Chiefs’ Chris Jones breaks down his clutch sack in fourth quarter of AFC title game
Things seemed to be set up perfectly for the Cincinnati Bengals late in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs and Bengals were tied 20-20 when Cincinnati got the ball with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. On the first play from the Chiefs’ 6-yard line, quarterback Joe Burrow threw a 10-yard pass to Tee Higgins.
At the two-minute warning, the Bengals had a first down and a chance to drive down the field for a game-winning field-goal attempt. They moved to their own 35-yard line and had a third-and-8 play.
That would end up being their final offensive play of the 2022 season, thanks to the Chiefs’ Chris Jones. Burrow was sacked by Jones. the Chiefs got the ball back after a punt and drove for a game-winning field goal.
When the league revealed the top 10 players in the NFL Top 100 earlier this week, Jones broke down that play. It came in a video that revealed he was voted the 10th best player in the NFL.
“On the previous two plays before that play, I lined up inside and they were just sliding to me, so I don’t think they knew I was going outside,” Jones said. “I actually thought I was gonna get chipped by the tight end. I noticed that the tight end was on the line. So usually when the tight end’s on the line, it’s like a chip release. But the tight end didn’t touch me.
“So I was like, ‘OK, so it’s just me and the right tackle one on one.’ He grabbed the top of my jersey pad and I ripped through it and ended up getting a sack, and I knew it was game over.”
Jones called it a surreal moment.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was interviewed for the video, also talked about that play.
“For me, the biggest play Chris made this year was in the AFC Championship Game, getting the sack on Joe Burrow,” Mahomes said. “When you have a guy like Chris Jones, who makes those big plays happen, that’s the reason that we even got to the Super Bowl.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 9:57 AM.
