Playing Patrick Mahomes in a playoff game is usually a nightmare. The quarterback has been extremely successful in the postseason, reaching four Super Bowls over seven seasons as a starter.
Prior to 2024, he had made the AFC Championship Game every year he was a starter in the NFL. Consequently, his backup playing in a playoff game was supposed to result in disaster.
Jarvis Landry Recalls 2020 Playoff Heartbreak Following Patrick Mahomes’ Injury
The Cleveland Browns had their best chance of the century in 2020. After a strong regular season and an upset victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns played against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.
Their chances grew greatly after Mahomes left the game in the third quarter with a concussion. It looked like the Chiefs wouldn’t survive without their superstar, but backup Chad Henne, already a veteran at the time, became an unlikely hero.
Even with Mahomes out, Henne led the team to another victory, crushing the hearts of Browns fans. Former wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who played for Cleveland at the time, spoke to Leonard Fournette in a recent episode of their podcast “4th and South” about his feelings regarding Henne.
“I got beef with this guy. This man, Cold Chad Henne, came off the bench bro, and crushed my dreams.”
Henne finished the game with six completed passes out of eight attempts, 66 yards, and an interception. It wasn’t a great performance by any means, but he kept the offense running and held off the Browns.
A scramble late in the game became the signature mark of that contest, effectively sending the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game. Kansas City was even luckier in the days that followed.
Mahomes quickly cleared the concussion protocol, and he was able to play in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. He put on an excellent performance and the Chiefs qualified for the Super Bowl, where they lost, 31-9, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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For Landry and the Browns, the future wasn’t as bright. He never replicated the numbers from that season, and Cleveland has not won a playoff game since 2020. The Browns only returned to the postseason in 2023 but were quickly dispatched by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.
Henne spent the rest of his career in Kansas City as the backup for Mahomes. He retired after the 2022 season with the Chiefs winning Super Bowl 57. He was also a backup during Super Bowl 54, winning two Super Bowl rings in his career.
