KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, will mark a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are set to meet again.
The Chiefs punched their ticket into Super Bowl LVIII after defeating the Baltimore Ravens, while San Francisco edged the Detroit Lions to setup the Super Bowl rematch.
However, in 2020, there was one play that turned the tide for the Chiefs — a play that not only changed the momentum but the game.
The play has since been famously dubbed as Jet Chip Wasp.
Some Chiefs fans may remember there were t-shirts and merchandise made off of the play.
KSHB 41's Megan Abundis found out what made the play so special.
“It’s funny; Jet Chip Wasp is nothing anybody heard of really until that play was called,” said Kelly Donahoe, head football coach at Rockhurst High School.
It was the comeback play that led the Chiefs to pull off a win in Super Bowl LIV.
"It was such a humungous game, and a pivotal part of the game," Donahoe said. “I think it won them that Super Bowl; it gave them the momentum, the charge."
It’s the play that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called for in the middle of the fourth quarter on a third-and-15.
Abundis asked Donahoe, “We always joke, 'This is the biggest third down of our life, and then the next third down is the biggest.' But was that the biggest third down of our lives?"
Donahoe said, “I think it was, because it was our first Super Bowl win in so long. We don’t make that play, we probably don’t win the game; it comes down to that."
Like so many of Chiefs Kingdom, Donahoe was amazed by the play.
“I was just amazed at how wide open he was, but then when you really broke the play down and saw how he ran it, it made sense how he got him open," he said.
Donahoe broke the play down.
"Really, where this magic happens from Coach [Andy] Reid is with these three guys," Donahoe said. “They had Sammy Watkins as the number one receiver in trips; Tyreek Hill was the number two receiver, with Travis Kelce inside as the number three."
He explained why the play was so effective.
“Great move by Coach Reid and his staff because San Francisco was really good on the defensive front, playing those wide ends coming hard off of the edges," Donahoe said. “So what they did in pass protection, you saw Blake Bell come and help chip and release to hold the corner, and on the other side, you saw Williams help chip with the tackle and releases in the flat to try and hold support."
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a role in the play too.
“I think Travis Kelce became the decoy on this play; he drew interference from a linebacker and took a safety with him — that was really important on the play," he said.
Then, Mahomes had an extra deep drop.
“I think he’s the only guy in the NFL to take extra time knowing he’s going to get hit; he must have been about 11, 12 yards when he threw that football," he said. “Normally, a quarterback is nine yards, stepping up to eight on a play like that.
Why was it so special?
“Because the corner ended up locking man on Sammy Watkins and ran with him on the dig," Donahoe said. "This play was wide open for the biggest play maybe in Chiefs history."
It's a play call that Donahoe said is still worth buzzing about.
“Hopefully everybody is cherishing what we are seeing with Andy Reid and his staff," he said. “Like we told our kids at Rockhurst, when we get around these boys, I hope you guys appreciate what you’re living through right now; it hasn’t been like this."
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