Quote:
Originally Posted by Rain Man
Well, yeah. His clutch gene would have kicked in.
It would be really cool to have that clutch gene.
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It has to be such a helpless feeling as an opposing fan once Patrick turns on that clutch gene. Have you ever seen
No Country for Old Men? About halfway through you start feeling this sense of dread as Javier Bardem’s antagonist starts obliterating the protagonists with the precision of a machine. All of the tropes that typically work for the heroes in a western backfire spectacularly, and it doesn’t matter what the heroes try (taking Bardem’s character on, hiring a bounty hunter, talking to law enforcement), gets dismantled by an antagonist who reminds them that “their fate is inescapable.”
Earlier in the playoffs, the Niners game against the Vikings was actually much more competitive through three quarters than the final score would lead one to believe. What flipped the 49ers-Vikings game is that when the Vikings threatened to tie or take the lead, the 49ers excellent defensive line would come up with a sack to flip the momentum and stop the Vikings in their tracks. The 49ers defense was great at this. They would never be beat with big plays, and as teams were driving, they’d get a sack or force a link to turn the tides. We saw it against the Chiefs in the 3rd quarter.
It was like everyone watching the game felt the tides turn. I’d argue that where everyone felt it wasn’t WASP or the pass to Sammy, but when Bosa beat Fish and had Mahomes wrapped for a sure sack with under 4 minutes left in the game. It was 2nd and 5, and a sack completely shifts momentum in the other direction. When Mahomes effortlessly evaded the sack and found Kelce, it was like you could feel it in the air. I remember seeing how baffled Bosa and the 49ers sideline looked after that play. Even Troy Aikman remarked at that point that the momentum had completely turned - and sure enough, Mahomes was two plays away from hitting Watkins on a rainbow before taking the the lead for good. It doesn’t matter how many pressures, hits, or bad passes Mahomes has thrown in a game - because eventually his clutch gene will activate and all opposing fans can do is mournfully reflect on what could have been like Tommy Lee Jones’ retiring sheriff in No Country for Old Men, because when Mahomes turns it on, his wrath is inescapable.