Arrowhead Pride
This past weekend, I was back home for a high school reunion (s/o Plattsburg High School). It felt great to reconnect with old friends and share stories of stuff we almost forgot ever happened. Then — just as gratifying — we all saw the Kansas City Chiefs have a little reunion with themselves, collecting a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
It took a while, but the Chiefs have finally remembered their championship mentality. During Sunday’s matchup, quarterback Patrick Mahomes willed them to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over an AFC contender. They overcame mistakes, made huge plays, got defensive stops and even ran the ball — something we had almost forgotten Kansas City even knew how to do!
Here are a few who stood out as the good guys got reacquainted with the feeling of winning a close game.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: Welcome back to the quarterback we’ve grown to know and love — the Original Over-My-Dead-Body Man: Patrick Lavon Mahomes II. The announcers realized he was coming back when he started picking up first downs on the ground and firing passes into the chests of receivers: he wasn’t going to allow this one to slip away! Losing close games this season might be a reversion to the mean — but hopefully in Mahomes, we are seeing a reversion to the MVP that will persist into the postseason. Mahomes threw for 352 yards, had a bad interception and was sacked four times. But make no mistake: he made this victory happen.
Running back Kareem Hunt: For what feels like the first time since Larry Johnson was here, the Chiefs ran the ball 40 times. Hunt used that volume to rip off 140 total yards (26 receiving) and a touchdown, looking like the same guy who sparked previous Chiefs victories by refusing to get tackled on first contact. He fought through pain, a fumble, multiple defenders (and a backup offensive lineman) to keep the game close, run the clock and — most importantly — move the chains.
Offensive weapon Brashard Smith: Remember offensive weapons? The Chiefs seemed to always have a little guy who could get to the edge on an end-around — or catch a swing pass and make a big play out of it. It feels like the team forgot how to use a guy like Smith, but it looks like they’ve put the old pages back into the playbook binders. Smith’s 40 yards were key in sparking Sunday’s offense.
Wide receiver Rashee Rice: The Chiefs hadn’t had a 100-yard receiver or running back all season. Rice (along with Hunt) brought the production back. The wideout turned 12 targets into 8 catches for 141 yards. With about 4 minutes left, the Chiefs were backed up near their own goal line and needed a play. Rice answered the call with a terrific 47-yard catch-and-run that gave us hope Kansas City was coming back to win — just like they used to do.
**Defenders Bryan Cook, Drue Tranquill,...
