Kansas City, MO –“Aaaaaah, it’s so cold!” is what Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce screamed into the NBC mic during his post-game presser when his QB Patrick Mahomes squirted two water bottles down the tight end’s shoulder pads. It’s a great metaphor for both their performances, along with that of their kicker Harrison Butker, on Sunday night, as these three playmakers had to have ice running through their veins, helping them carry KC to a 22-16 primetime win and playoff birth over their division rival Denver Broncos.  

Slow starts won’t stop a KC playoff Birth 

            The Chiefs are built like a team that can survive a shoot-out, as their offense is averaging nearly 426 yards and 32 points per contest, and their otherworldly quarterback is leading the league in total passing yards (3,497) and has a league-best 30-2 touchdown-interception ratio. But it didn’t take a shoot-out for KC to come out of Arrowhead with the win. In fact, it was a slow approach for the Chiefs, as their first four red-zone trips resulted in four field goals. It was the strangest thing; Mahomes (25/40-318-1-0) was connecting on chunk plays outside the red-zone. He hit the speedster Tyreek Hill (6-58), Kelce (8-136-1), and the rest of his weapons for huge gains. But once they got to within Denver’s 20, the offense stalled. It shouldn’t be a surprise, though. KC came into Sunday as the 12thmost efficient red zone offense in the league, scoring on only 62% of their visits. Their only TD of the game in the 3rdquarter; Mahomes’ hard count caught a Bronco lineman offsides, forcing a free play where he hit Kelce in stride on a post route, then trucked his way into the endzone for the 20-yard score. Hill could have had two scores himself on the night, but the first one was ruled incomplete, even though you can clearly see Broncos DB AJ Bouye help Hill secure the catch as he went down to the ground, and the other was negated by a holding call on guard Nick Allegretti. 

But let’s not undervalue where the other 15 points for KC came from. Harrison Butker has been nearly automatic in 2020; hitting nearly 90% of his field goals (17/19), going a perfect 3/3 from 50+. Against Denver, Butker was 5/5, with his longest kick of the night being the game-sealer. Originally, it was a 43-yarder that NBC graphics said would have been good from 57. But a delay of game penalty pushed Butker back 5, turning it into a 48-yarder. The “Butt Kicker”, as he’s known, split the uprights, with NBC saying the kick would have been good from as far as 61. Automatic.  

Is it time to Lock Drew away? 

            QB Drew Lock has been inconsistent as Denver’s franchise leader. Granted, he’s missed time due to a bad shoulder injury he suffered earlier in the season, and was ruled out of Denver’s 31-3 loss to the Saints in week 12 because of a COVID situation that broke out in the QB room. But even when Lock’s out there, he hinders Denver’s offense; completing only 55% of his passes for 1,767 yards (29thamong starting QBs), seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Lock came in to face a Chief’s defense that is middle of the pack, to say the least, ranking 16thagainst the pass & 23rdagainst the run. It was a rough start for the Missouri product (15/28–151-2-2); getting picked off by Tyrann “the Honey Bader” Mathieu on the first drive of the night. But Lock played (relatively) mistake-free football after that, playing more of a game manager role for the Broncos. Head coach Vic Fangio went for a run-heavy approach vs KC, with Melvin Gordon (15-137) and Philip Lindsay (14-26) combining for 88% of Denver’s total rushing yards, to help set up the play-action for Lock to have easier passing lanes. Ultimately, though, it came down to Lock having to play hero ball. Down 6, with 64 seconds left on the clock and 75 yards ahead of him, Lock just couldn’t channel his inner Elway and lead Denver on a miracle comeback. First pass; an incomplete post route to Jerry Jeudy. The second attempt; a short out route to Jeudy that kept him in bounds and the clock running. Third down; a deep pass to Hamler that got altered because of a hard hit from Frank Clark. Fourth down; Lock throws his second pick to, guess who, the Honey Badger. Elway has had terrible luck looking for an heir to Peyton Manning’s seat since Denver’s last Super Bowl run. Since then, Denver is 31-45, they’ve gone through 11 starting quarterbacks (yes, Kendall Hinton counts), and they haven’t been to the playoffs since. It may only be his second season, but it may be fair to say Broncos fans have seen all they need to evaluate whether Lock is the answer. He’s not. 

Coming up next?

            The Chiefs’ schedule doesn’t get any easier, as they take on an 8-4 Miami Dolphins team that has sprung up as a surprise contender for a wild card spot in 2020. As for Denver, it’s a similar situation, only instead of a playoff contender, it’s a Panthers squad that’s coming off refreshed from a week 13 bye, looking to get right after that heart-breaking 28-27 loss to the Vikings in week 12.   

Writer

-By: Juan Guarin-Camargo

To continue the All-Decade series, we look back at the best playoff games of the past decade. We kick off this list with...

