The games that define the Patrick Mahomes era for the Chiefs, Part 1
What games tell the story of KC's dynasty? Let's talk about it
One of the great things about the months of June and July is that it gives you some breathing room for the mind to wander.
During the NFL season, every week brings with it new tape to watch, new narratives to examine, new topics to break down, etc. There’s not a lot of time to take a step back and think/talk about broader issues involving legacy, history, or how we got where we’re at. That’s one reason I love to write the “most fun moments of the season” article I do every year (yes, including last year, as much as the ending was a bummer).
But here in July? We’ve got some room to stretch our legs in between talking about how to break down QB tape or why Rashee Rice hype is justified. And an excellent segment on The Athletic Football Show, in which the hosts were asked about important games from the last several decades and they used it to talk about games that helped tell the “story” of the league, got me to thinking… What are the games that tell the story of the Chiefs’ dynasty since Patrick Mahomes came to town?
Well, you know me… Once I start thinking about a topic like that I can’t really put it down until I’ve really gone through it. And since I’ll be thinking about it anyways I thought I’d write about it framed this way; What games define the Patrick Mahomes era for the Kansas City Chiefs?
What I want to go is go in chronological order, giving a brief synapsis of what occurred in the games I think have defined this era and then explaining why this game is a necessary inclusion. Everyone’s opinion on such things will be different, of course, and there’s no objective criteria to use. But for me, it comes down to asking a few questions:
How much does the memory of a moment in this game (or the game itself) live on after the season is ended? The more memorable, the more likely it is to be included.
How pivotal was the game in not just that season’s outcome (otherwise we’d have to include every single playoff game), but in determining how Chiefs fans and the league in general talks about (and thinks about) the team? Games that played a huge role in both team success and general narrative matter more than games that fell by the wayside or didn’t move the conversation about the team.
Did the game play a major role in the team’s development (an easy example, spoiler alert, is the 2018 AFC Championship leading to Andy Reid firing defensive coordinator Bob Sutton and hiring Steve Spagnuolo)? The bigger the role a game played in the direction the team went, the more likely it is to be included. That makes tough losses more likely to be included if we’re being honest.
Can you tell the story of the Mahomes era without this game? How important would it be in a movie, for example? This is probably the single most important factor, and one reason why some games may not be included, as important as they were in other ways, because they came right before or right after an even more important game. In other words, a game we HAVE to talk about may outshine a game we normally WOULD talk about.
With that criteria in mind (and after picking the brains of Chiefs Kingdom), I went back through each game from the time Mahomes was drafted in order to try and figure out what games define this era (so far) of Chiefs football. Let’s go on a journey together, shall we?
(NOTE - After picking through, I found that there were too many games for a single article. So we’ll be doing this in two parts! That’s what happens when you’re talking about an 8 year period and an all-time dynasty I suppose)
KC at DEN, Week 17 - 12/31/17 (KC wins 27-24)
(this one will be longer than most of these entries, but the beginning chapter always needs the most groundwork)
Every story has a beginning. And to really define the Mahomes era, this is where it started.
Sure, we could talk about some incredible preseason throws, or maybe some buzz as to what occurred in training camp. But on New Year’s Eve in 2017, Kansas City fans saw a glimpse of their future. And so did the rest of the NFL.
If one were to go back and look at the box score of this game, you wouldn’t see anything special. The Chiefs, having clinched their playoff spot in Alex Smith’s bet season as a pro, started Mahomes and a bunch of other backups against the Broncos. And Mahomes’ stat line (22/35, 284 yards passing, 10 yards rushing, 0 TDs, 1 INT) wasn’t anything that flew off the page. But anyone who actually watched the game knew that something was coming.
It started with an absolutely RIPPED throw down the seam to Demetrius Harris on 3rd down. Then there was a bonkers “on the money while rolling left and getting hit” short throw that was dropped. Then there were about 3 different dimes to Albert Wilson while Mahomes faced pressure. But was really the prophetic moment came later in the game.
In case you’ve forgotten, the Chiefs had built a 2 TD lead in the 4th quarter, and following an interception by the defense Andy Reid elected to sit Mahomes (who had shown more than enough) and let Tyler Bray get a shot. Long story short, the lead evaporated and suddenly the game was tied with 2:45 remaining. Reid couldn’t resist the opportunity to give Mahomes some real-life, in-game training on a high-pressure drive to close out the game. And Mahomes responded with an 11 play, 67 yard drive that included some plays that should have terrified the league, including this one.
We’ve grown numb to these sorts of plays and throws, but I distinctly remember jumping up off the couch and yelling “HOLY CRAP,” then proceeding to pace around the room for a solid 30 seconds saying “holy crap” over and over. It was the dawn of an era for anyone who was paying attention, and a portent of things to come.
KC at PIT, Week 2 - 9/16/18 (KC wins 42-37)
Some people might debate that the following week (KC vs SF, which featured some incredible plays and one in particular that many remember) was bigger than this. But this was the game that made it clear that Mahomes and the new Chiefs’ offense weren’t some one-week fluke or something that other teams could outscore. This was the week it was apparent that a potential juggernaut had arrived.
It’s hard to remember now, but the Steelers used to absolutely OWN the Chiefs. They were a better team in basically ever facet, and had eliminated them from the playoffs just two years earlier. Their defense, in particular, had given Reid and Alex Smith a hard time in every matchup.
Mahomes, along with the receiver trio of Kelce/Hill/Watkins, took that defense and turned it inside out. Mahomes completed 23/28 passes for 326 yards (a whopping 11.6 yards per attempt) and tossed SIX touchdowns against a defense that had previously been an incredibly tough out for Reid and company.
The Chiefs won a shootout that they would’ve lost 99% of the time in previous years, and this game served as the proof of concept for the “Legion of Zoom,” as the Steelers couldn’t do anything to slow down Kansas City’s offensive weapons. The Chiefs’ Week 1 win over the Chargers had been impressive, but this was the moment the league was put on notice that something very, very different was developing in KC.
KC at DEN, Week 4 - 10/1/18 (KC wins 27-23)
You know why.
In this new phase of the Chiefs, it felt like every week things were changing. At Denver, on Monday Night Football, the Chiefs finally faced a defense good enough to slow them down a bit. This was the test run for how Kansas City’s new era (and Mahomes) would handle adversity and dogfight rather than a track meet. It was also a test run for how Mahomes would handle his first game in which he got knocked around a ton. And how did he? Well, by converting to his left hand on a gotta-have-it 3rd and 5 with less than 4 minutes remaining and the Chiefs trailing by three. They went on to score what became the game-winning TD that drive, and Denver has been looking up at KC ever since.
The Chiefs are now known for pulling out close games better than anyone. This game, and Mahomes, was the beginning of “they just know how to win.”
KC at LA (Rams), Week 11 - 11/19/18 (KC loses 51-54)
This game goes beyond the defining moments of the Chiefs’ dynasty. It’s one of the defining games of the entire league in the last decade.