The road to a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance was smoothly paved for the Kansas City Chiefs before halftime of the AFC championship game on Sunday afternoon. With five minutes left in the second quarter, they owned a 21-3 lead -- the result of a near-flawless half from Patrick Mahomes, in which he completed 18 of 22 passes for 220 yards with three touchdowns.
But the MVP-caliber rhythm that Mahomes channeled during the Chiefs' first three drives didn't carry over into the second half. The signs of a blowout win vanished. The offense sputtered and stalled. The Cincinnati Bengals' locker-room adjustments neutralized Mahomes' threat, and Kansas City stunningly lost in overtime, 27-24, at Arrowhead Stadium. In the final 35 minutes of play, Mahomes threw for just 55 yards with two interceptions and four sacks.
"We watched and witnessed one of the all-time choke jobs by Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs," Maggie Gray said during the Maggie and Perloff show on Monday. "The fact they had that lead and let it go to the Bengals. Credit to the Bengals' defense, fantastic job. But I can't help but think that the biggest headline coming out of that game is, Mahomes choked... In the AFC, I used to put Mahomes head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.
"It was Mahomes as the headliner, then Allen, Burrow, Herbert, and Jackson. Those guys are second-tier. Still very good with bright futures. Mahomes was always above. I don't think you can say that anymore. He's right there with the rest of the pack. You can say it was one bad half. But look at the half it was... You're supposed to be the guy who elevates everyone. We really put you on a different kind of pedestal. I don't know if he deserves that pedestal anymore."
For the second straight week, Harrison Butker drilled a game-tying field goal as time expired, and the crucial overtime coin toss landed in the Chiefs' favor. But Mahomes couldn't work his championship-saving magic this time around. On the third play of their overtime possession, his pass intended for receiver Tyreek Hill was picked off by safety Von Bell. Five minutes later, the Bengals traveled 42 yards downfield, and rookie Evan McPherson drilled yet another game-winning field goal.
Mahomes also faltered on two other red zone drives. With five seconds left in the first half and no timeouts, the Chiefs elected to keep their offense on the field, rather than attempt a field goal and extend their lead to 24-10. The move was botched by Mahomes, as he threw to Hill in the flat for no gain just as the clock expired. Before Butker drilled the game-tying field goal, Kansas City had a chance at a winning touchdown in the closing seconds. But two sacks from Sam Hubbard pushed Mahomes too far back and eliminated the opportunity.
Maggie and Perloff's complete thoughts on Mahomes and the Chiefs can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.