Patrick Mahomes’ Second-Half Performance Has NFL Twitter in Splits; Best Reactions to Chiefs Bottling 21-3 Lead to Lose in OT

Patrick Mahomes had an electrifying start to the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs were so dominant at first that it was pretty much clear that they have almost clinched their Super Bowl spot already. However, the game took a sharp turn in the second half after the Cincinnati defense started to bully the quarterback in his pocket. 

The first half of the game was very productive and emphatic for the Chiefs. Mahomes led his offense to three straight touchdown drives, while the Bengals in reply just scored a field goal. The guests were down to 21-3 when the Arrowhead Stadium started to erupt. It became clear that the Chiefs will now play to embarrass the Bengals since Mahomes, in his career, has never lost a game after gaining a 15+ point lead. But the Bengals had other plans. 

The grip of the Bengals’ defense started to tighten up before halftime. They stopped the Chiefs from scoring a fourth touchdown just by a few yards, but the actual dance started when they took the field in the second half. The Bengals entered the field with a mission. A mission to humiliate Patrick inside the pocket, which they very much succeeded to do. 

Patrick Mahomes struggles inside the crumbling pocket of the Kansas City Chiefs 

Throughout the two quarters and into the overtime, the star quarterback was visibly very bothered by the Bengals’ defense. His second-half spell was as shocking to the fans as the first half was surprising to them. During the first half, Mahomes threw 18 passes for 21 attempts, covering 220 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 149.9 passer rating. 

While in the second half, he hurled just eight passes in 18 attempts with zero touchdowns, four sacks, a paltry 12.3 passer rating, and two interceptions. This pitiful performance by Mahomes and the offensive line led the Chiefs to lose its 18 point lead. In fact, they had to score a field goal in the end to level up the score against the Bengals. 

Also Read: Patrick Mahomes In Favor of NFL OT Rule After Beating Bills: ‘It’s a Team Game. You Have to Be Able to Get a Stop on Defense….. It’s Not About the Offense Every Single Time’

The Bengals’ defense dominated the Chiefs so well that Mahomes at times, was seen being chased down the field by the guests. The NFL Twitter reacted to the sight of the crumbling pocket of the Chiefs and the shocking 18 point lead hand out to the Bengals. 

With that win, the Bengals have now advanced to the Super Bowl LVI, where they will meet the mighty Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Who are you betting for? let us know in the comments below!

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