Patrick Mahomes II led the Kansas City Chiefs back to the Super Bowl on one fine ankle, an uncommon tolerance for pain and an excess of grit and grit. He hopped and skipped and hobbled and hobbled past the gritty Borough and Cincinnati Bengals. On his last snap, Mahomes made a running rush to the first down marker, at which point Bengals-destroyed defensive end Joseph Osai provided the space needed for Harrison Butker to make the tiebreaking, game-winning field goal from 45 yards.
the The Chiefs’ 23-20 victory over Mahomes propelled his third Super Bowl In five seasons as an NFL starter he provided another career milestone for the quarterback who had already become a legend at the age of 27. A quarterback through an injury that could have sidelined several players, after a week of nonstop rehab, Mahomes passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns and, ultimately, conjured up the win within 27 seconds. The Chiefs reached another Super Bowl behind a raft of memorable performances, from devastating touchdown passes and a devastating rush to defensive tackle Chris Jones. They won above all because of Mahomes’ unparalleled talent and irrepressible will.
“He was in so much pain,” Mahomes Sr. said. “I’ve been texting with him all week. He says to me, ‘Dad, I’m making progress, but I’m still hurting.’ .
Throughout the week, Mahomes required constant care. He applied ice, heat, tape, and resistance bands to a right ankle that was badly injured a week earlier, when Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arden Key hit his leg and bent it at a horrible angle. He lacked speed and stayed mostly pocketed, like Michael Jordan who stayed on the ground in his prime. No one within the Chiefs organization suspected he would play, but only because he’s Patrick Mahomes.
“He definitely hurt more today than I think he showed up there,” Chiefs general manager Brett Fitch said. “He had a high ankle [sprain]. This is very painful. Some men miss two or three weeks. But it doesn’t surprise me that he’s able to pack in and deliver and make plays when we need them.”
Mahomes’ ability to play began with his uncommon healing ability. In 2019, he sprained his left ankle the first week and returned the following week. He dislocated his knee later that season and wanted to return immediately; He missed a handful of matches due to an injury that could threaten a player’s season.
“His mom had some different genes,” said Mahomes Sr., a retired MLB player. “She’s double-voiced and all that. He gets that from his mom. The athletic ability comes from me. That part comes from his mom.”
“It’s just in his wiring,” Fitch said. “Since he was a little boy, he has always been the ultimate competitor, and this will to win is instilled in him from a young age.”
Mahomes’ attendance began with the help of Chiefs assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer. I planned to rehabilitate him and remained chained to him in the president’s facility. I focused on increasing his mobility and lateral movement, using resistance bands to stretch and strengthen the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around his ankle.
“Julie was the reason I was the man I was on the field today!” Mahomes wrote on Twitter after the game. “It takes everyone but she has driven the job all week!”
Coach Andy Reid said Mahomes “lived in the training room”. Even at home, use ice and heat continuously. Sometimes, he asked his wife, Brittany, to join him while he tended his ankle so he could see his kids.
At the end of Thursday’s practice, the most intense session of the week, Mahomes decided the strap around his ankle was too restrictive. “He was feeling pretty ginger,” said quarterback Chad Heene. As soon as he took the tape off, he’d say, ‘I feel free. “
Even while he was in rehab, Mahomes refused to take a shot at practice. He was so fully involved that the Chiefs didn’t include him in their official injury report.
“There was no doubt that he would be there,” said Travis Kelsey. “I knew for a fact that he would give this city and this organization and all the men who go to work with them every day his everything.”
Mahomes knew his ankle would force waivers. When he passed, he was strictly relying on arm strength. “Your back leg, that’s all you got,” Henn said. Mahomes knew he would throw more passes and quick searches than usual. Henn, a veteran who relieved Mahomes briefly last week against Jacksonville, told the young quarterback, “Just hit the first open man, and don’t take any unnecessary hits.” Typically an artist who escapes from shoulder pads, Mahomes is confined to the pocket.
“I didn’t have that rush that I usually have,” said Mahomes.
Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 13-10 halftime lead, moving well into small spaces. The Bengals prepped Mahomes as if he were at full power, but realizing Mahomes would be pocket-tied, they adjusted their strategy. No defenders have cited Mahomes’ scramble. On the rare plays he tried to drive through the pocket, his lack of acceleration prevented him from making big gains. Prior to his final attempt, Mahomes had only run twice for three yards.
On the Chiefs’ second possession of the second half, Mahomes rolled to his left to escape fullback Akeem Davis-Geither’s attack. Mikul saw Hardman open through the middle, forcing him to plant his right foot, roll his upper body, and snag a pass. He knew that stopping would be his most painful act, and as he slowed down, he took an awkward step. He returned to the assembly with a limp, and his gait was affected for the rest of the night.
