Patrick Mahomes’ legs lift Chiefs to Super Bowl LIV

The NFL conference championships played out as expected. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs overwhelmed the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans, and the San Francisco 49ers handed the Green Bay Packers another lopsided defeat. Here are four takeaways from championship weekend as we await Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2 in Miami.

Patrick Mahomes’ legs lift Chiefs past the Titans

The Kansas City Chiefs ended the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans’ dream run in the playoffs with a 35-24 win at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs got off to a slow start for the second time in the postseason and dug a 17-7 hole in the second quarter. Then Patrick Mahomes found Tyreek Hill for a 20-yard touchdown pass and broke loose for a 27-yard run to the end zone to put Kansas City up 21-17 at halftime.

Mahomes added another passing touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 294 yards through the air, four total scores, and a team-high 53 rushing yards.

The 2018 MVP also ran for 53 yards against the Texans in the divisional round. His scrambling ability has made Kansas City nearly impossible to defend, as Mahomes can beat defenses with the deep ball to one of his many star receivers or his own two feet.

Mahomes’ shredding of Tennessee’s defense helped the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969 and the third time in franchise history. Head coach Andy Reid will get another shot at his first ring in Miami. Reid has the most wins (221) for a coach without a Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs’ once-porous run defense dethroned King Henry

The Titans’ not-so-secret weapon of the postseason was fourth-year running back Derrick Henry. The NFL’s rushing leader (1,540 yards in the regular season) racked up 182 yards on the ground against the league’s No. 1 defense (New England) and another 195 against top seed Baltimore.

The bell-cow back became the first player to register three consecutive games with more than 180 rushing yards and seemed primed to continue his streak against the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s 26th-ranked run-stopping unit surrendered 128.2 yards per game in the regular season and let Henry run for 188 in a Week 10 loss to the Titans. The defense found a new gear and held Henry to just 69 yards on 19 carries on Sunday, which was his lowest rushing total since Nov. 3. Henry all but disappeared in the second half, with just seven yards on the ground.

Now Kansas City will confront San Francisco’s No. 2-ranked rushing offense in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs may catch a bit of a break if Tevin Coleman is ruled out because of a shoulder injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game, but the 49ers boast two more talented and capable running backs in Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida.

Aaron Rodgers’ Super Bowl drought continues

It’s been a full decade since the Green Bay Packers hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. The wait will continue after Sunday’s 37-20 defeat in San Francisco.

Thirty-six-year-old Aaron Rodgers and his young arsenal of receivers floundered in the first half against San Francisco’s top-rated pass defense and faced a 27-0 deficit at halftime. Near the mid-point of the third quarter, Rodgers connected with Aaron Jones for a nine-yard touchdown pass to bring the Packers within 20 points of the 49ers.

In the fourth quarter the Packers put up two quick touchdowns, but it was far too late to stage a comeback. The loss brought Rodgers’ playoff record to 0-3 against San Francisco, the team the Northern California native had hoped would draft him in 2005.

Rodgers is also now 1-3 in NFC Championship Games and has come up short in his last three appearances.

Raheem Mostert is the underdog story of Super Bowl LIV

Mostert emerged as the star of Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game.

The 27-year-old back tallied 220 yards and four scores on the ground, which made him the first player to rush for four touchdowns in a conference championship game and the only player to run for at least 200 yards and four scores in a postseason contest. He also broke Colin Kaepernick’s franchise rushing record (181 yards) for a playoff game.

Before he was signed to the 49ers’ practice squad in 2016, Mostert was cut by six teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears.

Now Mostert is a crucial part of the 49ers’ offense and will be called upon to carry his team in Super Bowl LIV. Mostert, Coleman, and Matt Breida shared the load during the regular season, but Coleman took the role of lead back in the postseason.

Coleman suffered a shoulder injury in the first half against Green Bay and may be ruled out of the Super Bowl. Should that be the case, Mostert could get his first start in the NFL.

If he and the Niners triumph on Super Bowl Sunday, it will cap off an unforgettable comeback season for San Francisco. The Niners had a 4-12 record in 2018 and secured the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, which it used on rookie sensation Nick Bosa. This season the team put together a 13-3 record and snatched the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The 1988 Bengals and 1999 Rams also reached the Super Bowl a year after they won four games or fewer. San Francisco could tie New England and Pittsburgh for most Super Bowl titles (six) with a win.

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