Patrick Mahomes, Busted Ankle And All, Cements Legacy With Super Bowl LVII Win
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We can sometimes fall victim to becoming a prisoner of the moment after a big occasion like the Super Bowl. We get caught in the moment, tricked by the hype and buy every bit of stock going when it comes to the latest trend.
It isn’t being prisoner of the moment to suggest that Patrick Mahomes has now cemented his legacy in the wake of Super Bowl LVII, however.
Of course, even before the last of the confetti had taken its final resting place on the slippy, not-suitable-for-play and much maligned playing surface at State Farm Stadium, Mahomes’ place in the rich annuals of NFL history was already being feverishly discussed and debated.
That conversation will continue long into the offseason. But, it isn’t being hyperbolic to declare that Mahomes is at the very pinnacle of his sport right now. He’s a true master of his craft, a magician with all the tricks, a bona fide powerhouse in every single sense of the word.
He’s superhuman.
And the superstar gunslinger cemented his legacy in a way many might not have expected.
Go back to half-time of Super Bowl LVII. Moments before Rihanna put an exclamation point on her own status as an elite performer - baby bump included - there was legitimate concern for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Down 10 points at the half, all hope seemed to be slipping away. It was like Super Bowl LV all over again. The Chiefs had no answer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and they seemingly had no answers for the octane Eagles offense this time around.
Only this was worse. Much worse.
Not only were the Chiefs being shut down offensively, not only was their defense being shredded time and time again by the electric and dominant Jalen Hurts, but they looked set to lose their biggest weapon. Their star quarterback. Their franchise cornerstone. Their heart and soul.
Their everything.
Just like the scenes that played out in the AFC Divisional and Championship Games weeks before, Mahomes was left withering in agony after the high ankle sprain suffered against the Jaguars and then re-aggravated vs. the Bengals was made to flare up again.
After being brought down by Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards, Mahomes limped off to the sideline and took Kansas City’s hopes of winning a second Super Bowl in four years with him. A shot of a broken, defeated Mahomes on the sideline made the 10 point deficit seem like a 50 point deficit to overcome.
Everything was falling into place for Philadelphia.
But, then, Mahomes happened.
Like Thanos, Mahomes is inevitable. But, while Thanos ultimately failed in his quest for world domination, Mahomes succeeded in conquering the world. Again.
And, the way in which he went about picking his team up off the floor and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat will be etched in legend forever. What took place in the second-half ensured that Mahomes will jingle and jangle his way to Canton with a trail of hardware and a bevy of personal accolades behind him.
What Mahomes did on Sunday automatically makes him quarterback royalty. He now truly belongs in the upper echelons of the very greats, the absolute heavyweights and kings of the sport.
As millions the world over was settling down to watch another star in Rihanna put on an absolutely mesmerizing show, Mahomes was busy preparing for his own defining moment. Deciding against taking an injection or any kind of pain relief for his ankle, the two-time MVP instead braced himself to fight through the pain barrier.
Just as he had done only a couple of weeks before.
And it was Mahomes’ toughness - an underrated part of his game - and ability to elevate his game on the biggest stage that provided the backdrop for a stunning comeback.
After being bottled up for the entire first-half by the Eagles, the Kansas City offense came out swinging after Rihanna had finished her already iconic set. Inspired by Andy Reid’s offensive-minded brilliance, the Chiefs flipped the script and scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second-half.
While Reid played the role of musical director, it was Mahomes who was the conductor out on the field. Embracing the less flashy side of the game as he had done all season, Mahomes leaned on his running backs with the Chiefs opening the second-half with three straight running plays.
After being harassed and beaten into the ground by Tampa Bay two years previously, Mahomes showed his maturity by playing less hero ball and instead relying on the dink and dunk style of play that had helped make him an even better quarterback. If that was even possible. By simplifying his game, getting the ball out quickly, spreading the ball around more and playing a more meat and potatoes brand of football rather than trying to pull off the jaw-dropping, highlight reel play all the time, Mahomes found a way to slice and dice his way through that formidable Philadelphia defense.
Quarterback is a decision-making position - arguably more so than any other position in all of sports. And Mahomes has embraced using his brain this season to devastating effect. That was on full display Sunday.
Kansas City scored on all four of their possessions in the second-half, and all drives were meticulously put together and perfectly executed. The Chiefs were a relentless, well-oiled machine in the second-half and they were able to drain the clock down while reminding the football world why they’ve been such an offensive juggernaut over a considerable period of time now.
Even with one leg, Mahomes was able to show time and time again why he stands atop the pinnacle of modern day quarterbacks. He went 13 of 14 for 93 yards in the second half with two touchdowns. He finished the game with three touchdowns, 21-for-27 with 182 passing yards and 44 rushing yards. He was able to connect with regular partner in-crime Travis Kelce despite the plethora of attention on the tight end, including an incredible throw by Mahomes who was under pressure inside the pocket, and an even better grab by Kelce who got down low to finish another telepathic, unreal play between QB and TE.
