Have Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs turned into the bad guys of the NFL? Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold from Sky Sports NFL talk about their quest for Super Bowl history on Inside the Huddle. You can watch the Chiefs play against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game live at 11:30 PM on Sunday.
Andy Reid’s Chiefs are just two wins away from making history as the first team in the NFL to win three Super Bowls in a row. They defeated the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday, earning a spot in their seventh straight AFC Championship Game, where they will face Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills.
Patrick Mahomes is seeking his fourth career Super Bowl crown having guided the Chiefs past the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas last February to confirm the dynasty.
The Chiefs, once known for having the most exciting and trick-filled offense in the league, have transformed into a tough, winning team that relies on Steve Spagnuolo’s flexible and determined defense. They have also managed to win 11 close games this season.
Here’s the highlight reel from the Houston Texans’ showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round.
They have turned into the Patriots. Only Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have participated in more consecutive AFC Championship Games; they keep coming back like the Patriots.
“Now, everyone believes they receive calls every week. I think Patrick Mahomes got a few calls that he probably didn’t deserve.”
This season, if you check out your favorite social media platform, you might see people talking about biased calls from officials, special treatment for Mahomes, and even some talk about Chiefs voodoo. These are just opinions, of course.
Take Texans kicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn, for example. He missed a field goal and an extra point on Saturday, and he also had another field goal blocked late in the game.
On the other hand, the Chiefs benefited from some controversial roughing the passer penalties against Will Anderson Jr. and Henry To’oTo’o during their Divisional Round victory over the Texans. These penalties helped extend drives that resulted in important points.
“I can understand the frustration from outside, especially with the occasional call, but I believe people should appreciate and recognize, like I did with Brady, the true greatness and historic achievements,” said Reynolds.
“I like seeing other teams make it to the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs are on a remarkable run, a historic stretch, the best seven years ever, although they do get some lucky calls now and then.
“When they took down the Patriots’ dynasty, they were the heroes!”
The Chiefs entered the playoffs ranked 11th in points differential during a regular season where they blocked a last-second field goal to defeat the Denver Broncos, benefitted from a missed snap in the final moments against the Las Vegas Raiders, and won thanks to a barely successful kick by Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
They faced significant injuries, ongoing pass protection problems, and inconsistent play from Mahomes and his offense, which created a sense of inevitability. Despite not always being convincing, they still finished with a 15-2 record to secure the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
“After the game, I was listening to the radio, and every other caller was saying it’s fixed, that Mahomes gets all the calls,” added Jeff Reinebold.
“What people are starting to express is that they dislike the Chiefs! For years, they were the team in the middle of America that hardly anyone paid attention to.
“They were the small-market team that went unnoticed. Now, they are seen as the evil empire that needs to be taken down.”
Travis Kelce came alive this weekend as his favorite time of year kicked off, leading the Chiefs with 117 receiving yards and a touchdown. This performance allowed him to surpass Jerry Rice for the most 100-yard receiving games during the postseason in NFL history.
He averaged 16.7 yards per catch, a big jump from his regular season average of 8.5 yards, where he finished with a career-low, yet team-high, 823 receiving yards.
“If you had frozen me in a cryo-chamber for 10 years, brought me back, and let me watch Patrick Mahomes throw to Travis Kelce, I would know it’s January,” said Reynolds.
“It’s unbelievable. Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce—how does that even happen?
“It’s the Chiefs. They only had 212 yards of offense, the lowest in a playoff win since 1991. There should be worries, but here they are again in the Championship Game, thanks to Mahomes, Kelce, and the usual stars.
“He caught a pass in the middle of the field, and I’ve seen cruise ships turn faster.”
