Will the Chiefs repeat as champs? If these 5 things happen, itโs a yes
The Chiefs (16-2) are aiming for their second straight Super Bowl title when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (14-5) on Sunday. But not the Chiefs quarterback. In his short time as a starting quarterback, Mahomes has put together perhaps the best three-year stretch of play the game has ever seen. Late in Kansas Cityโs AFC Championship game victory vs. Buffalo, Chiefs starting offensive left tackle Eric Fisher left the game with an injury. Fisher has since been ruled out of the Super Bowl after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
Championship pedigree: Chiefs rarely falter in tense moments
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones celebrates during the second half of an NFL divisional round football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Kansas City. The Chiefs won 22-17. โ The Kansas City Chiefs would be the first to tell you that the final score is all that matters. The Chiefs won seven straight games by one possession, two clear of the previous NFL record, including one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers โ their Super Bowl opponent Sunday. โWe won a lot of games this year off different guys making plays, offense, defense or special teams,โ Chiefs linebacker Anthony Hitchens said.
Chiefs, Bucs ride (mostly) COVID-clear season to Super Bowl
โ The Kansas City Chiefs had a pretty good idea what kind of COVID-19 protocols they would have to wade through in defense of their Super Bowl championship the moment they finally gathered for in-person training camp. And it was Burkholder who helped the Chiefs navigate the season with few positive tests and just one postponement โ the fault of the other team โ as they closed in on a Super Bowl repeat. Those were things we just didn't know, and it was a process to figure out how to do this.โAdUltimately, the Chiefs and Buccaneers are in the Super Bowl in part because they figured it out as well as anybody. It's easy to follow the example of Tom Brady, with six Super Bowl rings behind him and the Hall of Fame in front of him, when he demands the Buccaneers mask up. The same with Patrick Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, when he tells the Chiefs to skip the family gatherings around the holidays.
Chiefs' Mathieu making most of opportunity in Kansas City
Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) returns an interception during the second half of an NFL divisional round football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Kansas City. After helping the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in five decades last season, Mathieu has followed up with what can only be described as the best season of his career. On a quarter of snaps this season, he's lined up in the deep safety spot. You know that if you feed something to Tyrann, heโs going to get it and heโs going to know why,โ Spagnuolo said. โI think any position on the field allows you the chance to make plays,โ Mathieu said.
Chiefs clinch No. 1 seed when Falcons' Koo misses late FG
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is tackled by Atlanta Falcons Foyesade Oluokun during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Kansas City. โ All season, the prolific Kansas City offense had been putting the Chiefs in position to capture the No. And when the Pro Bowl kicker faded it right with 9 seconds remaining, the Chiefs had escaped, 17-14. Not to mention the Chiefs got their club-record 10th straight win and and the AFC's lone first-round playoff bye. They took the lead when Matt Ryan hit Laquon Treadwell for a 5-yard touchdown with 4:33 to go, then answered Mahomes' touchdown pass to Robinson by marching right down field again.
Browns short-handed as they face Jets
(AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)The Cleveland Browns are short-handed as they try to clinch the franchiseโs first playoff berth since 2002, the longest active drought in the NFL. They learned Sunday morning they will be without starting rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills against the New York Jets because of an illness. Wills had been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday and activated Saturday, but was then downgraded Sunday. The Browns will be missing receivers Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge and linebacker Jacob Phillips. The Indianapolis Colts will be without both starting offensive tackles when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chiefs down several offensive pieces with Buffalo on deck
โ The Kansas City Chiefs will be without offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele and wide receiver Sammy Watkins when they visit the Buffalo Bills on Monday night for a game that was pushed back because of COVID-19 protocols. โI did it last year when Tyreek (Hill) went down and Sammy went down one time, too. The Bills had their game against Tennessee pushed to this past Tuesday night, forcing the league to scrap any Thursday night game by moving their matchup with Kansas City to late afternoon Monday. It will be the third time already this season that the Chiefs will play on Monday night. The Chiefs opened the season on Thursday night, which means they've played just two Sunday games this season.
Carr helps Raiders snap Chiefs' 13-game win streak, 40-32
And when Carr threw an early interception Sunday that helped the Chiefs take a commanding lead, well, it seemed as if history was repeating itself. โI've had a lot of sad walks up that ramp,โ Carr said later, โbut you know what? Not today.โInstead, the oft-criticized quarterback steadied his shaky team, outplayed Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and led the Raiders to a 40-32 victory. But the Raiders (3-2) recovered a squib quick, Jacobs rumbled for a first down as the Chiefs (4-1) burned timeouts, and Carr sneaked for the crucial first down. But that's how these things go.โThe Chiefs tied it at halftime, and the game slowed down during a scoreless third quarter.