Despite being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain just eight days before the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes proved why he is a force to be reckoned with. Just 17 seconds from the end of the game, Mahomes faced a third-and-4 situation. The clock ticking away, he stepped forward into a vacant space before noticing an area to the right side wide open, and gambled on the 5-yard run. According to NextGen Stats, Mahomes was clocked at a staggering 18.14 mph when he hit top speed.

"At some points in the games, you've got to put it all on the line," Mahomes told CBS Sports. “I knew I was going to get there somehow.” Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. emphasized how high the stakes were, and the difficulty of the task. He praised the Bengals for their ability to out-execute the Chiefs, credits Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson for his pass-rushing ability, and praised the Kansas City coaching staff for the high standards they place on their players.

Head Coach Andy Reid echoed the sentiment, telling the BBC, “I'm proud of Patrick for fighting for every single yard out there, and for leaving it all on the field despite the injury. He may not have won the Championship, but he certainly showed that anything is possible when you set your mind on achieving a goal.”

The Chiefs may have lost this Championship, but Mahomes has set a new standard of determination and grit. Even though the season may not have ended with the result Mahomes and the Chiefs wanted, their incredible performance proves beyond a doubt that Mahomes is one of the fiercest competitors in the game today.