Who saw that one coming? What the hell did Chiefs Kingdom witness last weekend? When did a 24-point deficit become meaningless? Why did Bill O'Brien do all the stupid things he did? How did the Chiefs make so many mistakes in a row, so early? How did Patrick Mahomes make all those mistakes so irrelevant, so quickly? How my dog sleep through the whole thing?
I have more questions, but I'll stop for now.
Wow. With that one comeback victory, KC accomplished a long list of things that no football team has ever done before. Patrick Mahomes showed us his leadership and his heart and made memories for football fans worldwide. Daniel Sorensen played brilliantly enough to earn free beers in Kansas City for life. The whole team somehow returned to championship-caliber play as soon as the second quarter began, galvanized by their glimpse at potential failure.
That must've been the Chiefs' biggest test on their way to a championship. Nothing can be tougher than overcoming that huge deficit against a hungry Texans team, right? Don't be so sure.
The Chiefs defense essentially needs to focus on one man today, but that one man is terrifying. There's a reason why We, The Media have already made you hate hearing his name. It's because he's football greatness incarnate right now. Derrick Henry already proved himself capable of dictating the pace of any game he plays in, playoffs or not. His recent stretch of nearly unprecedented dominance gives us no reason to believe the Chiefs can shut him down. Thankfully for Chiefs Kingdom, KC does not need to stop Henry to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
First off, let's not forget that the Titans lost seven of their regular season games. The Chiefs rank 25th league-wide in rushing defense, and three of the teams who beat the Titans ranked 24th or lower in that same category. I'll admit that earlier in the year Tennessee didn't feed Henry like they have been since realizing that he's Bo Jackson. However, the Texans and their 24th-ranked rushing D limited Henry to 86 yards over 21 carries in a crucial late-season showdown. If that struggling Houston defense can stop Derrick Henry from ruining their chances at victory, so can this much-improved Chiefs defense.
Also, the latest Twitter news indicates that Chris Jones is "trending towards being active" and has a "good chance" of being able to go today. Any form of a productive Chris Jones on the field is obviously a huge bonus for this team's run-stopping capabilities. I think KC can win despite this new Boogeyman of the NFL, but his efforts today should keep things frighteningly close.
The Chiefs lost one regular season game without Patrick Mahomes healthy and three games in which their opponent dominated with a single running back. The Colts' Marlon Mack racked up 132 yards over 29 carries in early October to hand KC their first L of the season. Former Chief Carlos Hyde then carried the ball 26 times for 116 yards and started a Chiefs losing streak. Then, in Week 10, Henry himself ran for 188 over 23 carries to lead Tennessee to victory. There is a clear strategy to employ when playing the Chiefs, especially if you have a top-shelf running back on your team. A great game from Henry doesn't guarantee success for the Titans, but a mediocre game from him would almost guarantee their doom.
Henry will be the most important Titan on the field today without a doubt, but he won't be the most important player. There is one key reason to believe the Chiefs can overcome today's adversity, and Patrick Mahomes is that reason. He's the reigning MVP. He's the best player in football. He has a talent-packed offense surrounding him and a Hall of Fame head coach on the sideline. Patrick Mahomes is about to lead his team to the Super Bowl, and witnessing that will be a blessing.
Doug LaCerte writes about Kansas City sports while neglecting his Twitter and Facebook, and he will not apologize for crying during every playoff game hype video.
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