10. Saints at Seahawks, 2010 NFC Wildcard

It’s remembered for being the “BeastQuake” game, but that was just one part of the tenth best postseason game of the past decade. The NFL’s seeding formula was called into question thanks to the historically bad 7-9 Seahawks hosting the defending champion Saints (11-5), but as a massive 11-point underdog, Seattle had no chance anyway… or so we thought. A touchdown pass from Brees to Heath Evans in the first quarter put New Orleans up 10-0, but they’d never extend the lead beyond that. By the third quarter, it was actually Seattle up by two touchdowns. Saints RB Julius Jones, who had played for Seattle earlier that season, closed the deficit to seven before New Orleans tacked on a field goal to make it a four-point game. After that, it was Marshawn Lynch breaking the hearts of Saints fans, with arguably the best run of all time. In a game where Drew Brees threw the ball sixty times, Matt Hasselbeck threw four scores and led his team to victory.

9. Steelers at Broncos, 2011 AFC Wildcard

At number nine, we have another prior Super Bowl participant falling at the hands of an inferior opponent in the wildcard round. The “Tebowmania” Broncos were just 8-8 on the season, but as AFC West champions they earned the privilege of hosting the 12-4 defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos jumped out to a 20-6 lead, but Pittsburgh wasn’t about to lay on its back. Ben Roethlisberger and running back Isaac Redman led a furious comeback to knot it up at 23 heading into the extra period. A field goal on the first possession wouldn’t be enough to win the first postseason game under the NFL’s new overtime rules, but Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas decided to go for a little bit more than that. On the first play of the “fifth quarter”, peak Tebowmania occurred as the QB connected with his receiver for an 80-yard touchdown to send Denver to the next round. It was Tebow’s last touchdown pass as a Bronco. His statline?

10/21, 316 yards, 2 TDs. Really. 

8. Saints at Vikings, 2017 NFC Divisional

The winner of this game was sure to be favored in the NFC Championship against the Carson Wentz-less Eagles. New Orleans seemed to have it locked up at the end, but miracles do happen…

For New Orleans to even hold the late lead, they first had to overcome a 17-0 deficit. Two Vikings touchdown runs and a Kai Forbath FG had put Minnesota firmly in the lead, and it wasn’t until the end of the third quarter that the Saints finally got on the board. But then Minnesota QB Case Keenum threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive, and after a New Orleans touchdown, the Saints was suddenly down by just three. There was a seven-minute scoring drought, before the Saints took their first lead of the game at the 3:01 mark of the final quarter. Minnesota quickly answered with a long Forbath FG, but Saints kicker Will Lutz responded with a dagger of his own to put his team up with 25 seconds to go. There was still too much time left on the clock.

At their own 39 with just 10 seconds remaining in the ballgame, Case Keenum threw up a prayer. Stefon Diggs hauled it in, evaded two defensive backs, and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. The play would later be called the “Minneapolis Miracle.”

7. Chiefs at Colts, 2013 AFC Wildcard

After taking a massive 38-10 lead, Andy Reid was set to win his first postseason game as Chiefs head coach. Andrew Luck and the Colts had other plans. Two Donald Brown touchdowns in the third quarter closed the deficit to a two-score gap, but Andrew Luck threw a quick interception that allowed KC to extend the lead to 17. It was 41-24 in the third quarter, and although Indy had given KC a brief cause for concern, it looked like the Chiefs still had this one under control.

The Colts responded on the ensuing drive with a Coby Fleener touchdown, and just like that it was 41-31 with a full quarter to play. Even though Luck had tossed two picks in the third quarter, the Colts had still put up 21 during that time. The Colts then marched down field during their first possession of the final quarter. They had advanced down to the two-yard line when Donald Brown fumbled the ball. LUCKily for Indianapolis, Andrew Luck made a heads-up play and scooped up the football, taking it in himself. It was 41-38.

KC added a field goal, but it didn’t matter, because Luck’s favorite target T.Y. Hilton burnt the entire Chiefs defense on what proved to be the game-winning score. In a season where the Chiefs started 9-0, they flamed out, losing 6 of their final seven games, including this one.

6. Eagles vs. Patriots, Super Bowl LII

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were staring history in the face with a chance to capture their sixth ring as a duo. Standing in their way? Backup QB Nick Foles and an Eagles team that had surprised many by making it out of the NFC bracket. These two teams had clashed in the big game following the 2004 season, and thirteen years later, Philly was still searching for its first ring.

The game didn’t come without controversy. CB Malcolm Butler, the Super Bowl hero from three years before, never stepped on the field for this game. When Alshon Jeffery hauled in the game’s first score with an impressive grab over former Eagle Eric Rowe, many wondered if the result would have been the same with Butler covering him. The Eagles next score came on the ground. LeGarrette Blount, who was with NE just the year before, punched it in to give the Birds a 15-3 lead. After seeing Atlanta’s Super meltdown in the prior season, nobody was confident in the early lead.

