Kansas City’s shortcomings proved costly.
Both Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes took responsibility for Kansas City failing to score a touchdown on the final play of the first half of Sunday’s AFC championship vs. the Bengals.
On the last play of an eight-play, 70-yard drive, Mahomes completed a short pass left to Tyreek Hill, but Hill was tackled with no time remaining on the clock. The play proved consequential as despite taking a 21–10 lead into the locker room, the Bengals would rally in the second half, eventually tying and taking a lead.
While Kansas City would push the game into overtime, a fourth field goal by Bengals kicker Evan McPherson helped Cincinnati advance to the Super Bowl.
“I was hoping we could get the ball in the end zone,” Reid said of the end-of-half play. “I probably gave him the wrong play first of all. To start with, I could’ve given him something better than that, where the play was open in the end zone, and then we wouldn’t have had to go through that. I’ll take responsibility for that one.”
Added Mahomes: “I was supposed to throw the ball away. I got a little greedy there and tried to give it to Tyreek and get a touchdown, they had two people out there. In the long run of things, it looks bad, but if we had another chance, I'd go for another play again.”
Cincinnati will play in its first Super Bowl since the 1988 season as a result of Sunday’s victory. The Chiefs, meanwhile, will fall short of advancing to their third consecutive Super Bowl.
“When you're up 21–3 in a game, you can’t lose it, and I put that on myself,” Mahomes said.
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