Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Chiefs’ game-winning play in Super Bowl LVIII looked quite familiar. Andy Reid saved his best call for last.
For the first time since the 2004 season, the NFL has a repeat champion. The Kansas City Chiefs secured their second straight Super Bowl victory, and third in the last five years, in a 25-22 overtime thriller versus the San Francisco 49ers.
The game literally came down to the last play: with only six seconds remaining in overtime, Kansas City found itself down three points, and three yards from the 49ers end zone. In order to overcome the deficit and defend the title, head coach Andy Reid turned to one of his favorites.
He turned to “Corn Dog.”
Sounds familiar? It’s the same basic concept the Chiefs already ran to help win last year’s Super Bowl, a 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Back then, quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit Kadarius Toney to give the team a 28-27 lead in the early fourth quarter.
This time, Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for the walk-off score.
“Believe it or not, we had ‘Corn Dog’ last year, and it was ‘Corn Dog’ again,” Reid told ESPN after the game. “This was ‘Corn Dog’ with a little mustard and ketchup.”
The play itself started with an inside motion from Hardman, who quickly broke out again to get himself open. The goal of the concept was to create leverage against 49ers defensive back (and ex-Chief) Charvarius Ward, who was assigned to cover the wide receiver on the perimeter.
When Hardman moved inside, Ward did as well — ever so slightly, but enough to allow tight end Travis Kelce to get to him and give Kansas City enough space to work with. Mahomes rolled out of the pocket and completed the easy pass to cap off the game in style.
“We brought it back at the right time,” Kansas City’s QB said after the game. “Another Andy Reid special.”
With Mahomes and Reid leading the charge, the Chiefs have secured their spot as the next NFL dynasty — succeeding the team that last managed to win back-to-back titles, the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick New England Patriots. Whether Kansas City will be able to produce a similar two-decade run of excellence remains to be seen, but for now the club can call itself champions of the world yet again.
Andy Reid, who had to wait until the age of 60 to first taste victory on the game’s biggest stage, knows how special that moment is.
“It’s a great win, because I know how hard it is to do,” he said during his postgame presser. “And then how hard the season was, the ups and downs of the season; and how proud I am of the guys to just hang in with each other, stand positive with each other.”
The Chiefs’ ability to stay on track even in light of adversity, both during the regular season and in Super Bowl LVIII, set the stage for their eventual championship.
That, and “Corn Dog.”
