KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs got two big plays from their quarterback near the end of the game to keep the division round’s 22-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns, but that player wasn’t Patrick Mahomes.
With Mahomes in the locker room after suffering a concussion and getting out of the game, Chad Henne made two big plays to save the Chiefs. On the Chiefs’ final run, he scrambled 13 yards, finishing with a dive to try to get to the first bottom mark, to put on a fourth and 1 throw.
He completed a five-meter pass to Tyreek Hill so that the Chiefs could continue the ride and pass the clock.
“When you’re around him you just know,” said Reid why he trusted Henne, who hasn’t been a regular starter since 2014 when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Everyone has complete confidence in him.
“I think we’ll all remember the flight, that dive, and then the throw.” Mahomes greeted his backup and tweeted ‘#HenneThingIsPossible” after the match.
Henne replaced Mahomes in the third quarter. Mahomes was hit hard by Brown’s linebacker Mack Wilson during his rush attempt in the third quarter and seemed unsteady when he got up. He was taken to the injury tent on the sidelines for a quick examination before going to the locker room.
“He’s actually doing really well,” said Reid after the game. “Tomorrow we will see how he is doing, but at the moment he is feeling pretty good.”
Mahomes’ status for next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium is unclear. The Chiefs defeated the Bills 26-17 in Week 6 at Buffalo with Mahomes as the quarterback.
After the game, Wilson tweeted that he hoped Mahomes could return for the AFC title game, to which Mahomes replied, “All good brother!”
All good brother! 💪🏽 https://t.co/ORwLG6eFTV
– Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 17, 2021
If Henne has to play instead, the two plays he made on the Chiefs’ final drive will give his teammates some confidence that they can beat the Bills and advance to Super Bowl LV.
“That’s all from my heart,” said defender Tyrann Mathieu of Henne during the final stage. “Those are the times when teams are lifted.”