The way that quarterback Chad Henne made his NFL postseason debut at age 35 is the worst possible scenario for any stakeholder of the Kansas City Chiefs: he had to fill in for starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who left the game to enter concussion protocol after an awkward tackle in the third quarter.
Not only was that Henne’s first time taking playoff snaps, but it was also his first-ever in-game playing time with the Chiefs’ first-team offense. He was tasked with defending a 12-point lead — and finished the job by completing 6 of 8 passes for 66 crucial yards in the three drives he played.
Henne ended up making the game-sealing play with his arm, but the most courageous play of the day was made with his legs. His scramble on third-and-14 with nearly a minute remaining took a lot of guts to go for. He didn’t convert for a first down — but his effort gave the Chiefs a better chance of converting their final fourth-down attempt.
The third-year Chief took advantage of the biggest opportunity he’s had to directly help this team win.
“I kind of felt the pocket collapse after a certain amount of time,” Henne began to explain to reporters. “I looked over at the sideline, felt I had a lot of running room, and tried to make the first down as much as possible. I put my head down — and this team’s done so much for me, I put my body out there for them.”
In his 11th season, Henne might have made the signature play of his career — six seasons removed from the last time he legitimately started games. Once a second-round pick with starting aspirations, Henne’s built-up experience helped him transition to being a de facto quarterback coach for Patrick Mahomes since 2018.
Even when a backup quarterback understands their role, the fire in them to play never dies out.
“I’m always a competitor,” Henne declared. “Throughout the years — if it went my way or it didn’t go my way — I just felt like I loved the game still, loved being around the locker room. Especially coming here; it just enlightened me. Coach Reid and his staff and the players here just brought out a lot of me. Especially Patrick — to see all his success, and he’s helped me out more than I feel like I’ve helped him. It’s just a pleasure to be here, and this is why I play. I prepare each and every week to go out there and be the best me, and just have fun with the guys.”
The debate for weeks leading up to Sunday was how the extended period of rest could negatively affect the Chiefs. What we failed to recognize was how it gave backup players a chance to get comfortable playing in case they were called upon in the postseason.
Henne provided proof for that perspective.
“I definitely felt a lot more comfortable out there [after] playing the last game of the season against the Chargers,” Henne admitted. “A full week of preparation, feeling the pocket is an important thing for a quarterback — especially if you haven’t been in there in awhile. I felt confident.”
It wasn’t just Henne who had self-confidence; the rest of the offense believed in the veteran.
“Once I got in that huddle, everyone had confidence in me. They were pushing for me, had my back, and this is a great team. It was a great opportunity to go out there and play with this team and come out with a victory.”
Confidence is a product of this team’s culture. It’s not a blind confidence; it’s a belief in the way the organization prepares. There was no play-call that exuded more confidence in this team than the final fourth-down conversion attempt. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that the coaching staff was ready for that scenario, and so was Henne.
“Film study showed that they were going to be in man coverage,” Henne explained. “We talked about the play Saturday night; Patrick, the coaching staff and I go over the plays that we like, and when I came over to the sideline, it was one of the plays that we picked. We felt confident in that play; one-on-one matchup with Tyreek Hill? Majority of the time, he’s going to win. He did a great route, and I just put the ball where it needed to be.”
These odd playoff games with incredible twists and close plays used to routinely end in defeats for this franchise. Now, the team can lose the best player they have ever had and still pull out a postseason win.
It’s not because a long-time curse was finally lifted a few years ago. It’s because this team is made up of players like Henne — who throws his 35-year-old body to the wolves because he wants to win for a fan base that might have easily forgotten he was even on the team before Week 17.
Henne’s ability to close out this victory was the latest example of this team’s “next man up” mentality. When the next man up is as willing to leave it all out on the field as the starter, it’s easier to see how this team has now won 24 of 25 legitimate games.