Through the first half of the AFC Championship Game, Patrick Mahomes looked like the best quarterback on the planet.
In the second half, he looked like he did throughout the early part of this season, when he struggled uncharacteristically and had pundits wondering what was “wrong” with the 2018 NFL MVP.
Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense scored only three points in the final two-plus quarters, allowing the Cincinnati Bengals to rally from a 21-3 deficit to win 27-24 in overtime. After the game, Mahomes took responsibility for the offense faltering the way it did.
“They just had a spy on me, for the most part, and I’ve usually done a good job getting around that guy, but they had a good game plan,” Mahomes said, via The Athletic. “They were doing a lot of similar stuff in the first half, we were just executing at a higher level. They stayed with it. But I mean, I gotta be better.
“I mean when you’re up 21-3 at one point in the game, you can’t lose it, and I put that on myself.”
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs offense go into second-half slumber in loss to Bengals: “When you’re up 21-3 in a game, you can’t lose it”https://t.co/igRufvnNH9 pic.twitter.com/vdu5VjHpdJ
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 31, 2022
Mahomes threw three touchdowns in the first half, connecting with Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman. However, after intermission he completed just 8-of-18 passes for 55 yards and a pair of interceptions.
One of those picks set up the tying touchdown in the third quarter, while the other came on the first drive of overtime.
The Bengals took possession after the second giveaway and promptly drove into field goal range, with Evan McPherson hitting from 31 yards out to send the franchise to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
The post Patrick Mahomes Has Brutally Honest Admission On Today’s Loss appeared first on The Spun.