Marcus Mariota’s Wild Self-Pass Touchdown Still Lives Rent-Free in Chiefs Fans’ Minds

The Kansas City Chiefs may have caught a break heading into “Monday Night Football,” with Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels ruled out for Week 8. But fans at Arrowhead Stadium still have reason to be nervous. Washington’s backup quarterback, Marcus Mariota, has already made history against Kansas City — and not in a way Chiefs fans like to remember.

It’s been nearly seven years since Mariota pulled off one of the most unbelievable plays in NFL postseason history. Yet, as the Chiefs prepare to face the Commanders, the memory of that 2018 Wild Card game still stings.

Marcus Mariota’s Wild Touchdown Still Haunts the Chiefs

On January 6, 2018, Mariota and the Tennessee Titans came into Arrowhead Stadium as underdogs. The Chiefs started fast, taking a commanding 21-3 lead, and it looked like they were cruising toward an easy playoff win. But then came one of the strangest — and most unforgettable — plays the NFL has ever seen.

Late in the third quarter, with Tennessee in the red zone, Mariota scrambled left and appeared ready to run for a touchdown. At the last second, he pulled up and fired toward wide receiver Corey Davis in the back of the end zone.

The pass was tipped by cornerback Darrelle Revis and somehow bounced straight back into Mariota’s hands.

The quarterback caught his own deflected pass and dove into the end zone for a touchdown — officially a pass to himself. It sparked a comeback that saw the Titans score 19 unanswered points and stun the Chiefs 22-21.

For Kansas City, the loss marked the end of an era. It was the final game for quarterback Alex Smith as the team’s starter, setting the stage for Patrick Mahomes to take over the following season.

Chiefs Reflect on ‘That Crazy Play’ Ahead of Week 8

As the Chiefs prepare to face Mariota once again, head coach Andy Reid and several players reflected on that shocking playoff moment.

“Mariota, we know, has come in here and won a game,” Reid told reporters this week, according to Yahoo Sports. “He’s a good football player, and we don’t slight that at all.”

Mahomes, who watched that 2018 game from the sidelines as a rookie backup, hasn’t forgotten either. “It was such a crazy swing of momentum,” Mahomes said. “There were a couple of plays here and there that changed the whole thing. If you talk about the Derrick Johnson sack-fumble that didn’t get called — and then Marcus making that crazy play.”

Mahomes admitted that the loss taught him a lot. “You can’t let those plays completely change the game,” he said. “You have to find ways to manage that.”

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made it clear that Kansas City is taking Mariota seriously this time. “They did

a really good job getting a backup quarterback who fits exactly what they do,” Spagnuolo said. “I don’t think they skip a beat offensively.”

Linebacker Nick Bolton agreed. “They do a great job of keeping the offense similar in the things that they do,” he said. “Mariota just runs the ball a little bit more with his legs.”

Mariota’s record since that game hasn’t been impressive — he’s now on his fourth team in five years with a 15-20 record as a starter — but the Chiefs know better than to underestimate him. Mahomes summed it up best: “[Mariota’s] had great moments, and he’s persevered. Now he’s teaching Jayden [Daniels], and when he comes in the game, he’s one of the top-tier backups who can find success whenever his number

is called.”

Broncos' Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup: Rising On the Winds of an Upset

The Denver Broncos shocked the world by defeating the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 in Week 5. Being on the right end of a comeback victory is oh so sweet after losing twice on last-second field goals, and it might be what the Broncos needed to build confidence.

Speaking of confidence, the Broncos have climbed multiple spots in this week’s power rankings roundup. Let's examine where the Broncos stand entering Week 6, starting with Sports Illustrated, followed by NFL.com, and

ESPN.

Are the Buccaneers REAL Super Bowl contenders?!

The Broncos' average ranking? 10th. That's up four spots from last week's average of 14th.

Sports Illustrated: 11th

“The Broncos and Courtland Sutton in particular went after the largely avoided Quinyon Mitchell on Sunday with, according to

NextGenStats, three catches for 64 yards alone in the fourth quarter. That’s more than Mitchell has given up to a single wide receiver in a game all year,” Connor Orr wrote.

While three catches for 64 yards against Mitchell doesn’t sound impressive, the few catches Sutton did have were very critical in the Broncos' fourth-quarter dominance. Two of his best catches came on the Broncos’ touchdown drive to give them the lead, both of which were first downs.

Sutton may not have had a superstar performance, but he showed up in the moments he was needed most.

NFL.com: 10th

“Slow starts remain a huge issue; asking the defense to hold teams down while the offense figures things out feels like a shaky roadmap for success. But it worked Sunday in Philadelphia, with Nix and the attack roundly struggling prior to the fourth quarter. The second-year QB completed nine of his 10 passes in the final period for 127 yards and a touchdown (adding another completion on a two-point conversion) to deliver the rousing victory. And now, with this Sunday's London tilt coming against the winless Jets, there's a golden opportunity to exorcise some of those slow-start demons,”

Eric Edholm wrote.

Slow starts still plague the Broncos’ offense, and that can bite them like we’ve already seen against the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers. Playing from behind for a large portion of this week’s contest isn’t a recipe to win every week, but their defense affords them more chances to score while holding the opposition back.

Bo Nix played poorly for three quarters, but when the Broncos needed him most, he stepped up and delivered in the clutch like a franchise quarterback should. If Nix keeps developing and shows this team he can carry them when called upon, he’ll undoubtedly be the man in Denver.

ESPN: 9th

“In the Broncos' Week 4 win over the Bengals, Dobbins had the first 100-yard rushing game for Denver since Latavius Murray in the 2022 season finale. It was also the first 100-yard rushing game of Sean Payton's tenure as Broncos coach. Payton has steadily moved Dobbins into a firm RB1 role, and Dobbins followed his 100-yard game with 20 carries in Week 5. The Broncos have used Tyler Badie in their two-minute offense, and rookie RJ Harvey will continue to get snaps, but Dobbins has been the one to help the offense move,”

Jeff Legwold wrote.

J.K. Dobbins has been the most impactful signing for the Broncos’ offense, which sounds crazy after also adding tight end Evan Engram, who has been shaky. The Broncos desperately needed a ground game that could take pressure off Nix and would grind down teams throughout a matchup, and it seems Dobbins was the missing component.

The one-two punch of Dobbins and Harvey is starting to materialize, and that should scare any defense lined up across from them.

The Takeaway

This week, the Broncos travel across the pond to London to face the winless New York Jets. Denver may have beaten the defending champs, but that doesn’t mean it can overlook the Jets, who have some nasty players on defense.

If the Broncos can take care of business in London, they’ll have a shot at the top in the AFC West.