Mahomes Postseason Championship FINAL Chiefs/Eagles 2023 vs. Chiefs/49ers 2020

[Chiefspants]

We’re to the final round of the Mahomes greatest postseason victory tournament. The final features our Super Bowl victories, the Chiefs/Eagles Super Bowl vs. the Chiefs/49ers AFC Championship Game. After obliterating the games in their path (to the point that the consensus was to give the Chiefs/49ers a bye over the Chiefs/Bengals win), the Super Bowls are the last teams standing. A VOTE for your favorite game of the two, the winner (poll closes Wednesday), will be the final victor in the tournament!

Game A: 1 seed Super Bowl 57: Chiefs vs. Eagles: State Farm Stadium, February 12th, 2023

First there was Wasp, now there's Corn Dog. ��*

Andy Reid dialed up a wide open Kadarius Toney. @0fficialC2N pic.twitter.com/0U9EjmCdzl

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 16, 2023



It could not have been scripted better for the Chiefs to end their 2022 Football Season in the exact place it started against the Philadelphia Eagles. After being fired from Philly 10 years prior, Andy was returning to the Super Bowl to face his former team, the Kelce brothers, after starting the most popular podcast in the NFL, were facing off in the Mama Kelce bowl, and Patrick Mahomes was coming to complete his legacy defining year against Vic Fangio. Fangio is credited with pioneering the two high defensive look against Patrick Mahomes, a defense which is now the response against all modern passing offenses. While Fangio was unable to field an offense more capable than a 1980’s Marty Offense to actually beat Mahomes, his defenses slowed down and frustrated Patrick to a point that our young QB and Andy Reid got bull-rushed to start the 2021 season when all opponents rolled out that defense to stop Patrick. The beginning of that season was the first time we saw Patrick struggle and lose his confidence for an extended stretch, and even more notably, the season ended with the Bengals stifling Patrick in one of the worst halves of his career to end the previous season. These struggles were on everyone’s mind when Tyreek got traded last offseason, the narrative that Patrick and the Chiefs were taking an inevitable step back while the AFC West “loaded up” became a dominant one going into the year. Patrick responded by putting together an MVP season complete with a redemption victory against the Bengals. Now in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs needed a complete team effort with the defense and special teams coming up huge in big moments. Unlike Jimmy G, Patrick was now against a young quarterback who rose to the occasion and traded blow for blow with Patrick. Patrick would need to be perfect against a Fangio planned defense to nab this legacy defining victory and launch the Chiefs into the dynasty conversation, and he was.

Since I had an unsung heroes theme with the 9ers game, I’ll embed one of my favorite (often slept on) plays from Super Bowl 57, where Khalin Saunders hustled his ass off to keep Hurts from the edge to come up with a critical sack to keep the Eagles up by one possession. Toney’s return is rightly remembered, but this moment was just as game swinging (imo). The D has taken some heat for this game, but this was a team win - again an electric QB who rose to the occasion, the slip and slide field, and a second half deficit, they got the ball back to Patrick in a tie game with 5 minutes to go - a formula we will take every time.



Watch Game Highlights Here:

Spoiler!

Game B: 2 seed 2020 Super Bowl: Chiefs vs. 49ers: Arrowhead Stadium, February 2nd, 2020 


Fly like a butterfly, sting like a Wasp. @PatrickMahomes believed in himself, this play call, and the @Cheetah on the #SBLIV's Turning Point. @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/xTTU7AL6OQ

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 6, 2020


After 50 years of disappointments, 2-14 blackouts, funerals for our franchise in our home stadium, and unfathomable playoff heartbreak - the Kansas City Chiefs were finally in the Super Bowl. Fittingly, the Chiefs faced off against the 49ers, who felt very similar to a 90’s Chiefs team. Strong defense, a strong running game and a “good” quarterback with questions about whether or not he could lead a team on a game winning drive in the postseason. The Chiefs were down 20-10 midway through the fourth quarter, but this time, they finally had the quarterback they had been waiting for over a half century. Despite being roughed up by the league’s #1 defense, Mahomes led an iconic drive anchored by what we now know as WASP to make it 20-17. Adding to the legend was that WASP was Mahomes’ own playcall, calling his shot in the biggest moment — but it then became up to the Chiefs defense to get a late, fourth quarter stop - the stop they couldn’t get against the Patriots in 2019, the Steelers in 2017, the Patriots in 2016, the Colts in 2014 or 2004, and the Broncos in 1998. But this time, Chris Jones, Steve Spagnuolo, and the defense were up to the task. WASP would not be remembered today without the defense, who were spurred by 3 critical, too often forgotten batted balls from Chris Jones, which gave the ball back to Mahomes who went out and cemented the first legendary title to his legacy.


A team win in every sense of the phrase, I’ll leave you with a play I argue was as critical as WASP (watch Kittle in the secondary). This play prevented the 49ers from having the chance to salt the game away, and helped launch Mahomes’ legacy to where it is today.



Game Highlights:

Spoiler!

