“When it’s grim, be the Grim Reaper.” That was Andy Reid‘s message to Patrick Mahomes when the Chiefs trailed with 13 seconds left in regulation. It happened in 2022 during their AFC divisional round vs the Bills. And he followed it to heart. Mahomes carried the Chiefs to their fourth straight AFC championship game in a 42-36 win at Arrowhead Stadium. He did so by demonstrating, yet again, his elite ability in all facets of quarterbacking. That was the day when the QB earned his nickname – Grim Reaper.

Mahomes needed just two passes to move Kansas City into field goal range, setting up veteran kicker Harrison Butker’s 49-yard strike as time expired to force overtime. In the extra period, Mahomes had a game-winning drive. And whoa! he capped it off with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Hence, securing the Chiefs’ fourth straight trip to the AFC Championship.

It was a near-flawless outing for Mahomes, who threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-44 passing while also leading the team in rushing with 69 yards and another score.

Fast-forward to the present, Andy Reid peeled back the curtain on his partnership with Patrick Mahomes. He did that during an interview on The Herd with Colin Cowherd On January 31. “Four to five years ago, he didn’t have the same feel he’s got for the game now. And wasn’t as solid with all of his surroundings there and different options,” Reid admitted. “We do it differently with him now. Have a lot of trust in him and what he knows and, uh, what he can do at the line of scrimmage.” Translation?

Mahomes isn’t just running plays. He’s rewriting the script mid-game with Reid’s full faith. The result? A shot at a third straight Super Bowl win. Something no NFL team has ever done. Former NFL safety Mike Mayock once predicted Mahomes would either flop or become a legend. Thanks to Reid, it’s the latter. “Andy Reid is not only a Hall of Fame coach; he’s player friendly, he’s really quarterback friendly and he’s so creative in taking advantage of what a quarterback does best,” Mayock said. But he didn’t stop there.

“That marriage between Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes is the main reason why they’re in their seventh AFC Championship game in a row,” Mayock added. But here’s the twist: Reid never won a Super Bowl before Mahomes. With Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia? Nine playoff wins zero titles. With Mahomes? Four Super Bowl trips in six years. Coincidence? Hardly.

The Eagles loom large, armed with Saquon Barkley and a “green wall of talent,” as Cowherd put it. But Kansas City’s secret weapon isn’t just Mahomes’s arm—it’s their collective grit. “Someone makes a big play at the biggest moment,” Mahomes said. “Offense, defense, or special teams.” Remember the AFC title game against Buffalo? Mahomes threw a touchdown, ran for two more, and willed the Chiefs to victory. Again.

Giant play sheets and Mahomes’s faith in the offense

Mahomes’s playoff résumé reads like fiction: 17-3 record, three rings, and ice in his veins when the lights burn brightest. But Reid’s genius lies in adapting. Early on, he molded the offense around Mahomes’s cannon arm and playground instincts. Now? He hands Mahomes the keys. “He’s very accurate with with that. So, it’s definitely different,” Reid said. The trust is so deep, that Mahomes rarely second-guesses play calls.

“He just wants you to call what’s on your mind,” Reid added. “And he’ll go run it.” Brad Childress, Reid’s longtime friend, summed it up best: “He’s [Andy] still having too much fun playing with his new toy.” That “toy” is Mahomes. Childress’s “toy” parallel might sound a bit off to some, but the statement seems harmless. Besides, Mahomes turned Reid from a respected coach into a legend. Childress, who worked with Reid in Philadelphia, recalls Reid’s excitement after drafting Mahomes.

“I was there with Andy in K.C. when he drafted Patrick, and he was so excited,” Childress added. Reid’s play sheet—a laminated mystery—holds more than plays, though. Even at 66, he’s tinkering, adapting, and empowering Mahomes. “Travis [Kelce] would be a heck of a football coach,” Reid joked, hinting at the tight end’s football IQ. But Mahomes? He’s the masterpiece Reid never saw coming.

Philadelphia knows Reid’s brilliance firsthand. He built the Eagles’ 1999 staff—a who’s who of future head coaches. Now he’s out-dueling his proteges. In the AFC Championship, Reid’s Chiefs edged Sean McDermott’s Bills, a former Eagles assistant. And the cycle continues.

Mahomes? He’s focusing on legacy—but not his own. “You just want to accomplish a goal that you have with your teammates,” he said. Three Super Bowls in a row? That’s the goal. And with Reid’s trust? It’s within reach. After all, magic happens when a coach’s creativity meets a quarterback’s fearlessness.