New England brought it to within three before the Eagles pulled out what is now one of the most famous plays in NFL history. The “Philly Special” was a gutsy call on fourth & goal that resulted in Foles hauling in a touchdown reception from TE Trey Burton. The teams exchanged scores in the third quarter, and at the beginning of the fourth, it was 32-26, Eagles. Rob Gronkowski scored his second TD of the day, and for the first time, New England had the upper hand. Zach Ertz answered with a score of his own to give Philadelphia a lead they’d never relinquish. 

After Brandon Graham recorded the most important strip-sack in Eagles history, Jake Elliott tacked on the final points of the game, and the Eagles were finally Super Bowl champions. 

Statistics from profootballreference.com

-By: Micah JImoh

Writer

Championship Weekend Recap

Last weekend, the top two teams in the AFC and NFC squared off with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake. Let’s look at how the games played out and how the matchup looks for the Super Bowl.

Chiefs Contain Henry and Punch Their Ticket to Miami.

Up to this point in the postseason, Derrick Henry has been a man amongst boys, totaling 377 rushing yards in the first two rounds. The key to this game was stopping Derrick Henry, and that is exactly what they did, holding him to only 69 rushing yards. As a result, the Chiefs were able to pull away late to secure a 35-24 victory over Tennessee. 

Early on, the Titans were in control, going up 17-7, but like the Divisional Round, Kansas City came roaring back, scoring fast and often. Right before halftime, Kansas City went up 21-17 thanks to a dazzling 27-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who did everything and then some to win this game. To put the dagger in this game, Mahomes connected with wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a long 60-yard touchdown to put them up 35-17. The former MVP led the Kansas City offense in passing and rushing, finishing with a final stat line of 23/35 for 294 yards, 3 TD, and a 120.4 passer rating. To add to that, Mahomes led the rushing attack with 53 rushing yards and a touchdown. Damien Williams chipped in 45 rushing yards and a score to support Mahomes’ rushing attack. As for the lethal air raid, Sammy Watkins led the way with 7 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. Tyreek Hill also scored twice.

Tyrann Mathieu led the defense with nine total tackles. Tanoh Kpassagnon and Frank Clark combined for three sacks and were big reasons why Derrick Henry was contained in this game. In a losing effort, Ryan Tannehill threw for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns with no picks, but the Chiefs offense had too much firepower to contain.

Niners Commit to Run Game, Dominate Green Bay.

If Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t show up to this game, it wouldn’t have mattered. Throwing only eight times for 77 yards, the San Francisco 49ers solely committed to the running game, and it worked wonders, coming out on top 37-20, sending the Green Bay Packers home. San Fran basically controlled the game from wire to wire. By halftime, the score was 27-0, but the biggest swing in this game was when it was 17-0. Green Bay was driving down the field when Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball back to San Fran, giving the Niners momentum for good. This was one of Rodgers three turnovers on the night. Green Bay made a mini-comeback at the end, but there was no chance they were catching San Francisco, who led 34-7 at one point in this game.

The story of this game was the running game for the Niners, which was led by Raheem Mostert, who had the game of his life. Mostert became the bell cow of the committee of running backs, carrying the ball 29 times for a whopping 220 yards and four touchdowns. Mostert was running through gaping holes all night, gaining big chunks of yards on almost every run. The leading receiver for San Francisco was Deebo Samuel. Samuel finished the game with only two catches for 46 yards, but it did not matter because of the way they were able to run the ball.

Like they’ve done all year, the San Francisco 49ers defense completely took over this game, allowing only 62 rushing yards and 296 passing yards with most of those coming in garbage time. Captain Richard Sherman had an interception, as did Emmanuel Moseley. Jaquiski Tartt led the way with 8 tackles. Nick Bosa, K’Waun Williams, and Arik Armstead all chipped in a sack in the dominant effort.

In the loss, Davante Adams led the receiving attack with 9 catches for 138 yards with Jimmy Graham chipping in 59. Running back Aaron Jones also chipped in 83 total yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Super Bowl Matchup

With the stage set, it should be interesting to see how it plays out. The 49ers, who will run the ball until you can’t stop it, will go against the elite passing attack from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. In order for Kansas City to win this game, they have to make Jimmy Garoppolo beat them. If the Niners get their running game going, it is going to be a long day for the Kansas City defense. As for the Niners, the key to this game will be to score early, often, and not fall behind. Kansas City has proven they can throw the ball up and down the field against any defense to come back when they’re behind. However, if San Francisco falls behind, it is going to be tough to come back or keep up with Kansas City on the ground, which goes back to my point of putting the game in Jimmy G’s hands. This is going to be a fun matchup with two of the most promising and young teams competing for a Lombardi Trophy.

-By: Richie Dordas

Writer