As stated with powerful enthusiasm by the great Mitch Holthus, “Damien Williams runs to immortality and will be remembered forever in the Chiefs Kingdom!” That 38-yard touchdown scamper all but sealed the deal for an entire group of soon-to-be immortal men. Men we know as the Kansas City Chiefs, who were one minute and twelve seconds away from being crowned Super Bowl LIV Champions. Following an interception by Kendall Fuller with fifty-seven ticks on the clock, the Chiefs ran four plays before Chiefs Kingdom erupted. Andy Reid nearly drowned in Gatorade, pound after pound of confetti fell from the sky, and the 50 year championship drought was over!
As we’ve become accustomed to with the Chiefs, multiple records were broken in Super Bowl LIV. Just to name a few, Damien Williams’ 2 TDs in the fourth quarter is now the most TDs by any player in one quarter. The Chiefs scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter is now the most points scored in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs moved the chains on a pair of fourth down tries, which became the most fourth down conversions. And of course, the youngest quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP is our very own Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs certainly made the postseason an entertaining journey. Everyone who follows the Chiefs is familiar with the deficits they had to overcome in each postseason game. The 24-point comeback against the Houston Texans was the largest rally in franchise history. And if that experience wasn’t heart-stopping enough, they found themselves facing an early 10-point deficit against the Tennessee Titans one week later in the AFC Championship game. Finally, the 10-point deficit to the 49ers midway through the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV had most Chiefs fans quiet and on the edge of their seats.
Yes, we all remember them, and perhaps we all want to forget about the wide range of emotions that accompanied them. But I’m going to throw a pair of numbers at you that most fans haven’t thought about and may never want to forget about. Those numbers are 19 and 18. The significance of those numbers is powerful, record-breaking, and a large part of arguably the most memorable season in Chiefs history. The number 19 refers to minutes, while 18 represents seconds. Merging them is a beautiful thing because that’s the combined total of how long it took the Chiefs to overcome those deficits and never look back. Against the Texans, the Chiefs scored 28 points in 4:50. Facing the Titans, they needed 9:22 to jump in front. And with just under 9 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and trailing the 49ers by 10 points, the Chiefs orchestrated two scoring drives that took 5:06 off the clock. Let that sink in and think about it for a minute. Games consist of 60 minutes of actual gameplay. In those three contests totaling 180 minutes, the Chiefs needed just 19:18 to take leads that they never relinquished. It takes many of us longer to drive to work in the morning. Some likely expend more time with a swift run on the treadmill. That quick trip to the grocery store for the missing ingredient quite possibly consumes more time. For three consecutive weeks, there stood our beloved Chiefs with their backs against the wall. What could they possibly accomplish with heightened emotions under such immense pressure? What they did was historic and legendary. Let’s call it 20-minute magic!
4:50. Facing the Titans, they needed 9:22 to jump in front. And with just under 9 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and trailing the 49ers by 10 points, the Chiefs orchestrated two scoring drives that took 5:06 off the clock. Let that sink in and think about it for a minute. Games consist of 60 minutes of actual gameplay. In those three contests totaling 180 minutes, the Chiefs needed just 19:18 to take leads that they never relinquished. It takes many of us longer to drive to work in the morning. Some likely expend more time with a swift run on the treadmill. That quick trip to the grocery store for the missing ingredient quite possibly consumes more time. For three consecutive weeks, there stood our beloved Chiefs with their backs against the wall. What could they possibly accomplish with heightened emotions under such immense pressure? What they did was historic and legendary. Let’s call it 20-minute magic!
So what did they do with the remaining 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds? They made mistakes and corrected mistakes. They scored a lot of points and refused to give up points. They lifted each other up, believed in one another, and did something special. They came together and believed they were unstoppable. They ran to immortality. They made a fanbase, city, organization, and former players cry tears of joy. And above all, they provided Andy Reid with his first Super Bowl victory and brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City.
