‘The Chiefs are built differently.’ National media weighs in on KC’s win over Texans
With all due respect to the Titans, Packers and 49ers, no team generated as much excitement in the NFL’s divisional playoff round as the Chiefs.
Their remarkable blowout win after appearing to be on the verge of being blown out had the NFL buzzing on Sunday and that carried over into Monday.
Here is what people were saying.
Jeffri Chadri of NFL.com wrote a column with the headline, “Chiefs back in AFC championship as healthy, formidable as ever.”
Here is a snippet: “What became apparent on Sunday is that the Chiefs learned a few lessons from last year’s playoff run, which ended with a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The first was that they needed a better defense, which they’ve created with some shrewd offseason moves. The second was that they didn’t have to spend every week showing the world how brilliant their offense can be.
“Kansas City discovered as much by necessity. The offense has dealt with injuries to star players all year -- Mahomes even missed two games because of a dislocated kneecap. As a result, the Chiefs proved they could win in other ways that didn’t involve home-run plays and 40-point efforts. They become more patient, more strategic and more committed to their ability to control the tempo of games. That didn’t mean they forgot how to play what amounts to fast-break basketball.”
Former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers, speaking on “First Things First” on Fox Sports, said the momentum swing in the second quarter spelled doom for the Texans:
Kevin Clark of The Ringer wrote a story with the headline, “Patrick Mahomes’s virtuoso performance reminded us why he’s the NFL’s most talented passer.”
Here is an excerpt: “This does not happen without Mahomes. If there were a draft to select a player to erase a 24-point deficit right now, Mahomes would likely be first, even before Sunday. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been the game’s best player this season, but the Ravens were built to protect leads. The Chiefs are built differently. Mahomes will not lose this title anytime soon. According to Next Gen Stats, he threw a touchdown to a player lined up in every possible position on the field, becoming the first player to do that twice since the NFL started keeping track in 2016. The running and passing heroics of presumptive MVP Jackson are well established, but Mahomes still throws the purest passes in the sport, and he’s the best quarterback left in these playoffs.”
Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports wrote about the Chiefs victory as well.
Here is a snippet: “The Chiefs were in bonafide football hell. They were 41 game minutes away from an offseason of criticism, second-guessing and more “Andy Reid can’t win the big one” think pieces and columns. Amid this chaos, Mahomes teamed up with his magnificent play-calling coach and finished with 321 yards passing and five TD passes to guide Kansas City to a thrilling 51-31 comeback victory.”
ESPN’s Max Kellerman shared this simple thought:
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote a story headlined, “Patrick Mahomes Reminds Everyone He’s NFL’s Best QB in Amazing Comeback Win.”
Here is part of what he wrote: “The Chiefs are, at the very least, an offensive juggernaut with the game’s brightest young star at its most important position. Mahomes won’t win MVP again this season, but he made it clear on Sunday that he is indeed the most outstanding player in this league.”
ESPN’s Trey Wingo shared this gem:
This story was originally published January 13, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
