Mile markers on the road to Miami: The Matt Moore era

We’re looking at the key mile markers in the Kansas City Chiefs’ road to Miami.

It’s been a long, difficult path for this team to attain heights they haven’t reached in 50 years. We’re profiling the biggest stories along the way to Super Bowl LIV.

The Matt Moore Era

Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

After Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne fractured his ankle during a preseason game — ironically against the San Francisco 49ers — head coach Andy Reid wanted to replace the former Miami Dolphins quarterback with another veteran who could be a sounding board for Patrick Mahomes in the quarterback room.

He called another former Dolphins quarterback — one who hadn’t even been in the league the previous season: 35-year-old Matt Moore.

When Reid called, Moore was already dialed-in to life after the NFL, coaching high school players in his California home town; it didn’t take much to convince him to come to Kansas City and back up the reigning league MVP.

Of course, the plan is always for the backup quarterback to remain on the sideline; you don’t ever want them to have to come in to a game. But unfortunately, Moore was thrust into duty when Mahomes dislocated his kneecap in the second quarter of the team’s Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs were leading 10-6 when Moore stepped on the field in Denver. He led the offense well enough to put 20 additional points on the board, closing out a 30-6 rout against a division rival.

Then came his first start against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

Moore played well, completing 24 of 36 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. But with defensive linemen Chris Jones and Frank Clark out due to injury, the Chiefs were at a disadvantage. Moore was able to keep the team in the game, but ultimately the absence of defensive talent was too much. The team fought hard, but ultimately lost 31-24.

It wasn’t an ideal time for Mahomes to be out with an injury. After that tough loss on national television, the Chiefs had to play a hot Minnesota Vikings team that had won four straight games — and was improving offensively.

Moore played another sound game, completing 25 of 35 for 275 yards and a touchdown — and displaying a willingness to hang in and deliver tough throws from the pocket. While it wasn’t always pretty, Moore’s veteran savvy kept him from making the same mistake twice, ultimately helping the Chiefs to get in position for a field goal that secured a 26-23 victory.

If you had suggested to any Chiefs fan back in early August that Matt Moore would be one of the keys in a Chiefs Super Bowl run, they would have laughed in your face. He went from completely off the radar to leading the team to wins. You can’t tell the story of the 2019 Chiefs without the steady presence of a recently-retired quarterback who helped the Chiefs steal a win from a playoff team — without which the team could not have earned a postseason bye week.

Without Mahomes, the team also began to show its true colors. You never want your star player to miss time, but the win against the Vikings was one of the moments where people began to realize the defense really was different — and that the team had the kind of character that could win a championship.

Coming on Wednesday: The last bump in the road on the way to the Super Bowl.