Ryan Fitzpatrick recalls comeback win over Patriots that clinched playoff bye for Chiefs
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made it official Friday: after playing for nine teams in 17 seasons, he has retired from the NFL.
Fitzpatrick, a Harvard alum, started 147 career games and played in 166 overall. He joined Adam Schefter’s podcast for ESPN to discuss his career and thoughts on football.
Among the topics was Fitzpatrick’s favorite games, and he named his top 10.
At No. 2 was the Dolphins’ 27-24 win at New England in the final game of the 2019 season. That was the last NFL season in which two teams in each conference received a bye in the playoffs.
Heading into the final week of games, the Chiefs were a game behind the Patriots as they vied for the No. 2 seed and a bye.
While the Chiefs were finishing off a home victory over the Chargers, Miami scored in the final minute at Foxborough, knocking the Patriots to the No. 3 seed.
CBS Sports’ Kevin Harlan, who was working the Chiefs’ game, also called the end of the Dolphins’ victory that gave Kansas City the No. 2 seed.
The Chiefs ended up having homefield advantage through the playoffs because top-seeded Baltimore lost, and KC won Super Bowl LIV.
“That was the year Miami was supposedly tanking and we started 0-7,” Fitzpatrick recalled. “We started Week 1, I’m introducing myself to people in the huddle. We lost 59-10. Week 2, we played New England and we lost 43-0. And that might have been the most fun I’ve ever had playing football, in 2019 with that crew.
“So we go into New England the last week of the season, they’ve got to win to secure home field (advantage). ... We have a two minute drive to go down and beat them at the last second 27-24. That one was really cool.”
No. 1 on Fitzpatrick’s list was the Dolphins’ 26-25 win over the Raiders in Las Vegas in Week 16 of the 2020 season.
The Raiders, trailing 25-23, had the ball on the Miami 1-yard line late in the game and quarterback Derek Carr took a knee rather than try for a touchdown. Las Vegas kicked a field goal to go ahead 25-23 and seemingly had victory in hand.
But Fitzpatrick led a clutch drive that even impressed himself, well, until the AFC Divisional playoff game this past January at Arrowhead Stadium.
“That night we got the ball with 19 seconds left,” Fitzpatrick said. “The Raiders decided not to score a touchdown, but to take as much time off the clock as they could to kick a field goal. (The drive started) with 19 seconds left on the 25, which I thought was amazing until I watched Patrick Mahomes do it — in 13 seconds in a playoff game.
“But yeah, threw a pass, facemask grabbed, Mack Hollins caught it on the sideline, 15 more yards (for the penalty), we kick a field goal and win the game.”
In the discussion with Schefter, which you can listen to here, Fitzpatrick also recalled meeting Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for the first time, and how the two bonded over beer pong.