In another sign of Mahomes using his high IQ and not always looking to abandon the script and do it all himself, he leaned on his supporting cast that delivered the goods all season long. Kadarius Toney, a midseason trade acquisition from the New York Giants, fanned out wide for a easy walk-in touchdown on third-and-3. Or the Corn Dog play as Reid coined it. As only as he could. Rookie Skyy Moore, a 54th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, executed a carbon copy of the same play but just on the other side to extend the Chiefs’ lead. It was both a perfect illustration of Reid’s offensive wizardry, and also Mahomes’ acceptance that sometimes keeping it simple is the best way.
Toney’s electric 65-yard punt return and the revamped, re-jigged and vastly improved offensive line restricting that vaunted Eagles’ pass rush to zero sacks helped change the tide in Super Bowl LVII. Even if you are lucky enough to have an uber-talented quarterback at the helm, you need a plethora of pieces to click together into place on the biggest stage and that was the case for the Chiefs on Sunday.
Then came the defining moment of the game. The iconic image that was made for NFL Films to do its thing with. The lasting snapshot we’ll be left with from Super Bowl LVII.
With the scored tied at 35 with 2:55 to go, the Chiefs had a first and 10 from Philadelphia’s 43. Reid called a shot play but, with the pressure coming and the pocket breaking down, it was over to Mahomes to revert to the kind of freestyling swagger that has defined much of his early career in the NFL.
Displaying his elite awareness, Mahomes turned what looked to be a disaster into a mouthwatering Houdini act. He burst past Haason Reddick and Javon Hargrave and took off for arguably the best and most iconic play of his entire career. Mahomes sprinted for 26-yards - his longest run of the season - and set up the field goal that ultimately clinched a second Super Bowl for Kansas City.
It was in this moment we learned, or maybe finally accepted, that Mahomes isn’t human. He’s playing a different game to everyone else. He’s making up his own rules as he goes along. He’s doing things that have never been done before.
With a bum ankle that was as battered and bruised as it was, held together by nothing more than a few roles of tape, Mahomes had no right to scamper off the way he did. Especially at the speed in which he did it, with all the aggressiveness and steely determination of a charging buffalo going after prey.
It was a moment of divine brilliance and it will be enshrined in our memories for eons to come. Just like the Elway Helicopter Spin and ‘The Helmet Catch,’ Mahomes scrambling on one leg and putting the game on his back with the whole world watching will be etched onto a Mount Rushmore of all-time great Super Bowl moments.
At one point, it was all stacked against Mahomes and the Chiefs. Teams with a double-digit lead at half-time in the Super Bowl were an all-time 26-1.
Make that 26-2.
After leading his team to a second Super Bowl - and doing it via grits and determination rather than freestyling and relying on hero ball - Mahomes was crowned Super Bowl MVP for the second time.
And, now, with the dust finally settling from Super Bowl LVII, it is fair to state that Mahomes has already cemented his legacy by the age of 27.
He joins legends of the game in Tom Brady and Joe Montana as just the third player to win two Super Bowl MVPs and two league MVPs.
He led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns without Tyreek Hill. Yes, Mahomes lost arguably the best receiver in all of football but yet was still able to blow away the rest of the competition and put up monster numbers. If that isn’t a feather in Mahomes’ cap when it comes to his consistent greatness, then I don’t know what is.
Just take a look at Mahomes’ glistening resume through his first five years in the NFL:
X2 Super Bowl Champion (LIV, LVII)
X2 Super bowl MVP (LIV, LVII)
X2 NFL Most Valuable Player (2018, 2022)
NFL Offensive Player of the year (2018)
X2 First-Team All Pro (2018, 2022)
Second-Team All-Pro (2022)
X5 Pro Bowl (2018-2022)
X2 NFL Passing Touchdowns Leader (2018, 2022)
NFL Passing Yards Leader (2022)
That is just flat-out ridiculous. And to hammer home the point just a little bit more, Mahomes has also set NFL records in career passing rating (105.7), career playoff passer rating (106.1), total yards by a quarterback in a season (5,614 - 2022), and passing touchdowns in a single postseason (11 - tied - 2021).
Oh, and by the way, Mahomes was the seventh NFL regular season passing leader to make a Super Bowl. The previous six were a combined 0-6.
Nobody has had a start to a career the way Mahomes has had. This is arguably the greatest five-year run in professional sports. Period. Up there with the true greats like Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. Granted, Dan Marino had an insane start to his career from an individual basis, but he never came close to the kind of team success Mahomes has enjoyed just five years in.
Since Mahomes took over as the primary starter for Kansas in 2018, they’ve made it to at least the AFC Title Game in every season. It is starting to become difficult to put into words just how dominant Mahomes has been since he entered the league.
With the constant rush to ordain the next great QB in football, we’ve almost taken Mahomes for granted. We’ve flirted with the stupid act of under-appreciating his greatness.
Those days are now firmly over.
His legacy is now secure. He’s going to be a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer when all is said and done. That’s rubber-stamped.
And, after proving on Sunday that he can win in different ways, that he is much, much more than just a swashbuckling, risk-it all quarterback that can only freestyle, that he’s even better even without Hill as a high-end weapon, this could be just the start. Mahomes may just be getting started and the only question that now remains is just how much more greatness there is to come.