“I didn’t even hesitate to score once I knew the situation we were in,” McKinnon said Sunday via Harold R. Kuntz of FOX 4 KC. “It was just a blessing, man. All the reactions from the fans, from the people. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
After a defensive penalty on third- and eighth-place James Bradberry, the Chiefs had a first down with 1:48 to go, with the Eagles having only one time-out. McKinnon took the handoff and dodged to the left as Philly defenders cleared a path to the end zone. Instead of taking the score – and putting his name in the record books – the accomplished RB slipped at the 2-yard line and the rest is history.
If McKinnon had scored, Philly would have had plenty of time to try and level the game. The running back credited Andy Reid and the coaching staff with preparing him and the team for exactly those situations.
“We practice that every week … I didn’t really think about it much because we were coached that way,” he said. “That’s how Coach Reid coaches us. Of course, when this piece came out, I didn’t understand the magnitude of it until after accidentally seeing everyone else’s reaction, it was all a blessing.”
It’s one thing when coaches preach to come down in this situation. It’s another thing players need to run, especially with a wide open way to pay dirt. At every second moment of the game, offensive players try to score. McKinnon, a pending free agent, wisely didn’t do it when given the chance.