The post-season of the 2019-2020 NFL season was not one to forget. With upsets, come from behind victories, Derrick Henry, and the Chiefs-Niners Super Bowl to cap it all off. The Chiefs eventually won the Super Bowl over the Niners 31-10 after scoring 21 points in the 4th quarter and holding the Niners scoreless in the last quarter of the game. Pat Mahomes was crowned as Super Bowl MVP, which made him one of three players of all time to win a Super Bowl and MVP before turning 25 (Tom Brady, Emmitt Smith).
The wildcard weekend was filled with excitement as NFL fans got to see the Patriots not only play in wildcard, but lose to the highly underdogged Titans. With Derrick Henry leading the league in rushing yards in the regular season, he continued to show he is one of the top running backs in the NFL by putting up 132 yards against last season’s champs. If Tom Brady does leave in free agency, then his last pass as the Patriots QB will have been a pick-six. The Bills and Texans met in Houston and this game was expected to be one of the closest games of the playoffs and it did not disappoint. The game was sent to overtime and that was when Deshaun Watson began to play phenomenally. On a crucial down in OT, Watson evaded a few defenders and was insanely close to being sacked, but just before he could go down, he was able to get a pass off to second string running back Taiwan Jones who was able to Source: NFL make a few defenders miss and get down inside the redzone. Ka’imi Fairbairn was able to hit the field goal and send the Bills back to Buffalo. The Seahawks were able to easily beat the Eagles once Carson Wentz was injured by a score of 17-9. Saints fans hoped that their season would not end in heartbreak once again after the MInneapolis Miracle and the blatant no call on Rams corner Nickell Robey-Coleman for pass interference late in last year’s playoff game. However that is not at all what Saints fans got. Their game against the Vikings went to OT and once the Vikings were given the ball, they began to drive down the field. Saints top corner Marshon Lattimore was able to lock up the duo of Stephon Diggs and Adam Thielen all game, but when he needed a break in OT for just one down, Kirk Cousins (Vikings QB) knew he had to take his shot downfield. He lofted a pass up in the air towards the end zone and Thielen was able to beat out the defenders for the ball and get down to the New Orleans 2 yard line. Kyle Rudolph was then able to notch a receiving TD after it looked like he pushed off of a Saints’ linebacker. Another no call that cost the Saints a playoff victory.
In the Divisional round, the number one seeded Niners were able to cruise past the Vikings and head for the Championship game. And in stunning fashion, the six seeded Titans were able to upset league MVP Lamar Jackson and the rest of the players on the team with the best record in the NFL. Derrick Henry once again demolished the Ravens in the run game and even passed for a touchdown on a trick play. Former Dolphins starter and eventual backup for Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill, was able to lead the Titans alongside Henry to the playoffs after looking like one of the worst teams in the league with Mariota under center. They were able to help send an underwhelming Titans roster into the playoffs as the 6th seed, wind up beating the greatest QB of all time and the greatest player this season to send the TItans to the Championship game. The Chiefs were able to come back from down 24 to send the Texans home in heartbreaking fashion after Deshaun Watson and Deandre Hopkins looked poised to play the Titans for a chance to get to the Super Bowl. But Mahomes and the Chiefs’ star-studded offense was able to score 28 in the second and outscore the Texans the rest of the way. Packers were also able to hold off Russel Wilson and the Seahawks by a score of 28-23 to play the Niners.
The Chiefs were able to keep up with Derrick Henry and hold him to only 69 yards rushing, and after dropping 35 points on the Titans and being able to stay with them whenever it looked like things were going to go Tennessee's way. They won 35-24 and earned their spot in the Super Bowl. Niners third string running back and player who had never even been heard of even half way through the season, Raheem Mostert, was able to run for 220 yards and score four touchdowns in route to beating the Packers 37-20. The Niners and Chiefs then played at Hard Rock Stadium and hoped to be crowned world champs, with Jimmy Garoppolo holding the Lombardi trophy and announcing the Niners are “going to Disneyland!!!” Sadly for the Niners, that is not what happened in reality. The Niners were able to keep speedsters Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Harman under wrap in the first half and go into halftime tied 10-10 with the Chiefs. Garoppolo was able to lead the Niners downfield after getting the ball, have 3 points get added by a field goal, and then head right back out there after linebacker Fred Warner was able to come down with a pick. Mostert then ran it in for TD and gave the Niners a 10 point lead going into the fourth. Another pick was thrown by Mahomes and it seemed like the Chiefs had lost hope and that the Niners would have their fairy tale ending after going 3-13 the previous season. Then, all of a sudden, the Chiefs offense exploded. On a third and fifteen it looked as if San Francisco was going to get the ball back, but once Tyreek Hill was able to get open deep in the Niners secondary, no one had the speed to get to Hill, who ran an out route and was open 44 yards downfield where he was able to catch the ball and get down at the 21. After a few more plays, the Chiefs capped off a good drive with a one yard Travis Kelce reception touchdown. The Chiefs were only down three points. Then after a three and out, the Niners punted the ball back to Mahomes. Sammy Watkins was then able to make premiere corner Richard Sherman look like a fool after being able to get so open and run out of bounds in the red zone after a 38 yard gain. Running Back Damien Williams caught a pass before the goal line and extended his arm out to reach over the plain to get the nose of the football in for a touchdown.
The Niners were able to get the ball back but did nothing on offense, especially after not converting on a fourth down attempt and letting up a 38 yard touchdown run by Williams. Kendall Fuller picked the ball off after Garoppolo was unable to get the ball to receiver Deebo Samuel, which iced the game for the Chiefs. Head coach Andy Reid won his first Super Bowl and Mahomes was given the award of Super Bowl MVP. And while he was giving his press conference, he was able to scream a phrase that he said he practiced in the mirror when he was younger -- “We are going to Disney World!!!”
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