Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney saw ‘blood in the water’ ... then made Super Bowl-shifting play
Eagles punter Arryn Siposs got his foot into the punt and the eyes of Chiefs return specialist Kadarius Toney lit up.
“I saw opportunity,” Toney said. “In that situation, I made the right return and the right decision.”
It was a choice that led to the Chiefs’ 38-35 triumph in Super Bowl LVII. As they did throughout the second half when they had to overcome a 10-point deficit, the Chiefs made the most of every Philadelphia mistake.
This was a big one.
The Chiefs had taken a 28-27 lead early in the fourth quarter — on Toney’s 5-yard touchdown reception from Patrick Mahomes — and forced the Eagles to kick. Siposs’ live-drive boot traveled a mere 38 yards, giving Toney plenty of room to maneuver. He made a shoe-string catch on the 30, started left, then shifted right.
“We got the wall set up,” Toney said.
On the left side, a line of white jerseys escorted Toney down the sideline in front of the Eagles’ bench. He picked up the final couple of yards on his own and was finally brought down at the 5. The 65-yard punt return is the longest in Super Bowl history.
He was shown a cell phone frame of the early part of the return when it appeared there was no opening; Toney was asked what he saw.
“Blood in the water,” Toney said. “At the end of the day, I know what I can do with the ball in my hands. Not a surprise.”
From there, Mahomes tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Skyy Moore to increase the lead to eight.
The Eagles tied the game, only to set up the Chiefs’ game-winning possession.
On the touchdown reception, Toney went in motion to the left, then reversed his field. When the ball was snapped, he was drifting in the right flat — wide open.
Toney proved to be a valuable acquisition, obtained as a low-risk, high-reward wide receiver and return specialist in a trade with the New York Giants during the bye week. The Chiefs surrendered a third- and sixth-round pick to New York for the No. 20 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster questioned and thanked the Giants for making the deal with Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
“I don’t know what the Giants were doing with KT, but he’s a dog,” Smith-Schuster said. “Brett Veach and Andy Reid, they know how to pick and choose who to go get for this team.”
Toney brought a speed element — when he got on the field. Toney played only 35 offensive snaps for the Giants this season. He was inactive for five games because of injuries.
Toney got his first NFL touchdown in his second game with the Chiefs and finished the regular season with a total of three touchdowns. The injury bug followed him to Kansas City, but the prospect of a big play always followed him on the field.
The Chiefs had used him on jet sweeps and pop passes, and he became their primary punt return choice. But he never had a play as big as Sunday’s.
It didn’t change the game, but it kept the momentum on the Chiefs’ side. And they rode it to victory.
“This team, it’s electric, probably the greatest group of guys I’ve been around,” Toney said. “The energy, from the staff on down — full of energy and full of light.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2023 at 11:57 PM.