IDuring this year’s divisional round, Patrick Mahomes was asked a question he’s never asked before in the playoffs: Can you win on the road? A trip to upstate New York to face the surging Buffalo Bills was a huge test for the Kansas City machine. This was uncharted territory against an enemy supreme in Josh Allen, a quarterback desperate to turn the tables on his rival after two bitter postseason defeats in recent seasons. This was Buffalo’s time, they let the superior offense flow through Allen while Mahomes finally looked fallible. Despite his troubles, KC’s superstar remained the face of the franchise, but this season the keys had been loaned to a new trustee, a defender so reliable that a single glance from him in a receiver’s direction could turn a quarterback twice. make you think.
Under the spotlight, the script completely changed as Mahomes matched Allen step for step in a thrilling offensive tug-of-war. After all their stratospheric production, Kansas City’s defense failed to keep its end of the bargain. The Bills had a 24-20 lead in the final quarter, a chance for redemption. But Mahomes knew his defenders could stifle the Bills when he let out a rallying cry: “Y’all close it out and we’ll win this football game. We’re going to the AFC Championship Game.”
Shut it down and then some. After Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco laid the foundation for the victory with a go ahead score, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had the tools to get the job done: his lynchpin, L’Jarius Sneed. The defensive back cut Stefon Diggs off of Allen as the QB failed on all four attempts to find his main target. A turnover on downs, a punt and a stop at the KC 26-yard line set the stage for the final blow of another field goal that was missed wide right.
Call it revenge. To gain the lead, Allen had crossed a line. He forced Sneed to allow his first touchdown in coverage as a closest defender since Week 15 of the 2022 season. The 13 meter rocket to Khalil Shakir – that the rookie somehow got stuck despite having to extend his hands to the sideline – must have stung. Sneed was hugged tightly, but couldn’t stop a throw with such speed and placement: Next generation statistics stating that Shakir had 0.3 yards of end zone to work with. It just emphasized how good you have to be to get one from Sneed.
Since September, when Mahomes was going through a career low (only 2019 was statistically worse for the quarterback, due to a dislocated kneecap and two games off) that in turn limited Travis Kelce’s impact, Sneed and other key defensive pieces have had to powering the Chiefs every week. Through. A first loss against Denver in 17 games did not materialize because the Broncos defense was brilliant. Mahomes was downright bad — throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions for the first time since his 2021 Super Bowl loss — as he crumbled to a 24-9 loss. Meanwhile, Spagnuolo’s crew was tremendous, sacking Russell Wilson six times, yielding 10 QB hits and seven tackles for a loss.
Somehow, those numbers were even better than the four sacks, seven QB hits and five tackles for a loss the Chiefs took at Arrowhead in their 19-8 win over the Broncos earlier in the season. Another example of the defense dominating, but Mahomes failing to move the needle. Nick Bolton and Justin Reid made some splashy picks, but it was Sneed’s presence that stood out. Wilson was pinned in a vise and KC’s defense held him in his first game with less than 100 yards passing since 2018.
Sneed’s crucial contributions to coverage – such as his play against Denver’s offense – often go unnoticed. His play rarely produces a highlight, as smart passers simply refuse to throw the ball in his direction. Denver’s receivers might as well have been wearing straitjackets when the cornerback was on their case: In 19 of Wilson’s passing attempts, not a single Sneed-marked Broncos were targeted. His suffocating influence is not reflected in the box score, but is often decisive. He’s the worst bully to envelop an offense’s thinking, as Miami Dolphins All Pro receiver Tyreek Hill discovered in the playoffs when he was knocked into the frozen grass at the line of scrimmage. Then, from icy insult to injury, Sneed grabbed a touchdown from Hill’s outstretched arms by attempting a daring one-handed interception in the end zone.
Quarterbacks have to work a lot harder against the Chiefs once their first read is absorbed. Having a relatively undersized offense hasn’t been an issue for Andy Reid this season, as he has consistently been able to rely on nullifying the league’s best pass catchers on the other side of the ball. When KC left for Minnesota in Week 5 and Justin Jefferson averaged 135 yards per game, Sneed allowed just two receptions for 14 yards. He put up similar performances throughout the regular season against the league’s great and good: Ja’Marr Chase 0 receptions, 0 yards, Keenan Allen 0-0; Davante Adams 1-4; DJ Moore 1-4; Hill 1-6; AJ Brown 1-8; Calvin Ridley 2-32.
Win or lose, Sneed was sublime. He should make the same effort against the Ravens on the road in the AFC Championship Game. As in Buffalo, Sneed suffered. A shift to safety set up the longest play of the game, a 54-yard uppercut from Zay Flowers as the Ravens threatened to spark a late comeback. Four plays later, Sneed was off the canvas with a haymaker. Flowers was inches away from clawing his team back, but as he dove toward the end zone, the Sneed’s iron fist struck home, forcing a fumble that limited Baltimore’s chances. Sneed capped an epic defensive effort that overcame Kansas City’s battle with the Ravens’ stellar defense.
In Las Vegas, the San Francisco 49ers have offensive weapons aimed at tearing the roof off the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs have an answer in Sneed.
