In near-record low temperatures, Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs to a 26-7 playoff victory over Miami.
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for Kansas City, celebrated after hitting the Miami Dolphins for a touchdown in the first half.
Missouri’s Kansas City With one hit, Patrick Mahomes’ helmet broke due to the extreme cold. That mustache of Andy Reid’s froze on the sidelines. In an attempt to endure the fourth-coldest NFL game ever, players and fans huddled together for warmth.
On Saturday night, the Kansas City Chiefs handled the hardship admirably.
played a good game with the Miami Dolphins as well.
Besides throwing for 262 yards, Mahomes also made several audacious runs for crucial first downs and connected with Rashee Rice eight times for 130 yards and a touchdown. Isiah Pacheco hammered 89 yards and another touchdown over the icy field. Additionally, in a 26-9 victory in the wild-card round of the playoffs, the Chiefs shut down a potent Miami offense.
The defending Super Bowl champions, who seem to be gearing up for another run, added four more field goals from Harrison Butker.
We knew it was going to be cold because those guys came in with that mindset and attitude, Mahomes said. “We preached the entire week, saying, ‘Let’s go in there with that fire and just get after it and see what happens.”
The injury-ravaged Dolphins (11-7) on the other hand didn’t resemble the same explosive offense that topped the league in yardage. The Dolphins finished with 264 yards overall, wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a 53-yard touchdown catch but was otherwise shut down in his return to Kansas City, and Tua Tagovailoa was subjected to constant pressure from the NFL’s second-ranked defense.
They haven’t prevailed in a playoff game since December 30, 2000, or at Arrowhead Stadium since November 6, 2011.
“It’s never enjoyable to lose, especially when it’s playoff time and the stakes are higher,” admitted Tagovailoa, who completed just 20 of 39 passes for 199 yards and one interception. “We must learn to live with that loss.”
With the exception of three Super Bowls in which they won two Lombardi Trophies, the Chiefs will have to settle for another victory in their fifteenth straight home playoff game. However, if the Bills defeat the Steelers on Monday in a game that was postponed due to a snowstorm, they will travel to Buffalo the following week. If not, Houston, who defeated the Browns earlier on Saturday, will host the Chiefs.
According to Rice, “everyone was out there playing for each other.” “We just showed our love for the game and ignored the weather, knowing that our opponent didn’t want to be outside as much as we did.”
With a temperature of minus four degrees Fahrenheit (minus twenty degrees Celsius) at kickoff, Arrowhead Stadium’s coldest game record was easily broken. But what really made the weather awful for most people were the wind gusts, which came through at over 25 mph and dropped the temperature to a bone-rattling minus-27 degrees.
Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for Kansas City, celebrated after hitting the Miami Dolphins for a touchdown in the first half
Missouri’s Kansas City With one hit, Patrick Mahomes’ helmet broke due to the extreme cold. That mustache of Andy Reid’s froze on the sidelines. In an attempt to endure the fourth-coldest NFL game ever, players and fans huddled together for warmth.
The Chiefs of Kansas City
In fact, Mahomes’ helmet may have become so brittle from the cold that a hit during the third quarter broke off a piece of the plastic shell. Officials forced Mahomes to retrieve a backup helmet from the bench after noticing the fist-sized hole.
“We need to discuss the location of the backup storage,” Mahomes grinned. “It seemed to be frozen.”
Hill, who was playing in Kansas City for the first time since being traded by his former team to Miami two years ago, didn’t seem to be bothered by the weather. Midway through the first half, the top receiver in the league warmed up in
Hill, who was playing in Kansas City for the first time since being traded by his former team to Miami two years ago, didn’t seem to be bothered by the weather. Midway through the first half, the top receiver in the league warmed up in a short-sleeve shirt before scorching the Chiefs defense and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie for a long touchdown reception.
