Tag: Damien Williams

Patrick Mahomes withstands greatest challenge of his career to win Super Bowl LIV

The 49ers had Patrick Mahomes right where they wanted him. And then they found out what the rest of the NFL already knows.

MIAMI — Before tonight, Patrick Mahomes had thrown two or more interceptions in an NFL game exactly three times: Against the Rams, Jaguars, and Patriots, all in the 2018 season. Before tonight, Patrick Mahomes had never thrown a postseason interception. Before tonight, to make Patrick Mahomes look mortal, you basically had to hope he’d leave the field. Before tonight, Patrick Mahomes had never faced a defense that had him bamboozed as the San Francisco 49ers’ defense did.

And yet, even with the 49ers up, 20-10 going into the second half of the fourth quarter, there wasn’t a single individual on the Chiefs’ sideline who didn’t believe their quarterback wouldn’t lead them to victory in Super Bowl LIV.

Because there is Patrick Mahomes and there is everybody else, and the 49ers learned that the hard way tonight. The Chiefs scored three touchdowns in a five-minute stretch in their usual whipsaw fashion, ending with Damien Williams’ 38-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left in the game, and that was the proverbial dagger in Kansas City’s 31-20 victory. It was the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Mahomes, who finished the game with 26 completions in 42 attempts for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, became at age 24, the youngest Super Bowl MVP in the game’s history.

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Give it to the 49ers’ ravenous-for-a-while defense, though — they did everything they could to beat Mahomes and his explosive offense into submission. They sacked Mahomes four times, created four tackles for loss, bombarded him with eight quarterback hits, and seemed to have him on their radar for a pressure on every snap. At the half, Mahomes had been restricted to throwing mostly short passes, he told me, because the 49ers’ pass rush made it that way. And hearing Mahomes say that a defense bent him to its will is a highly unusual event.

“That was just how the game turned out,” he said. “Those guys were getting upfield — obviously that’s a lot of great defensive linemen, and they were covering downfield. So, we hit some short stuff, and when I saw their safeties coming up [in the box], we tried to take some shots later on in the game.”

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

The 49ers did vary their usual Cover-3 and Cover-4 looks, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh dialed some great stuff up to try and — well, if not confuse Mahomes, to at least delay his usual deadly responses when it’s time to make deep throws. Over and over, while the pressure was closing in, San Francisco would vary its safety looks — presenting Mahomes with single-high pre-snap looks to then morph into two-high concepts — and at times, vice-versa. The vice was closing for a while.

Limited to 12 completions in 18 attempts for 104 yards in the first half, Mahomes tried to take his shots later on. It did not always go well. He threw one interception to linebacker Fred Warner on a weird read on an attempt to receiver Tyreek Hill…

…and then, another pass to Hill bounced off the target and landed in the hands of cornerback Tarvarius Moore — a guy who had played a total of 155 coverage snaps all season.

It was the first interception of Moore’s career, the first time Mahomes had thrown more than one pick in a game since Week 11 of the 2018 season, and San Francisco’s resulting touchdown made the game 20-10, and seemed to put the thing in the bag for a defense that had Mahomes on the ropes.

Of course, every team the Chiefs have played in the playoffs thought they had the Chiefs on the ropes. The Texans had a 24-0 lead in the divisional round, and lost. The Titans had a 10-0 lead in the conference championship round, and lost. The 49ers had 10-0 and 20-10 leads, and then all hell broke loose.

It could be that like Rocky Balboa, Mahomes is the kind of fighter who has to get hit a few times before he wakes up, and then, he just starts beating the living daylights out of the defense unfortunate enough to be on the other side of the equation.

“That team, that’s kind of how they’ve been all year,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “They’re not a team that does it every drive. They get a little bit hot and cold. They can score very fast. That’s why there were two playoff games where they were cold to start and they were down, and by halftime, they fixed it in both games. That’s how the team is. That team doesn’t do it every time, but it was a matter of time.”

Shanahan, the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in their infamous 28-3 collapse against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI at the end of the 2016 season, now has to deal with the reality of another blown double-digit lead in a Super Bowl.

For the Chiefs, such handicaps seem like minor obstacles at best, as long as Mahomes is on their side.

Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones, who deflected three Jimmy Garoppolo passes and might have taken the Defensive MVP award if such a thing was given in the Super Bowl, sounded like a cross between a Baptist preacher and Muhammad Ali when describing his quarterback, and the belief his teammates have in him.

