The Chiefs' toughest opponent in the first round of the playoffs was not the Dolphins, but Mother Nature, with temperatures worthy of Kansas City Ice Age.
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The Chiefs advance to the next round with a 26-7 win. The temperature at kick-off was -20 degrees Celsius, the feeling was -33 degrees. This is the fourth coldest game in the NFL's long history.
Coming straight from Miami, the Dolphins seemed like they wanted to be anywhere in the world but Arrowhead Stadium. The contrast with the Chiefs was stark. While good old Andy Reid walked the sidelines with no hood, no gloves for much of the game, and a mustache decorated with icicles, frail Mike McDaniel was dressed head to toe like an Antarctic explorer.
There's nothing to say against the Dolphins pilot's outfit. It was correct under the circumstances, but the image was impressive. Visitors felt like they were trapped in Siberia while locals looked at home in front of the fireplace in their slippers.
A hidden attack
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In fact, the only thing colder than room temperature in this game was the Dolphins offense.
In addition to a long 53-yard touchdown from Tyreek Hill off a pass from Tua Tagovailoa that cut the deficit to 10-7 in the second quarter, the Dolphins' formidable offense was kept in check.
Since last week's game, the offense has converted just one third less on 16 attempts. Hill, reconnecting with his old Kansas City fans, was limited to 62 yards. He hasn't surpassed the 100-yard mark since Dec. 3, hampered by an ankle sprain.
Overall, the offense was limited to 264 yards. Excluding the long play of 53 yards, the Dolphins had to settle for a paltry 3.5 yards per play. Given the inclement weather, one would have expected the Dolphins to rely more on the ground game, but that strategy never seems to be part of their DNA.
Hats off to the Chiefs defense! All year long, this unit got the job done, even when the Chiefs offense struggled. This performance is therefore not surprising.
Good and bad
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On the Chiefs' offensive side, Patrick Mahomes was once again the champion at home with his 10th home win in the playoffs and his 12th win overall. At just 28 years old, he joins some great quarterbacks like Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach and Aaron Rodgers.
Mahomes finished the game with 264 yards and one touchdown pass. In Kansas City, in the playoffs, his ratio is now 31 touchdown passes to three interceptions. It is ridiculous!
Even his helmet, which had completely shattered in the cold of the moon after the contact, didn't stop him from dominating.
With his team's other touchdown, Carrier Isiah Pacheco gained 89 yards on the ground. Trying to deal with this demon-possessed young man is already an arduous task, but doing it under such harsh conditions was an impossible task.
The offense showed very encouraging signs with gains of 409 yards. This is the first harvest of more than 400 yards since Oct. 22, which should encourage troops.
However, only two touchdowns were scored in six appearances in the paying zone, which is puzzling.
Mahomes and his gang really imposed their rhythm, moving the ball how they wanted, one hand behind their back against the Dolphins' repeated attacks. However, it should be noted that the Dolphins' defensive brigade has been absolutely decimated by injuries and the second round duel will most likely not be that pleasant for the Chiefs.
So the Chiefs are champions at home, but will probably have to go into exile next week. It will be interesting to see how they react.
In the case of the Dolphins, history repeats itself. The team hasn't won a playoff game since 2000. Over the last two years, the record is 4-10 in December and January.
The physical aspect is definitely missing from this team. The speed is fantastic, but when it freezes it runs slower…
THE 3 STARS OF THE GAME
Rashee Rice
Despite all the bad things that have rightly been said about the Chiefs' receivers this season, there is one that definitely stands out, and that is rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice. He caught eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, becoming the team's first rookie receiver to surpass 100 yards in the playoffs.
George Karlaftis
The Chiefs defensive end made a big jump this season with 10.5 sacks. He continued that momentum against the Dolphins with 1.5 sacks and six tackles.
Nick Bolton
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The linebacker makes a big difference in the heart of the Chiefs defense. Bolton is the general with 10 tackles. He is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere on the field. The Chiefs defense is very young and Bolton is only 23 years old.