos were bringing pressure. Mahomes looked off. Denver's D looked a lot better, especially in pass coverage than I had been led to believe. At this point, I predicted Mahomes would through his first interception. I knew we were in for a game that would go down to the wire. 

Mahomes showed he can run in touchdowns as well as throw them in the second quarter, taking the lead 10-3. 

Then it was 13-13. Then it was 20-13 Denver.

At this point, now I've got a lot of new thoughts. Who is the best team in the AFC? Jaguars, Patriots, Bengals, Titans, Ravens, Broncos, Chiefs all in the mix. Totally wide open. Now the Broncos are in first place in the AFC West. Fuck. Rams are the only undefeated team. 

Then it was 23-13. 

Here were the Chiefs possessions after scoring the 2nd quarter TD: 

Punt (12 yard drive)
Field Goal (72 yard drive)
Punt (13 yard drive)
Punt (9 yard drive)

Chiefs get the ball with 12:47 to go in the game, down 23-13. And the Broncos D had been shutting them down. At this point, I did some pretty simple math. To win, Chiefs need to score twice get to 27. They can allow a field goal at most. So that's the winning recipe. Touchdown. Give up at most a field goal. Touchdown. 

Chiefs putting together a drive, convert a 3rd and 6...except there's a penalty and now it's 3rd and 16. Flushed out of the pocket, throwing across his body, complete for 15 yards. 
So now it's 4th and 1. Reid placed an order with Kareem Hunt Trucking Company. After they pick that up, there's a holding penalty. So 1st and 20. But Mahomes gets it back with a big play to Kelce. In fact, hits Kelce a few more times and Reid calls for a Kelce screen to score. 23-20 with 6 minutes to go.

And isn't it funny when a team is trying to bleed the clock, that they are far less dangerous than when they need to score.

Chiefs D comes up with a 3 and out, their second of the night. In the 1st quarter it was Lindsay run on first down, sack on 2nd down, pass short on 3rd down. In the 4th quarter it was Lindsay run on first down, pass short on 2nd down, sack on 3rd down.

Chiefs get the ball back, 4:35 to go. Soon it's 3rd and 5. Chiefs need a big play...

Are you kidding? Instant flashback to Monday Night Football in 2004, in this very stadium. 14 years ago, Jake Plummer threw a left-handed interception to the Chiefs. Last night, Mahomes converts on 3rd down with a left-handed toss as he's been sacked by Von Miller. Nuts.

I just realized this is the Chiefs' best version of the fluke play that defines a comeback. We've been on the receiving end of the fumble-Luck rush TD and the deflected-Mariota pass TD and now the Chiefs have the left hand conversion. I suppose this was more skillful than a lucky bounce, but still. After that, it really felt like the tide had turned.

But after two penalties it was 2nd and 30 back at the KC 31. So Mahomes scrambles and finds Robinson for 23.



Then comes the play that Denver fans are salty about. In the first frame you can see the play clock still at 1. In the second you can see the play clock expire, the ball has not been snapped. In the last frame the ball is snapped. All three were taken at 10:58 in the YouTube player.




So it was less than a second, and this exact situation happens all the time. The back judge is looking at the play clock, when it goes to zero he looks to see if the ball is snapped. I'd be pissed too. I was pissed about the holding call against the Steelers in the playoffs and when Big Ben crossed the line of scrimmage in this year's Steelers game too. The intentional grounding against Mahomes was iffy. Let's say throw the flag there. It's 3rd and 12 in 4-down territory. That didn't cost you the game.

If you're scoring at home, here are all the times that the Chiefs had more than 10 yards to go for a first down and converted anyways:

3rd and 11 - converted
3rd and 16 - converted
1st and 20 - converted
2nd and 30 - converted

It's really something when your offense is facing 2nd and 30...and you still believe your quarterback is going to pull something out of his ass.

Three plays later, Kareem Hunt in for 6. It's 27-23 Chiefs. With 1:39 remaining. Oh no. Because the last thing a Chiefs fan wants right now is to trust the defense. Against Keenum, Mr. Miracle.

First play of the drive is a sack by Armani Watts. I gotta say, Keenum looks great with Armani draped all over him. (rimshot)

But Mr. Miracle converts 4th and 11. And then next play, 36 yard pass for Denver. They're less than 30 yards away from winning. 2nd down Fuller almost picks it off. 3rd down...Demaryius Thomas runs right past the CB (who must have been expecting safety help but it wasn't there) and is wide open. Want to see how open? It's not safe for work.


No Chief within 5 yards. When you know they need to throw deep and have no timeouts so near the sideline is best. I mean, how do you let this happen? And Mr. Miracle throws it over his head.

They'd get one more chance on 4th down but that was the game right there. The Chiefs D did exactly what we feared. And Denver couldn't make the play. Ballgame.


Here's Mahomes highlight reel.

Mahomes has 2 game-winning drives in Denver. He's 5-0 in the NFL, 4-0 on the road.

He snapped Broncos 38-game streak of not allowing 300 passing yards. Snapped Denver's 65-game win streak of holding a double digit lead in the 4th quarter.

Still hasn't committed a turnover.




Hey look, it's Von Miller on the front page of the KC Star:



You're not going to believe this but the Chiefs have beaten the Broncos 6 games in a row. They've beaten the Broncos at Denver in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The last time the Broncos beat the Chiefs was that 2015 game I mentioned in the beginning.

The Mahomes era is real. And it's spectacular. 
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