The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, but they could have built an even bigger lead if not for some terrible clock management.
The Bengals scored a touchdown with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter to cut Kansas City’s lead to 21-10. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked unstoppable on offense the entire first half, and that theme continued when they marched down the field on their ensuing possession. They got the ball all the way to the Cincinnati 1-yard line with nine seconds left, but they came away without points after a botched sequence of plays.
Kansas City had no timeouts left but plenty of time for two or three throws to the end zone. After an incompletion on first-and-goal, Mahomes threw a swing pass to Tyreek Hill in the flat. Hill was tackled short of the goal line, and time expired.
There were five seconds left when the ball was snapped. That should have been enough time for a quick pass to the end zone and then a field-goal attempt if it fell incomplete.
The Chiefs played a nearly flawless first half, but that was a major blunder. Andy Reid has had some big clock-management issues in the playoffs in the past, but Mahomes was as much to blame in this situation as the coach. The quarterback should have understood the situation and known not to throw a pass short of the goal line, even if he is used to Hill making defenders miss.
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