AWhen he had to, Patrick Mahomes ignored the pain and led his Kansas City Chiefs into the Super Bowl despite an injured ankle. With a sprint seconds before the end, the quarterback star prepared the decisive field goal in the 23:20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday evening (local time) and minutes later celebrated success with his colleagues in the confetti rain and with the first trophy – the Vince -Lombardy Trophy for triumph in the most important football game in the world, he then wants to raise for the second time in four years in two weeks after a win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The best team in the NFL main round had previously clearly prevailed 31:7 against the San Francisco 49ers and is back in the final five years after the first victory in the Super Bowl. The 49ers had bad luck with injuries in the game and had to use the fourth quarterback of the season. “It’s going to be a great challenge, but first I’m going to celebrate this. I don’t think we have cigars, but we’ll be prepared for the Super Bowl,” Mahomes said after the hard-earned win over the Bengals.
“Then you have to risk everything”
A week ago he sprained his ankle early in the playoff duel with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was then unable to put any weight on his foot. The 27-year-old left no doubts about a mission against the team around quarterback Joe Burrow, against whom Mahomes had never won in three attempts. But he wasn’t as agile and strong as usual – only at the very end did he keep the ball and sprint when he lost more and more passes due to injuries and, like last year, there were signs of extra time.
“There are moments in a game when you just have to risk everything,” he said of his decision. Because he was fouled at the end of the scene, his decision was worth even more to the opponent because of the 15-yard penalty. With two touchdown passes and throws for a total of 326 yards, Mahomes made an outstanding game under the circumstances.
Harrison Butker finally kicked the ball through the goal posts from 45 yards and gave his teammates and fans a fridge party in the sub-zero temperatures. How much the win over the Bengals meant at the fourth attempt became clear in the interviews immediately afterwards – Travis Kelce sworn live over the stadium microphone in the direction of the mayor of Cincinnati and Mahomes also made it clear what he thought of the comments before the game: nothing. “This is still Arrowhead and not Burrowhead,” he said. The Chiefs play their home games at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs now have two weeks to get their battered professionals halfway fit before the duel with Philadelphia on February 12 in Glendale, Arizona. In addition to Mahomes, Kelce also started the game with problems, his role was only clear shortly before the start due to a back injury. L’Jarius Sneed, Willie Gay Jr., Toney, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster all sustained injuries during the game.
In Glendale there is then a brother duel: Travis Kelce meets Jason Kelce, who is one of the most important professionals in the position of center for the Eagles. Chiefs coach Andy Reid also worked for the Eagles for a long time, with Mahomes and Jalen Hurts two black quarterbacks facing each other in a Super Bowl for the first time. “It’s fantastic,” Reid said. “The work is not done yet.”
Philadelphia is back in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning five years ago. The best team in the main round won the NFC final on Sunday (local time) over the 49ers, who were severely restricted by two quarterback injuries. “It’s what you dream of as a kid,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said on US television. “We’re enjoying that now and then getting ready for the Super Bowl. One is left.”
For the 49ers, quarterback surprise Brock Purdy injured his elbow in the first quarter and was replaced by Josh Johnson. The 36-year-old became the fourth playmaker used by the guests this season – and had to leave the field in the third quarter with suspected concussion. In the meantime it looked as if Christian McCaffrey had to take over at the position of 7:21.
San Francisco, however, sent Purdy back into the game, but the 23-year-old was obviously restricted and did not make any more long pass attempts. The Eagles had the game under control and were hardly challenged by the battered 49ers. Quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and a clean pass performance to control the action, most of it running offensively. On the fourth touchdown, Hurts carried the ball himself into the end zone.
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Purdy is the last draft pick in the US professional football league as “Mr. Irrelevant”, made his NFL debut a good three months ago due to injury concerns with the 49ers and impressed with his performances. Otherwise all eyes were on Mahomes. “It was pure fighting spirit,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of his star’s performance: “I can’t say enough that Pat’s run is the MVP at the end.” On February 12, he will be on the biggest NFL stage . Then it’s about the Super Bowl.