“There was no doubt in my mind we were gonna win,” Jones exhorted. “We went down 10, the game went a little shifty up and down, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind. We got ‘MVPat’ on our side. We’ve got the fastest and best receiver corps IN THE LEAGUE [emphasis very much his]. And our defense? Sack Nation, baby! They’re gonna make a movie about this!”

When they do, the turning point of the plot will inevitably be Mahomes’ 44-yard completion to Hill with 7:13 left in the game. The Chiefs had third-and-15 at that point, still down 20-10, and

“They were playing this kind of robber coverage all game long, where the safety was coming down and robbing our deep crossing routes. We had a good play call on where [tight end Travis] Kelce did a little stutter deep cross. We had Tyreek getting one-on-one with that safety, and the biggest thing is that we needed really good protection. It was a long route. It was actually the same play we ran against New England in the playoffs last year [the 2018 AFC Championship game], getting him down the sideline. We had great protection, I put it out there, and Tyreek made a great play.”

All-22 tape from that New England game shows how the Chiefs and Hill (at the top of the screen) confounded the Patriots with it. Hill was in the outside slot in both instances; the Chiefs just flipped the play this time around.

Another kill shot was the 38-yard completion to receiver Sammy Watkins with 3:58 left in the game. Watkins beat cornerback Richard Sherman downfield on a straight press coverage matchup — the kind Sherman usually wins.

“I just knew it was one-on-one from film study,” Watkins said. “On a play where he was covering [Packers receiver] Davante Adams], I saw [Sherman] coming off an inside release when he’d been playing heavy outside the whole game. I knew Pat could make the throw, and that’s why we work on those types of situations.”

That put the ball on the San Francisco 10-yard line, and the Chiefs scored the go-ahead touchdown three plays later on a five-yard pass to running back Damien Williams.

From there, it was all academic.

Sherman was as quiet after the game as you’ll ever hear him; that Watkins touchdown certainly weighed on his mind, as did several others he and the rest of the 49ers will replay over and over in their heads all offseason. But there was no shame in San Francisco’s performance; they simply came up against a quarterback who is uniquely engineered to pull victory out of the jaws of defeat at a level and with a frequency we may never have seen before.

Earlier this week, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner told me that Mahomes may become the most complete quarterback the NFL has ever seen. As sloppy as this performance was at times, it was actually a huge part of that progression. Mahomes faced an absolutely elite defense that had his number, and in the end, it still didn’t matter.

Patrick Mahomes was going to win this game, and as long as he believed it to be so, the belief would become reality. That he can wrap something as hard as winning a Super Bowl around that displays, more than ever, how uniquely incredible he is.

Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar previously covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”

Raheem Mostert, Damien Williams swap jerseys after Super Bowl

Damien Williams left the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration to swap jerseys with Raheem Mostert.

The 49ers fell to the Chiefs 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV, but there wasn’t any animosity after the game between the teams’ running backs, Raheem Mostert and Damien Williams.

Williams left the post-game celebration on the field to track down Mostert in the tunnel for a jersey swap.

Mostert had 12 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown. Williams had a much bigger game with 104 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go along with four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

The two backs were both undrafted free agents that spent several years without a role on a team before landing with their current teams and carving out significant roles. They spent time together in 2015 with the Dolphins, although Mostert was cut in early October.

While the two players aren’t on the field at the same time, it’s cool seeing the mutual respect between them, and this is a classy move by Williams to leave the postgame celebration to find Mostert.

Super Bowl 54: How the Kansas City Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points

The Chiefs erupted for 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV.

The Kansas City Chiefs were down 20-10 and hopes were fading entering the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium.

Fifteen minutes separated Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes from disappointment. And then Mahomes magic took over the the quarterback led the Chiefs to 21 unanswered points and a 31-20 victory that ended a 50-year drought for Kansas City.

How did it happen?

SF:20-10 to 20-17

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Travis Kelce 1 Yd pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker Kick)
Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 2:40
Key plays:

3rd & 15 at KC 35

(7:13 – 4th) (Shotgun) P.Mahomes pass deep left to T.Hill to SF 21 for 44 yards (J.Ward) [D.Buckner].

3rd & 10 at SF 21

(6:23 – 4th) (Shotgun) P.Mahomes pass incomplete deep left to T.Kelce (T.Moore). PENALTY on SF-T.Moore, Defensive Pass Interference, 20 yards, enforced at SF 21 – No Play.

