The Kansas City Chiefs have endured a relentless string of postseason letdowns, so is the new quarterback the answer to cure those ills?
For the last few years under the leadership of head coach Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs have enjoyed four playoff trips in five full seasons. They recently ensured yet another appearance in 2018.
In those 4 playoff appearances, however, Reid has only won a single game. Whether being up by a ton and suffering a meltdown or being the favorite at home (or both), the Chiefs have suffered in the postseason. Together with his track record as longtime head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid has taken his fair share of heat for not being able to win the big game—with a lone Super Bowl appearance to his credit.
Perhaps the most accurate coaching comparison for Reid is former Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer. As one of the most respected coaches in Chiefs history, Schottenheimer finished his career with a regular season record of 200-126-1. Despite the impressive .613 record, he had only won three postseason games with the Chiefs—two of which came in the 1993 season when former Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana led the team to the AFC Championship where they were defeated by the Buffalo Bills.
Schottenheimer was often criticized for “letting his foot off of the gas,” a man unable to hold a lead in the postseason. This is the primary reason why I draw comparisons between the pair. Reid’s deceleration was evident against the Tennessee Titans in the 2017 Wild Card round, where the Chiefs had acquired a 21-3 lead at halftime but was unable to hold it in the second half. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota led his team to a second-half shutout over the Chiefs, eventually winning the game 22-21.
Despite his best efforts, former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was unable to lead his team to a comeback during a 2-minute drive that had displayed Smith’s rather gun-shy antics. It had been reported that in the second half of the playoff game against the Titans, Reid took over the playcalling from former offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who had called the plays in the first half. The offense stalled out in the second half, leading to the shutout.
The Chiefs have endured a few frustrating second-half performances during the current season, but it hasn’t been too much of an issue overall for the Chiefs. Then again, the current offense under Patrick Mahomes is unrivaled when compared with the offense of any previous season for the Chiefs under Reid. The question that remains, however, is whether or not Mahomes can be the difference-maker for Reid and his lack of playoff success.
Mahomes is an extremely unique quarterback. His leadership, pocket presence, awareness, internal clock, agility, elusiveness, arm strength, and leadership make him one of the most entertaining and intriguing quarterbacks of the modern era. Montana was able to lead the Chiefs to an AFC Championship under Schottenheimer–the only appearance in Schottenheimer’s career as head coach for the Chiefs. Far be it from me to compare Mahomes to Montana, who is widely considered as the greatest of all time, but could Reid see the same success Schottenheimer saw with Montana?
Patrick Mahomes delivers new hope to Chiefs fans?
Notwithstanding the fact that Schottenheimer only coached Montana for two seasons before the latter retired, it still gave hope to a fan base that had been constantly teased with postseason appearances only to fall short in the early rounds.
Mahomes has the chance to establish a real dynasty with the Chiefs with the late game grit and natural ability necessary for the playoffs. Despite adversity and tribulations, Mahomes continues to power through and dominate the NFL. This was most evident against the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams—two of three losses for the Chiefs on the year. Despite being down, Mahomes continued to rally back and keep things quite literally down to the wire.
His improv and clutch skills appear to be unparalleled. In previous years, when the Chiefs were down late with game-winning drive potential, fans had little-to-no hope as Smith just didn’t seem to have that same clutch ability Mahomes proved to fans why you should no longer give up hope. In Week 14, late in the game with the game on the line, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a game-tying touchdown which would eventually lead to an overtime win against the Ravens. Sounds impressive, right?
What’s more impressive is how it was done. The Ravens defense, one of the top defenses in the league which had held opposing quarterbacks to under 200 passing yards on the season, had kept Mahomes in check for most of the game. However, the young gunslinger showcased why you shouldn’t count him out before the game clock strikes zero. I will be the first to admit that I was one of the naysayers as I watched the Chiefs reach 4th-and-9 with the game on the line. Time was running out, with less than two minutes left in the 4th quarter.
It felt like it happened all at once. The snap, Mahomes forced out of the pocket, the across-the-body-throw to Tyreek Hill for 40+ yards, my loud, raucous screams. Before I knew it, the Chiefs had 1st-and-10 at the 12-yard line. After another 4th down scare, which I was less worried about after what Mahomes pulled off previously in the drive, Mahomes threw a touchdown pass to running back Damien Williams. It was a magical moment, one that still gives me chills every time I watch the play and drive.
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What does Mahomes’ success mean for the future?
The ending to that game was more than just a win; it was symbolic. It filled fans with hope, with a glimpse of the future. It provided the fan base of the Chiefs with a long-overdue look at its new franchise quarterback, Patrick Lavon Mahomes II. There’s never a dull moment watching Mahomes under center, with each play looking like it could go for the length of the football field. Mahomes is the quarterback Chiefs fans deserve. After a long and disheartening quarterback history, a Super Bowl for the Chiefs feels nigh with Mahomes.
Mahomes’ command at the line is a marvel to watch. His presnap adjustments and leadership in the huddle give players confidence in him and themselves. Those are two of many reasons why I believe Mahomes will bring a ring back home to Kansas City for the first time since legendary Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson did it back in 1970.
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His demeanor and locker room presence practically spells franchise quarterback. Can he end the Chiefs’ post-season woes? Perhaps, but whatever the case may be, I’ll leave you with this. The Chiefs have not had a more legitimate shot at a Super Bowl since Montana led the team to the aforementioned AFC Championship in the 1993 season. I don’t think there’s anything Mahomes can’t do. (He can probably even walk on water, but I can’t prove it.) The AFC runs through Mahomes and the Chiefs for the foreseeable future, and that likely means postseason magic for the Chiefs sometime soon.