4 instances now, Sean McDermott has stood behind a podium and answered questions on why his group couldn’t clear up Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs within the playoffs.
Regardless of whether or not the groups conflict in Missouri or New York, who has the ball final, whether or not the sport ends in regulation or extra time or even when the Payments have a 99 p.c probability to win and simply have to forestall a discipline objective for simply 13 seconds, McDermott and the Payments can’t recover from the hump that’s the Chiefs.
“They’re an excellent soccer group, they’ve received two Tremendous Bowls, they’ve been to seven straight AFC Championship video games. That’s no excuse, this can be a good soccer group. We bought to maintain working at it to recover from that hump, there’s little question about it,” McDermott mentioned after Sunday’s 32-29 setback within the AFC Championship sport. “We’ve received lots of powerful video games this yr in opposition to actually good opponents, actually good coaches and I’m pleased with this group for it. That is clearly a problem for us. We’ll determine it out.”
The Payments being the ’90s NBA playoff contender operating into the Chiefs’ Michael Jordan Bulls groups every postseason brings teaching choices underneath the highlight, particularly when McDermott has but to out-duel his Kansas Metropolis counterpart in Andy Reid within the postseason.
McDermott didn’t catch flak like he did three years in the past when the Payments couldn’t deliver residence the victory with 13 seconds left, however he made some debatable and questionable choices Sunday.
Some questioned why operating again James Cook dinner, who wowed with 134 whole yards and two touchdowns, didn’t contact the ball on the ultimate drive.
The primary play of mentioned drive went to backup Ty Johnson, who misplaced a yard on a rush.
Which gamers are used falls extra underneath offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s jurisdiction, however a head coach normally can dictate in the event that they imagine a participant needs to be within the sport.
“James Cook dinner was a monster tonight … till the Payments uncared for him with the sport on the road,” Sports activities Illustrated’s Pat Forde posted.
Within the tangent theme of operating the ball, some questioned concerning the Payments’ continued reliance on quarterback sneaks with Josh Allen when the Chiefs defended them effectively all sport.
Kansas Metropolis stuffed Allen on a third-and-goal on the one-yard line within the third quarter, and the Payments wanted two Allen sneaks within the third quarter to realize one yard.
The sport-changing play got here within the fourth when Allen bought stopped in need of the road on fourth-and-1 with the Payments forward, 22-21.
Some believed Allen secured the primary down, however a evaluation upheld the decision.
McDermott acknowledged the Payments maybe may have tried a distinct look.
“It’s been our greatest play all yr at one or inside of 1 yard. We received a few of these, however … they had been doing an excellent job,” McDermott mentioned. “I assumed total, perhaps we may have disguised it, perhaps not, however on the finish of the day now we have confidence in Josh and our offensive line to get these they usually’ve been getting all of them yr.”
The Payments additionally didn’t assist themselves by chasing factors early within the sport, which set off a sequence of occasions that seemingly damage them.
Now, this one can actually be debated because of analytics, however the Payments opted to go for 2 after slicing the deficit to 21-16 on the finish of first half and failed.
Once they scored a third-quarter landing to take a 22-21 lead, they went for 2 once more and failed.
Had the simply kicked the additional factors, they’d have been forward 24-21.
We will get into hassle with the fallacy of the predetermined end result, but when the Payments had been forward by three, it’s attainable the tip of the sport performs out in another way.
If we comply with the sport’s script and say the Chiefs and Payments each scored touchdowns once more, with Kansas Metropolis scoring first adopted by Buffalo, the Payments would have gone forward both 30-29, 30-28 or 30-27 earlier than their additional level try or two-point conversion strive.
There’s a sensible state of affairs by which the Payments are those main 32-29 earlier than the Chiefs kicked the late discipline objective, which then would have tied the sport.
“We’re an excellent soccer group, we’re an excellent group, we’ve had a heck of a season, there’s momentum going into subsequent yr,” McDermott mentioned. “We’re grateful for the success we had this yr. It hurts whenever you come up in need of the Tremendous Bowl or successful a Tremendous Bowl, it hurts. The video games come right down to inches.”