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Oklahoma’s Damien Williams a big piece of Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV win

Former Oklahoma running back Damien Williams played a large part in the Chiefs 31-20 Super Bowl win over the 49ers. 

Former Oklahoma running back Damien Williams played a large part in the Chiefs 31-20 Super Bowl win over the 49ers.

Williams saw plenty of production throughout the game, running the ball 17 times for 104 yards and catching four passes for 29 yards. He finished with a game-high two touchdowns, one on the ground and one in the air.

The El Cajon Valley high school product played for the Sooners in 2012 and 13, rushing for 1,499 yards on 290 carries. he scored 18 total rushing touchdowns for the Sooners.

His first touchdown came of the game came with 2:44 left in the game, when Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit him on a five-yard pass for the go-ahead touchdown to put the Chiefs up 24-20.

After a Kansas City stop, Williams broke away from the defense for a 38-yard rushing touchdown to put the game well out of each for the 49ers.

This marks the first super bowl the Chiefs have won since Super Bowl IV in 1970, and the first in head coach Andy Reid’s long career.

 

Three former Oklahoma players win Super Bowl LIV

Three former Oklahoma players have a title that can never be taken away from them: Super Bowl Champion.

Three former Oklahoma players have a title that can never be taken away from them: Super Bowl Champion.

Blake Bell, James Winchester, and Damien Williams are among the 53 men who are on Kansas City’s roster, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Miami tonight.

Damien Williams helped lead the way with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help seal the deal over the San Francisco 49ers.

Blake Bell got in on the action with a catch and James Winchester assisted the kicking game with long snaps.

This is the first Super Bowl victory for 50 years for a title, winning Super Bowl IV over the Green Bay Packers back in 1970.

Bell, Williams, and Winchester make 34 Sooners to win an NFL Championship in the Super Bowl era.

Bell was a quarterback and tight end for Oklahoma from 2011-2014, Williams was a running back from 2012 to 2013 and Winchester a utility man for the 2010-2011 seasons.

The Chiefs beat the Niners in Super Bowl LIV 31-20.

WATCH: Damien Williams scores touchdown in Super Bowl LIV

The former Sooner will forever have his name synonymous with Super Bowl history.

The former Sooner will forever have his name synonymous with Super Bowl history.

Damien Williams got home through the air with a five-yard toss from Patrick Mahomes.

Williams was a running back for Oklahoma played 22 games for the Sooners in 2012 and 2013. In his career, Williams rushed for 1,499 yards, caught 43 passes for 410 yards and had a total of 19 touchdowns.

In his four years in the NFL, Williams has played for the Kansas City Chiefs for the past two seasons and has rushed for 754 yards and has 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

The Chiefs lead the San Francisco 49ers with less than two minutes to play.

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The Chiefs’ spin moves on fourth down in the Super Bowl made Twitter go crazy

Can’t tell if this is the Super Bowl or a New Edition concert?

It takes a strong resolve to go for it on 4th down. It’s not an easy thing to do and could actually cost you a game if the decision backfires.

You know what takes real guts though? Having your players bust out DANCE MOVES to go for it on fourth down in the Super Bowl. You know who has those guts? Andy. Reid.

After the Chiefs failed to pick up a first down because of a big hit on Patrick Mahomes, Reid had the Chiefs line up in a funky formation on fourth down that didn’t make a ton of sense initially.

What were they going to do here? Is this a wildcat play? Is a receiver about to throw an interception on 4th and 1? How is this going to work.

And that’s when they busted out the group spin.

Next thing you know, Damien Williams burst through the line of scrimmage for a first down and then some.

It wasn’t just the fact that it was a cool looking play. It was the fact that they really busted out the Temptations spin moves in the middle of a game. It’s like they were a boy band on a football field.

The Chiefs didn’t score on this play, but they certainly scored in our hearts. They need to include extra points for flare. Make that a rule from now on.

WATCH: Patrick Mahomes takes the ball in for the Chiefs’ first SBLIV touchdown

Surprise! The Chiefs have been run-heavy early in Super Bowl LIV, and with some success.

You expected the Chiefs to come out going thermonuclear with their passing game against the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV? Sure. We all did. And perhaps that was the plan, but through Kansas City’s first two drives, the run game — seen as Kansas City’s most predominant weakness — has been the difference in what is a 7-3 score at the end of the first quarter.

The Chiefs went three-and-out on their first drive, just as they did in the divisional round against the Texans, and in the AFC Championship game against the Titans. The most predominant play of their second drive was this 14-yard run by Damien Williams, which took the ball from the San Francisco 42-yard line to the 28.