“They got me [as] “As close as they can get to 100 percent, and then I just struggled,” Mahomes said.
The worst pain Mahomes felt all game came after the ball slipped through his hands as he attempted a fast pass. He would dive for stumbling into a pile of corpses, unable to protect his ankle. The Bengal team has emerged with football. Mahomes staggered off the field. As the match went on, he seemed to be thinking about putting his ankle in every move.
“I was definitely staying warmer today than usual,” Henn said. “I always try to keep my legs loose, just in case. It could be one hit, or just one bad fall.”
Mahomes worked with a diminished receiving corps. Kelsey had injured his back in training on Friday and woke up on Sunday not sure if he would play. Juju Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney, two of Mahomes’ top receivers, are out with injuries. On the Chiefs’ penultimate drive, Mahomes scored a first down with a pass through his body, drifting left, to Marcus Kemp – a wide receiver who caught four passes in his five-year career, none this season. Mahomes felt so comfortable with Kemp that they were rookies together in 2017, and he cast him on the scouting team.
The Chiefs defensive line swept Borough to stop Cincinnati’s final drive in the last minute of the fourth quarter. With the score tied at 20, rookie Skyy Moore returned an ill-fated Drue Chrisman kick 29 yards to the Kansas City 47-yard line. Mahomes jogged the field with 30 seconds left in the game.
Butker has one of the strongest legs in the NFL, usually capable of kicking field goals from nearly 70 yards. Circumstances narrowed it down. The wind chill dropped to nearly 0 degrees by the end of the match, and the cold air left the footballs shrunken on the inside and hardened on the outside. In the warm-up, Butker failed a 55-yard attempt. He told the coaches he had the 53-yard max and wasn’t sure he could do it. To give Butker a realistic chance, the Chiefs would need to advance at least 20 yards, to the Bengals’ 33-yard line.
The drive began with Mahomes’ lateral pass to Isiah Pacheco, who was unable to get out of bounds after a six-yard gain. Chiefs burned their deadline. An incomplete pass left them with a third-on-four with 17 seconds remaining.
Mahomes took a shotgun snap and returned to his 41st. As the Bengals defense approached BJ Hill, Mahomes charged into the pocket. He saw no open receivers and shuffled right, around defensive end Sam Hubbard. Space has been opened towards the sideline. If he runs, he’ll need to get to both the Cincinnati 43-yard line and the sideline to maintain the drive. to run.
“It’s all heart,” Henn said. “He knew he needed to play there and put us in goal. That’s just heart and determination.”
As Mahomes approached the sideline, Hubbard ducked into him from behind, unable to reach him. Mahomes slid past the mark.
“We have a family motto: Players make plays,” said Mahomes Sr. “So he made a play.”
After Mahomes took two steps out of bounds, Usai pushed him to the ground. An official threw a flag as Mahomes slid down the yellowed grass near the Bengals’ bench. Fifteen additional yards gave the Chiefs the ball at their own 27.
“On that last play, you saw it all coming together, man,” said Kelsey. “It’s moments like that that just make it more special to be his teammate.”
Butker trotted out onto the field. He swung his leg and drilled a kick that he thought would travel about 65 yards on a normal day. Defending champion Tommy Townsend immediately hugged him, but Butker asked for confirmation. The ball floated straight over the bar. Mahomes waved in celebration to his teammates off the field, realizing that three seconds remained. After the Bengals’ desperate punt return went nowhere, the Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl.
Mahomes will arrive in Arizona to take on the Philadelphia Eagles with a fresh perspective. at 24, He won the MVP award As the Chiefs captured their first Super Bowl in 50 years. He has since accumulated competitive scars. He suffered a blowout loss in the next Super Bowl, and the Chiefs blew a 21-3 lead to the Bengals in the AFC Championship last year.
“When I first got into the league, everything happened very quickly,” said Mahomes. “I won the MVP award, I won the Super Bowl, and I thought that was just kind of the way it went. Now that I’ve dealt with failure, I know how much hard work and the daily grind it takes. And so I’m just excited to go to that game with my mates.” in the team.”
Mahomes climbed the podium set up in center field, surrounded by his teammates and Chiefs officials. After the televised ceremony, he limped to the side railing, saw his family below and waved to them. Brittany and Mahomes’ brother Jackson lifted baby Sterling, who works as a center, to his side.
Minutes later, Mahomes held on to the side railings with both hands as he descended the stairs, a final reminder of what it takes to get there. Right now, he’s holding Lamar Hunt’s trophy with his left hand and putting his right arm around Brittany as she grabs the Sterling. They took a photo, the final photo of the night that showed, once again, how different Patrick Mahomes is from the rest.