And as the season started I changed the way I framed how I would write about the season. Instead of just recapping games, I approached it from a Road to the Super Bowl, something I've never done. There was a risk of a jinx, but I figured the goal is the Super Bowl, I can't really avoid it anyways. Plus, who believes in jinxes?
And for the first time in my life, the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl. So how did they get there? Let's work our way backwards.
The Chiefs managed to avoid the Patriots and the Ravens, the two best teams in the regular season. Now I'd love to sit here and say that the way the Chiefs played when they were healthy in the playoffs, they could have beaten any team. But I also know this is the first time they've made it and it's the first time they got an easy path to the playoffs. We'll never know if the Chiefs could have beaten Titans-Patriots-Ravens but I'm glad I don't have to find out. So how did they earn this easy path?
They had to go 12-4 and own the tiebreaker over the Patriots. 11-5 would have made them the 3-seed. So every single one of those 12 wins was crucial on the Road to Super Bowl LIV. You flip one of those wins and they don't get the bye and maybe they're not here.
Which is great for the purpose of this blog post. Let's go back and look at all the close wins that got the Chiefs to this point.
- - -
The first two wins over the Jags and Raiders were never in doubt.
In Week 3, the Chiefs built a 17 point lead over the Ravens that was cut to 5 with two minutes to go. The Chiefs converted a 3rd and 9 with a screen pass to Williams to run the clock out.
In Week 4, the Lions took a 30-27 lead with just over two minutes to play. It was 4th and 8 and the Chiefs were desperate. Good thing they had Patrick Mahomes.
In Week 7, the defense responded without Mahomes and carried the team to a victory.
After the Lions game, the next win that came down to a few plays was the win over the Vikings. I went over it in detail here, but Matt Moore made a miraculous fumble recovery, Butker made two clutch field goals, and the defense held strong. In a game without the league's best QB, the rest of the team stepped up.
In the game vs Chargers in Mexico City, Clark and Mathieu rised up. And the game was clinched with a Sorensen interception.
And the last close game of the year was the one in Gillette Stadium. Just like against the Ravens, the Chiefs built a big lead that the Pats started chipping away at. On the final drive, Breeland knocked away a game-tying pass.
Honestly, I'm a little surprised they weren't more close games. Of all the teams they beat, the Chiefs were closest to losing against the Lions. That 4th and 8 conversion helped the Chiefs get to the Super Bowl.
And for the first time in my life, the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl. So how did they get there? Let's work our way backwards.
The Chiefs managed to avoid the Patriots and the Ravens, the two best teams in the regular season. Now I'd love to sit here and say that the way the Chiefs played when they were healthy in the playoffs, they could have beaten any team. But I also know this is the first time they've made it and it's the first time they got an easy path to the playoffs. We'll never know if the Chiefs could have beaten Titans-Patriots-Ravens but I'm glad I don't have to find out. So how did they earn this easy path?
They had to go 12-4 and own the tiebreaker over the Patriots. 11-5 would have made them the 3-seed. So every single one of those 12 wins was crucial on the Road to Super Bowl LIV. You flip one of those wins and they don't get the bye and maybe they're not here.
Which is great for the purpose of this blog post. Let's go back and look at all the close wins that got the Chiefs to this point.
- - -
The first two wins over the Jags and Raiders were never in doubt.
In Week 3, the Chiefs built a 17 point lead over the Ravens that was cut to 5 with two minutes to go. The Chiefs converted a 3rd and 9 with a screen pass to Williams to run the clock out.
In Week 4, the Lions took a 30-27 lead with just over two minutes to play. It was 4th and 8 and the Chiefs were desperate. Good thing they had Patrick Mahomes.
In Week 7, the defense responded without Mahomes and carried the team to a victory.
After the Lions game, the next win that came down to a few plays was the win over the Vikings. I went over it in detail here, but Matt Moore made a miraculous fumble recovery, Butker made two clutch field goals, and the defense held strong. In a game without the league's best QB, the rest of the team stepped up.
In the game vs Chargers in Mexico City, Clark and Mathieu rised up. And the game was clinched with a Sorensen interception.
And the last close game of the year was the one in Gillette Stadium. Just like against the Ravens, the Chiefs built a big lead that the Pats started chipping away at. On the final drive, Breeland knocked away a game-tying pass.
Honestly, I'm a little surprised they weren't more close games. Of all the teams they beat, the Chiefs were closest to losing against the Lions. That 4th and 8 conversion helped the Chiefs get to the Super Bowl.
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