Never, ever count out Patrick Mahomes.
At Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes showcased his greatness, overcoming a 10-point deficit and leading the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title since 1970.
The Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to win three games after trailing by 10 or more points in a single postseason, and a huge reason why is their superstar quarterback.
On Sunday the 49ers had a 20-10 in the fourth quarter, but Mahomes, shaking off two earlier interceptions, got to work, orchestrating three straight touchdown drives in just over five minutes.
“We kept believing,” Mahomes said. “That’s what we did all postseason. I felt like if we were down by 10, we weren’t playing our best football. The guys really stepped up. They believed in me. I was making a lot of mistakes out there early. We found a way to win it in the end.”
Here is what the Chiefs are saying about their star quarterback and the fourth-quarter comeback:
Running back Damien Williams, when the Chiefs were down by 10 points: “To see Pat throw those two picks, you don’t see that often from him. You don’t know how he’s going to react to that because that’s not something he does.”
Defensive end Frank Clark: “It looked rocky. It looked like Pat was having a little rough one at first.”
Defensive tackle Chris Jones: “Give us a quarter, Pat Mahomes in there, receiving corps going to make it happen. Defense, we’re going to step up, make a few stops to put them in a position to make it happen.”
Safety Daniel Sorensen: “We know that, as a defense, ‘Look, get Pat the ball back and he can do things that are really special.’ He can score in a hurry, and that’s what we were able to do.”
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, on Mahomes’ message entering the fourth quarter: “He was encouraging us, telling us to believe. You know, we were down 20-10 and he was telling us to believe in the fourth quarter. He (saw) it in some guys eyes, they were getting down, including myself. I was like, ‘Man, how are we going to pull this off?’
“And he was like, ‘(No.) 10 (Hill’s jersey number), you’ve got to believe, brother. Like the same faith you’ve had all of your career, you’ve got to believe right now. It’s going to happen, man. I can feel it.’”
Safety Tyrann Mathieu: “I think any time you have a guy like Pat Mahomes and all of the skill guys we have on offense, you never should have a reason to flinch.”
Fullback Anthony Sherman, on what it’s like to have Mahomes when trailing in a game: “You can do anything. He is so unbelievably calm, collected and his confidence in himself and the team is – I can’t even describe it. He is the best quarterback in the NFL, and I will go to battle with him any day of the week.”
Tight end Travis Kelce: “It’s magic Mahomes. It’s Showtime Mahomes. He’s going to be himself no matter what the scenario is, and you know what? I love him. I love him. He willed this team back into this game, had to make a lot of plays.”
Head coach Andy Reid: “He kept firing. That’s what he did. The guys around him just believed in him. We all did, all the coaches likewise.”
Sherman on Mahomes’ poise in the fourth quarter: “He’s going to find a way. He’s not going to be denied a Super Bowl ring.”
Tackle Eric Fisher: “That’s our leader, man. He put that game on his back and he found a way to get it done.”
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins: “That is the golden child.”
Sherman, on if coming back in previous games helped them in the Super Bowl: “Yeah, you know it’s possible because you’ve done it, but you know it’s possible because you have Pat as your quarterback. Are you kidding me? Anything is possible with him.”
Linebacker Damien Wilson: “He’s greatness in a bottle. He showed up big for us. … He’s just so electric, whether it’s running (or) throwing.”
Linebacker Anthony Hitchens: “The kid’s a beast. He does it all. He can run. He throws. He throws his body around, and he’s a warrior. He’s going to be in this league for a long time – and is going to break a lot of records.”
Hill: “He brought the guys together, and you saw what happened, man. We pulled it off.”
Hitchens on Mahomes being named Super Bowl MVP: “I’m sure it won’t be his only one.”