[chiefzilla1501]

The Super Bowl win against the 49ers was a hell of a ride. But if we’re being real, it was pretty ugly on offense.

Offense carried the game with the defense making a few stops when needed. To me it’s not even a question it’s the eagles Super Bowl win.

[rico]

God that’s a tough one.

Had to go with the first one. Huge monkey off the back!

[scho63]

For me this is an easy one. The first Super Bowl appearance and victory in 50 years in Mahomes comeback fashion broke the draught on dramatic fashion.

The Eagles game was extra validation and the next step in the Chiefs / Mahomes Dynasty.

[tyecopeland]

If this is about mahomes, it's the eagles game.

If this is about anything else, it's the 49ers game.

Mahomes played outstanding in the eagles game, especially the 2nd half. The 49ers game was a rough up and down outing. But it was the first (in a long, long time) and it was getting close to desperate. And then it wasn't.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by tyecopeland

Mahomes played outstanding in the eagles game, especially the 2nd half. The 49ers game was a rough up and down outing. But it was the first (in a long, long time) and it was getting close to desperate. And then it wasn't.

Yup. It wasn't perfect, it didn't start great, and once again KC had to overcome and come back to win. When pushed to the wall they responded and cemented their/his place as one of the greatest come back teams ever.

It was the true end of one era and the birth of a Dynasty. Everyone including Clark, Jones, Williams, Watkins, Honey Badger, and our nickel corner contributed. It was a team win.

The perfect game to break a 50 year drought...

[Coogs]

No matter who wins, that entire bracket just makes me smile! What a run we have been on these past 5 years!!!!

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

what do people talk about more?

Can't really say I know what people over 60 tall about...

[kcgreene]

Eagles Super Bowl.

The first one was amazing, and I'll never forget the vindication of this team FINALLY reaching the promised land.

But in terms of Favorite: Mahomes had a LEGENDARY performance for a player who was clearly injured. Stories of this game will permeate through NFL fandom like Jordan's flu game permeates through NBA fandom.

And, as the man himself said:

"Before we started this season, the AFC West said we were rebuilding; I'm going to be honest with you -- I don't know what rebuilding means! In our rebuilding year we're world champs!"

To me at least: It was so much better when everyone expects you to crash and burn and instead you climb the mountain and make the league your bitch.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

I've kind of been operating under the assumption that Mahomes aggravating the ankle when he did was ultimately a huge blessing in disguise. Got to go into the locker room with an extended halftime and I'm assuming injected enough painkillers into that foot to tranquilize a hippo.

You realize that if you numb a foot/ankle like that, you wouldn't be able to play QB on it.

Try walking from your bedroom to the kitchen after sleeping on your leg funny and tell me how it works. And if you used any sort of narcotic, the mental acuity wouldn't be there.

Yeah, you can blast it with anti-inflammatories. And if you're talking rib cartilage or something you can numb that. But you can't numb a QBs lower leg/foot. He kinds needs to know what that things doing. The only thing they could've done is ice the shit out of it and hit it was some powerful anti-inflammatories. But this idea that they 'numbed' it is just a non-starter. You can't play the position if your foot is essentially asleep. It would be like that drop-foot problem that all but ruined Jaylon Smith's career.

[SHOWTIME]

Mahomes played way better in the Philly game. 131 QB rating. Only 182 yards, but 3 TDs and 0 INTs. Also the Chiefs only had the ball for 24 minutes and had 8 drives overall (scoring on 5 of them but 1 missed FG).

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

You realize that if you numb a foot/ankle like that, you wouldn't be able to play QB on it.

Try walking from your bedroom to the kitchen after sleeping on your leg funny and tell me how it works.

YES. It's like trying to get up from the throne after taking an unusually long shit. That shit SUCKS.

But I know Mahomes could still find a way.

[Chiefspants]

I re-watched the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl last night.

He played like the platinum standard of Andy Reid quarterbacks. Just calm, cool and collected throughout the entire game. Never pressed, even when down 10. The Eagles best shot would have been if he reaggravated his ankle when he scrambled on the first drive coming out of the half (we were all holding our breath). I know the Eagles DL gets a lot of heat, but he was so freaking efficient and got the ball out of his hand so quickly that I'm not sure if the Eagles DL gets handled that way against many other quarterbacks.

It was just a masterful performance from Patrick against the only scheme that had given him trouble over the past two seasons. Watching from the Eagles POV reminded me of how helpless it felt watching our elite D matchup against Brady or Manning in the playoffs. All of the stats we had accumulated against middle and below tier QB's meant nothing when those QB's snapped the ball - and Patrick had that level of control the entire game.

I know some argue about whether Patrick's ankle issues actually improved his game because it kept him focused on quick releases. I'm not sure of that, but I was still in awe watching the back half of that game for a second time.

[Chiefspants]

2 hours left! This turned into a crazy good match worthy of these games.

[TLO]

Eagles. But either choice is a winner.

[TLO]

Looks like we have a winner!!!