Published 17:14 IST, January 28th 2020
Chiefs' road to Super Bowl 2020: Patrick Mahomes pulls the strings en route Miami
The Kansas City Chiefs are the marginal favourites to lay their hands on the Lombardi Trophy this weekend when they face the San Francisco 49ers in Miami.
The MLB rued what could have been after witnessing Patrick Mahomes wreak havoc in the NFL this season for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs head to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for Super Bowl 2020 this weekend as they look to end the second-longest drought in the NFL for the Lombardi Trophy. All eyes will be on Chiefs’ No. 15 Patrick Mahomes as he aims for the first Super Bowl ring of his nascent NFL career. Here is a brief look at the Chiefs’ road to Super Bowl 2020.
Road to Super Bowl 2020: Chiefs make an impressive start
Much like their Super Bowl 2020 opponents, the Chiefs also made an impressive start to the season. Right from Week 1, reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes ran the show for the Chiefs as they registered two wins on the trot against the Jaguars and the Raiders. Their defence left much to be desired, but Andy Reid and his men were off to an eventful start. The Ravens then came knocking on the Chiefs’ door in Week 3.
Road to Super Bowl LIV: Patrick Mahomes vs Lamar Jackson goes reigning MVP’s way
The Ravens vs Chiefs match-up was exciting for a number of reasons, not least the thrilling prospect of two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL facing off at the Arrowhead Stadium. Once again, Patrick Mahomes came to the fore as he threw for three touchdowns on 374 yards passing on the night. The Chiefs ended up registering a 33-28 win with a squeaky-clean 3-0 record to boast of. A win against the Detroit Lions then followed in Week 4.
Road to Super Bowl 2020 Week 5: Chiefs stumble at home to Colts
The Chiefs’ defensive worries went under the radar, despite the scare against the Detroit Lions. The Colts exposed the Chiefs’ leaky defence. Andy Reid certainly wasn’t helped by Sammy Watkins’ injury as the Chiefs failed to get into the rhythm in a 13-19 defeat. The Chiefs then had a chance to get over that shock defeat to the Colts when they visited Houston to face the Texans. That visit didn’t end too well for the Chiefs either. Deshaun Watson took the Texans 93 yards down the field, following which the Texans ran down the clock to eke out a 31-24 win at the Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs briefly get back to winning ways
Week 7 came just in time for the Chiefs. Andy Reid racked up the 200th win of his career during the win against the Denver Broncos. However, Patrick Mahomes was forced off with an injury during the game. The reigning MVP dislocated his kneecap, which ruled him out for the following game against the Packers which ended in defeat for the Chiefs. Another roller-coaster couple of weeks followed for the Chiefs as they registered a 26-23 win over the Vikings, before succumbing to a 32-35 defeat to the Titans. There was some good news for the Chiefs that week. They welcomed back star quarterback Patrick Mahomes who completed 36 of his 50 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
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Road to Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs thunder past opponents with Mahomes firing on all cylinders
Following the defeat against the Titans, Andy Reid bucked up his defence as wins against the Chargers and the Raiders followed. A visit to the Gillette Stadium to face Tom Brady and the Patriots provided an intermittent scare for Andy Reid and co. A fourth-down pass to Patriots’ Julian Edelman was found by Chiefs’ Bashaud Breeland as the Chiefs clinched the AFC West on the night. Routine wins against the Broncos, Bears and Charges wrapped up the regular-season duties for the Chiefs.
Road to Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs become Comeback Kings in postseason
Many pegged the Chiefs to exit the postseason on the back of the first half against the Texans. Early in the second quarter, the Texans romped to a 24-0 lead, leaving Andy Reid second-guessing his strategy. However, in one of the most stunning postseason comebacks in the history of the NFL, the Chiefs then mustered 41 points on the trot with Patrick Mahomes leading the charge. A stellar showing in the second half secured a 51-31 victory for the Chiefs. Giant-killers Tennessee Titans were up next. Having beaten the NFL’s top-seeded team (read: Baltimore Ravens) the Titans raced to an early double-digit lead during the AFC Championship game. However, the Chiefs showed that no lead is safe when Patrick Mahomes is fit and firing as the Chiefs came from behind to eke out a 35-24 win and a ticket to Miami for Super Bowl 2020.
Updated 17:14 IST, January 28th 2020