The plays we’ll remember most from the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run
The end result will survive time.
But how the Chiefs won the Super Bowl was also quite memorable. Here are the standout plays from the playoff run:
Hardman’s kick return
With the Chiefs trailing 24-0 against the Texans in the AFC Divisional Round, they needed something — anything — to jump-start a reversal of momentum. They got it from a rookie. Mecole Hardman returned a kickoff 58 yards into Houston territory, setting up a Damien Williams touchdown catch.
The fake punt
It was an all-advised call, and Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen was all over it. Holding a 17-point lead, the Texans tried some trickery on a punt, but one-on-one with ball-carrier Justin Reid, Sorensen stuffed it.
The fumbled kickoff
Special teams had a busy day against the Texans. After cutting the deficit to 10, the Chiefs got the ball back quickly, Sorensen forcing a fumble on the kickoff. Darwin Thompson recovered. The comeback was on.
Travis Kelce again
In the Chiefs’ playoff opener, Kelce had three touchdowns ... in the first half. The third one gave the Chiefs the lead for good, with Patrick Mahomes dragging his foot to stay behind the line of scrimmage and finding Kelce, who looked to be surrounded by five defenders.
Hello, Frank Clark
Frank Clark missed Deshaun Watson once. He missed him twice. He would not miss him a third time. It took 10.8 seconds, but Clark finally corralled Watson for one of his three sacks in the Divisional Round.
The run to be remembered
Had we ranked these plays in order of impressiveness, this might stand atop the list. The best run of Mahomes’ career required him outrunning a linebacker, tiptoeing down the sideline and plowing through a defensive back and into the end zone. The Chiefs grabbed the lead over the Titans in the AFC Championship Game before halftime and would not relinquish it.
You’re going to the Super Bowl
The play to seal their spot. Mahomes scrambled within the pocket and then launched a bomb down the middle of the field. Sammy Watkins ran under it on the other end, a 60-yard touchdown catch.
1948 Rose Bowl
Andy Reid watches film. A lot of it. In his first key decision of the Super Bowl, he elected to go for it on fourth down and called a play he’d seen in the 1948 Rose Bowl. The Chiefs ran it to perfection, complete with four spin moves in the backfield, setting up the game’s first touchdown.
The bomb to Tyreek Hill
If you ask Mahomes, the play that turned the tide of the Super Bowl was this one, a 44-yard fourth-quarter completion to Hill on third-and-15. Mahomes found Kelce for a 1-yard touchdown to cap the drive.
The game-winner
If we’re ranking in order of importance, does this sit at No. 1? Mahomes found Williams in the flat for a 5-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs the lead in the fourth quarter. By the tip of the football, Williams crossed the goal line before stepping out of bounds, replay upholding the game-winner.
The Chiefs get the defensive stop
In all three playoff games, Frank Clark stamped the final defensive stand with a sack. No different in the Super Bowl. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense got the stop that last year’s defense couldn’t, when Clark wrapped up Jimmy Garoppolo for a fourth-down sack.
Go crazy, KC
The moment Chiefs fans finally felt comfortable celebrating? When Williams cruised 38 yards down the left sideline to expand the lead to 11 with just 1:12 to play in the Super Bowl.