KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 24: Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 24, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Mecole Hardman was given plenty of encouragement from Patrick Mahomes and other Chiefs teammates after muffing a punt Sunday night against the Bills.
The Kansas City Chiefs faced some adversity early on in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. They already trailed 3-0 when Mecole Hardman muffed a point near the goal line. A touchdown was quickly scored and a missed kick set the score at 9-0.
Some teams may have been down and out after such a start. But not the Chiefs. Hardman was crushed and even laid under a coat on the bench. Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and others came over to let him know they still had a lot of game left.
Hardman receives much-needed encouragement
This is one of the things that makes the Chiefs so great. No one was ignoring Hardman or casting any blame. They knew he would be needed later in the game and got his head right back in it.
The encouragement paid off as Hardman caught a touchdown from Mahomes early in the second quarter to cut the lead to 9-7. He also had a huge 50-yard run that ended up being much more memorable than his early miscue.
A 9-0 deficit was nothing for the Chiefs. Last year saw the team go down 24-0 in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, only to go up 28-24 at halftime. The Bills were being far too conservative Sunday and it was only a matter of time before the Chiefs got rolling.
The Chiefs clearly believe in each other and their ability to fight back against any adversity. Having Mahomes under center helps, but so does this positive attitude.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl after facing plenty of adversity in their two postseason games. Being so positive and having each others’ backs goes a long way and they are clearly confident they can take down Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to repeat as champions.