LAS VEGAS — The frustration was seen to anybody watching on Christmas Day.
As tight finish Travis Kelce threw his helmet on the sideline, it was clear the Chiefs may be in bother.
The Raiders beat the Chiefs, 20-14, in that recreation.
It was a really un-Chiefslike loss.
The Raiders scored two touchdowns off Chiefs turnovers, together with a Patrick Mahomes interception.
Kansas Metropolis’s report fell to 9-6, and it regarded just like the mighty Chiefs weren’t able to make a playoff run this yr.
Assume once more.
Right here we’re six weeks later, and the Chiefs are getting ready to face the 49ers in Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl LVIII.
They’ve received 5 straight, together with three playoff video games, since that loss on Christmas.
“We responded after that loss. I can level again to that as a second for us,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned. “The group got here collectively after that and stepped as much as adversity.”
The Chiefs’ protection has performed nicely all season. However the offense has picked issues up since that Raiders loss.
Although Chiefs gamers are cautious to not get to particular, they did provide up some modifications that have been made.
Vast receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling mentioned they tightened up the receiver rotation.
As a substitute of regularly substituting gamers, the Chiefs have saved gamers within the recreation even when the play name shouldn’t be particular to them.
“We haven’t actually executed something that has schematically modified,” Valdes-Scantling mentioned. “We’re nonetheless operating a variety of the identical performs that we’ve been operating all yr. It’s extra the out and in of personnel. We’ve received a bunch of receivers that may play. When you have seven guys up, everyone needs to play.
“It was simply making an attempt to determine methods to get guys on the sector, hold them on the sector, not need to go in for a play, out for a play. That’s helped us out.”
The Chiefs have gotten higher particular person performances, as nicely.
Operating again Isiah Pacheco has rushed for 130, 89, 97 and 68 yards within the 4 video games he performed since then.
He has scored a landing in every of Kansas Metropolis’s three playoff wins.
Rookie receiver Rashee Rice has emerged throughout this run.
He had 5 catches for 127 yards towards the Bengals in Week 17.
He had eight catches for 130 yards and a landing within the playoff win over the Dolphins.
The Chiefs stopped dropping passes, one thing that plagued them for a lot of the season.
“I feel all of us had to have a look at ourselves within the mirror. I feel our complete group did that,” Mahomes mentioned. “We carried that momentum within the playoffs. Generally that you must get your tail whooped to be higher on the opposite aspect. So I recognize the Raiders for beating us like that, ’trigger that’s gotten us to this recreation.”
Mahomes has raised his recreation within the playoffs after what could possibly be thought-about a down yr for him. He has performed almost mistake-free soccer.
He has no interceptions or fumbles on 112 drop-backs and has taken simply two sacks for 11 yards.
“I feel in that [Raiders] recreation you noticed how dominant our protection could possibly be,” Mahomes mentioned. “As an offense, the turnovers, the 14 factors actually value us the sport. Simply realizing when to be aggressive, when to be sensible. Figuring out that punting isn’t all the time a foul factor. You possibly can flip the sector.
“It’s one thing we type of regarded within the mirror and noticed. We’ve executed at a better stage since then.”
The Chiefs are practising on the Raiders’ coaching middle this week.
They’ve a reminder of the sport that modified their season.
“I feel it gave our guys a pleasant little — for [lack of] a greater time period — a wake-up name, that we have to step issues up right here,” Reid mentioned, “that issues aren’t simply going to fall in our lap. And so, we’re taking everyone’s greatest shot, and right here’s a group that went by some adversity, and so they stepped up and have been capable of current themselves like they did.
“We have been capable of be taught from it and transfer on. I felt all alongside, although, we had the power to do this. We simply, like I mentioned, we would have liked a bit kick within the tail there.”