And after a 12-yard run later in the drive in which he fumbled out of bounds, quarterback Patrick Mahomes took it in for the first touchdown of the game.

It’s been a tight battle so far, but as we have seen, the Chiefs are more than able to put a boatload of points on the board in a big hurry. In the first quarter, Mahomes completed five of nine passes, and he’s had accuracy issues to either side of the field on shorter, horizontal throws.

Former Dolphins RB Damien Williams dishes on his departure from Miami

Kansas City Chiefs RB Damien Williams explains how he came to leave the Dolphins during the 2018 offseason.

Former Miami Dolphins running back Damien Williams is probably happy with how things turned out since his time in Miami. The veteran running back was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs and on Sunday will play a big role in deciding the winner of Super Bowl LIV in Hard Rock Stadium — a place Williams called home for several seasons.

For Dolphins fans, seeing another former Dolphin player find success elsewhere certainly stings. Why couldn’t Williams find any level of success like this in Miami? Well, not having Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes during Williams’ stay with the Dolphins certainly didn’t help the cause.

But Williams actually wanted to be here in Miami, or so he indicated while talking to the media this week in Miami in the buildup to Sunday’s big game. And had it not been for a familiar foe, Williams might actually have gotten the contract with Miami that he was looking for.

In a spot with NFL Network’s Jim Trotter, Williams revealed that former Dolphins coach Adam Gase had told him that the team planned to re-up his contract — before ghosting Williams and failing to return his phone calls after Williams had shoulder surgery.

“That really hurt,” said Williams. “I was there four years and gave Miami my all. I still have not spoken to him to this day. That hurt me because me and Gase were cool.”

Of course. Of course Adam Gase played a hand in shuttling yet another player out the door, only to see that player find more success once finally freed of his guidance. We’re a few New York Jets transactions away from having enough names to justify making a directory or a coffee-table book commemorating all of those who have thrived post-Gase.

Hopefully there will be a page dedicated to the Miami Dolphins, too — provided they can finish what they’ve started and successfully overhaul this roster into a competitive one.

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2020 Super Bowl Prop Bets: How many rushing yards will Damien Williams have?

Analyzing the 2020 Super Bowl prop bets, and looking at the betting odds and lines around Kansas City Chiefs RB Damien Williams.

[jwplayer 2XgmjwzG]

Super Bowl LIV features two very evenly matched teams with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs squaring off Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The oddsmakers at BetMGM predict it to be a close battle with the Chiefs entering as 1.5-point favorites.

The 49ers boast a dominant ground game and defense, while the Chiefs have 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and an offense that can light up a scoreboard in a hurry. One player who doesn’t get talked about much for Kansas City is RB Damien Williams.

That’s probably because he only started six games and rushed for 498 yards this season, not playing a significant role until the second half of the year. Entering Super Bowl LIV, he’s the Chiefs’ starter at running back.

Just how productive will he be against the 49ers defense, though? And should you bet on his rushing yards total for the game?

Damien Williams Super Bowl LIV rushing yards: 100.5

(Photo Credit: Jeff Curry – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

On the surface, it seems obvious to take the Under on that total. Williams has rushed for at least 100 yards only three times in his career and twice this season. In the playoffs, he has gained 92 yards on 29 carries.

When you look at the betting line, it’s not such an easy bet. The Over is +600, while the Under is -1000. In other words, a $10 bet on the Over will pay out $60, and a $10 wager on the Under will net you a whopping $1.

Risking $10 to win a buck doesn’t seem like smart business, especially with Williams’ speed. He had a 91-yard run this season, which was the longest in the NFL. he’s a big play waiting to happen, and although the 49ers allowed only two running backs to gain at least 100 yards against them this season, Williams is a firecracker.

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It’ll be difficult for him to get enough opportunities to top the 100-yard mark. He has never received 20 carries in a single game in his career and only twice has he carried it more than 13 times. The Chiefs are clearly going to lean on their MVP quarterback, thus limiting the chances for Williams.

If the Chiefs want to attempt to negate the 49ers’ pass rush, utilizing draws and wide zone runs could help.

It’s not worth betting $10 to win $1. It’s certainly not worth laying down $100 to win $10 on the Under. You’re better off putting a wager on the OVER 100.5 (+600) and hoping Williams can find a crease and create a big play on the ground. He’s not going to get 20 carries, and in the two games in which he topped 100 rushing yards this season, he had a carry of 91 yards and 84 yards.

Also see:

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