One more third-down stop could’ve changed everything for the Chiefs
A painful and disheartening collage of images will play repeatedly in the minds of Chiefs fans and players alike. Everyone will have a slightly different filmstrip haunting their memories from a season of enormous promise that ended in heartache.
The defense’s inability to get a stop — by hook or by crook — on any one of three third-and-10 plays in overtime Sunday night will almost assuredly resonate universally among Chiefs faithful.
Those conversions picked up by the New England Patriots were why the Chiefs’ phenom quarterback and likely NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes never got the ball in overtime of a 37-31 AFC Championship Game loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Just like any game, especially at this time — there’s highs and lows — and you’ve gotta be able to ride them out,” said Chiefs safety Dan Sorensen. “We just weren’t able to finish on top.”
Sorensen made a critical tackle to stop Patriots running back Rex Burkhead for no gain on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter. The Patriots led by three points, 17-14, at the time. That halted their drive at the Kansas City 25-yard line.
He also intercepted a pass that deflected off the hands of Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
That interception gave the Chiefs the ball at the Patriots 23 and set the table for Damien Williams’ 23-yard touchdown reception that gave the Chiefs their first lead of the game.
But the Patriots won the coin toss going into overtime, and a touchdown by the team that possesses the ball first ends the game. In order to give Mahomes a chance, the Chiefs needed to hold the Patriot to a field goal or less. They couldn’t.
“They made plays, you know, contested throws and they came out on top,” Sorensen said. “That’s kind of how football goes.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed 4 of 9 passes in overtime, 3 of 3 on third down. He completed a 20-yard pass to Edelman on third-and-10 from his own 35 before Sorensen brought him down.
Three plays later, Brady connected with Edelman over the middle again, this time for 15 yards on third-and-10, to get to the Kansas City 45.
Another three plays later with Mahomes watching helplessly from the sideline, Brady completed another third-and-10 pass, a 15-yard strike to tight end Rob Gronkowski that put the Patriots at the Kansas City 15. That set up the game-winning touchdown run by Burkhead on second down.
“Brady got rid of the ball fast,” defensive lineman Chris Jones said of the third-down overtime conversions. “We didn’t get to the quarterback like we usually do, so I’ll put this on the defense. We’ve got to build from it, learn from it. That’s all. We’ll be better next year.”
Jones, who led the team with 15 1/2 sacks during the regular season, limped off the field in the fourth quarter and returned after having his ankle taped by the training staff, but the Chiefs weren’t able to even record a quarterback hit on Brady in overtime.
The Patriots running attack wore down the Chiefs’ defensive front. They lined up with multiple tight end and a fullback and pounded the ball from the opening possession of the first quarter. That eventually took its toll.
“We were exhausted,” Chiefs inside linebacker Reggie Ragland said. “But we still had chances to make plays, and we gotta make plays.”
