GLENDALE, Ariz. — This time was different for Patrick Mahomes, and it showed in the second half Sunday night.
Three years ago, when he won his first Super Bowl with the Chiefs, the novelty of it was the biggest part, “like a little kid winning a prize at the fair.”
Then he made it back to the big game the next year and lost badly to Tom Brady and the Bucs. Then he didn’t make it to the Super Bowl at all last season, losing in overtime in the AFC Championship Game. So Sunday, even on a bad ankle, down 10 points at halftime to a tough Eagles team, he knew the urgency to put everything on the line for any chance to get another ring.
“This one, you’ve dealt with failure. You understand how hard it is to get back on this stage and to win this game,” said Mahomes, still in uniform with a championship hat on as he talked to reporters after the 38-35 win. “I played in a Super Bowl where I got blown out, where you get all hyped out and then don’t do anything. I lose the AFC Championship Game in overtime when I thought we had a chance to win a Super Bowl that year. Now a brand-new team, going through the strain of being better and better, every single day. It gives you a greater appreciation for winning this game.”
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Mahomes had re-injured his ankle just before halftime, the same injury that had sidelined him briefly in the playoffs three weeks ago and threatened to do the same. He was in clear pain sitting on the bench on the sidelines, and he watched as the Eagles added a field goal to extend their lead before halftime.
Kansas City was down 24-14, with a defensive touchdown just to keep them in the game, and they had totaled 128 yards against a tough Eagles defense. Perhaps the longer Super Bowl halftime — Rihanna played on the field for an extended break -— helped the Chiefs have more time to talk it out, to remind each other that they were good enough and close enough to win.
Even with the bad ankle, this was vintage Mahomes in the second half. He went 3-for-3 on a 75-yard touchdown drive to open the half to pull within three points, and resumed after an Eagles field goal for a 27-21 lead. He went 6-for-6 on the next drive, capped with a 5-yard touchdown to receiver Kadarius Toney for a 28-27 lead.
“Toughest son of a gun you ever met,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “That Texas gunslinger isn’t going to let nothing get in the way.”
Toney’s 65-yard punt return set up another short touchdown pass, but the Eagles answered with a score and two-point conversion to tie the game at 35-35 with 5:11 left. Mahomes had one more brilliant drive left, and the pivotal play was a 26-yard scramble up the middle, outrunning the same Eagles defenders who couldn’t bring him down the entire night. From there, it was just lining up a short Harrison Butker field goal to win their second Super Bowl in four years.
Mahomes DAZZLES in Super Bowl
Patrick Mahomes couldn’t be slowed against the Eagles as he threw three TDs in the comeback victory for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
“It’s all following Pat Mahomes’ lead, and that intestinal fortitude that he showed throughout the game,” coach Andy Reid said. “(After the game) I told him I loved him. I’m proud of him for leading the way. This started all the way back in preseason. He’s a humble kid and works his tail off.”
The Chiefs have been to three Super Bowls in four years, a strong start to any destiny by any modern standard, and a second championship adds a validation to put them even more in the history books, and a second Super Bowl MVP for Mahomes.
“The biggest difference is it solidifies,” Kelce said. “You can get lucky once. It wasn’t just beginner’s luck or whatever you want to call it … All I know is we’re coming back next year, with our heart and the right mindset, trying to win another one. I can tell you that right now.”
Mahomes’ second-half numbers were incredibly efficient — 13-for-14 for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and he credited his team’s turnaround to a heartfelt message at halftime, delivered by he and other team leaders.
“I thought guys just embraced the moment,” he said. “That first half, we were doing some good stuff, but guys were getting consumed by everything around us, not just going out and playing and enjoying this game we’ve played since we were little kids. We said leave it all out there for 30 minutes and see what happens at the end of the day.”
Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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