The Kansas City Chiefs have finally called it a season after a crushing defeat against the roaring Cincinnati Bengals, and Patrick Mahomes is far from being content with his performance. The Chiefs blew away a 21-3 lead with a pitiful second-half performance that ended their season when everyone least expected it, in the Arrowhead Stadium.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It was tragic to see the Chiefs crumble down, especially after witnessing the wrath of Mahomes earlier in the game. The 26-year-old quarterback bullied the Bengals after he threw for 220 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and an unbelievable 149.9 passer rating in the first half of the game.
However, that momentum took an unexpected roundabout. The second half was clearly dominated by the Cincinnati Bengals, who just scored a field goal in reply to the three consecutive TDs from Mahomes. That late dominance from the Joe Burrow side resulted in the game going into overtime.
Mahomes has his eye on another Super Bowl appearance. #NFLPlayoffs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/hmcMHWxHsK
— NFL (@NFL) January 30, 2022
Even though being favored by fate for the second time, Mahomes did not make the most out of his overtime possession. Instead, he handed the ball to Joe Burrow after an unfortunate interception. The Bengals sealed the win after scoring a field goal in the end. And with that, the Chiefs lost their second AFC Championship Game with Mahomes against a quarterback playing his first complete season as a starter.
Patrick Mahomes on the locker room vibe after the AFC Championship loss
“I said I’m proud of those guys,” Mahomes said when asked about his message in the locker room after the loss. “If you look at the season that we had to be in this game, in general, it’s definitely… it’s definitely a special group of guys that battle through adversity.”
Mahomes and Chiefs offense has been TERRIBLE in the 2nd half, but Bengals defense been SPECTACULAR
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) January 30, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“But the leaders on this team know this isn’t our standard,” he added. “We want to win the super bowl. Whenever you taste that winning the Super Bowl, nothing less than this is success. And so we have to go back. Obviously, every locker room is different. But we have the core group of guys that it takes to win it. So we have to go back, learn from this and try to be better next year.”
Only QBs to beat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs:
Tom Brady
Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/96RY13G4ZD— PFF (@PFF) January 30, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It was certainly a heartbreaking loss for the Chiefs. It was for the first time in the last four years that they have lost to a quarterback other than Tom Brady in the postseason. The Chiefs have learned from their loss and will be back next season with more power, zeal, and energy, to get Kansas City another Super Bowl.
Watch This Story: 2x Super Bowl Champion Ben Roethlisberger Announces his Retirement from NFL After 18-Year Career