Many critics viewed the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday as an upset on their way to another Super Bowl appearance. Resilience on the road in hostile environments has changed the narrative around Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes regarding road post-season games.
Mahomes is now a road warrior after going undefeated in both road playoff games this year. He was ready for the tough crowds in Buffalo and Baltimore but may not have been prepared for the hostile pregame routine conditions he faced on Sunday.
Speaking to Carrington Harrison on 610 Sports Radio show “The Drive” during his weekly check-in, Mahomes revealed the reason for the odd pregame interaction between him, Travis Kelce, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
“I’ve had like seven years of doing that same warm-up routine and there’s only been, I think, like three occasions where there’s been a kicker that wasn’t necessarily moving out the way, or you thought you weren’t sharing the field in the right way,” Mahomes explained. “I mean, it was in Baltimore all three times. He does a little stuff, I think, to try to get under our skin.
“I asked him to move his stuff, and he got up and moved it, I think, two inches, but didn’t move it out of the way. And I was gonna kind of let it fly. But Travis (Kelce) got it and moved it for me. And then after that, I wasn’t gonna let them put it back down.”
The video was released shortly before the kickoff of the AFC Championship game, as it initially appeared as if Mahomes and Kelce were bullying the Ravens kicker. Mahomes providing his perspective gives the video more context and understanding.
Travis Kelce told Justin Tucker he needed to move because their QB Patrick Mahomes had to warm up. So Kelce kicked his ball away and threw his helmet. 😂 pic.twitter.com/pFF0DC1yA7
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 28, 2024
“So it’s something that we move on,” Mahomes said. “I have a lot of respect for him (Tucker) as a player and as a kicker. One of the best kickers of all time, probably the best kicker of all time, but at the same time, you [have] got to have respect for each team. We all share the field, and we try to do that in a respectful way.”
The Chiefs will have an extra week of preparation before they play in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, February 11th.