"Go win it all": When mic’d-up Patrick Mahomes showed class with message to Joe Burrow after AFC title loss

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has only lost two AFC championship games since 2018. The last of these losses came against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 when Joe Burrow inspired his team to a 27-24 win after trailing at halftime.

Although Mahomes was disappointed with the loss, he showed professionalism during the post-game interaction and conveyed his best regards to Burrow.

NFL broadcasters captured the brief interaction between the two young quarterbacks as they gathered around for the customary handshakes. The clip was shared on X in February 2022 as Burrow greeted Mahomes by saying, “Hey, good game, 15! (Patrick Mahomes number)”

Mahomes responded by saying:

“Nine! (Joe Burrow’s number) Way to play man. Good luck my brother. Go win it all.”

The two teams faced each other at Arrowhead Stadium, with the Chiefs looking to defend their AFC crown. The Chiefs dominated the first half, leading 21-10. However, Burrow led a late resurgence for the Bengals. A 31-yard field goal fetched a hard-fought victory for the Bengals, leading them to their first Super Bowl in 32 years.

Mahomes looked upset with the loss and called it the worst playoff performance of his career during an appearance on Pro Football Talk in January 2022.

He said:

“That second half I played, I didn't play really good football at all. Probably my worst playoff football I've played was the second half of the game.”

Patrick Mahomes took the loss against Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals as a learning experience

At the time, Joe Burrow was the only QB not named Tom Brady to defeat Patrick Mahomes in the postseason. Mahomes took the loss in his stride.

"So I'm just trying to use that as a learning thing that whenever I'm struggling, or a team's struggling, just find a way to get positive plays because when you have a lead like that, you don't want to lose that lead," he told Pro Football Talk.

The Bengals lost 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. The following year, Mahomes exacted revenge for the 2022 defeat by helping his team to a 23-20 win against Cincinnati.