It’s not Super Bowl, but Chiefs, Bills players enjoy Pro Bowl
There’s a common belief that while the Pro Bowl may not be the last place in the world those with Super Bowl aspirations want to be, you probably can see it from the game’s 50-yard line.
But you wouldn’t have known it by the comportment of Dion Dawkins and Tyrann Mathieu during Pro Bowl practice at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Less than two weeks ago, the two played in one of the most compelling playoff games in NFL history — one that saw 25 points scored between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the final two minutes, a game-tying drive taking all of 13 seconds at the end of regulation, and a 42-36 Chiefs victory in overtime.
Mathieu, the Chiefs’ free safety, suffered a concussion in the first quarter, was placed in concussion protocol and ruled out for the remainder of the game, leaving Kansas City with a huge hole to fill in its secondary.
Dawkins was the Bills’ left tackle, the one responsible for protecting star quarterback Josh Allen’s blind side.
If they voted for a Mr. Congeniality at the Pro Bowl, Dawkins and Mathieu would be the leaders in the clubhouse. They were two of the most talkative of the Pro Bowlers during practice Thursday, bouncing from one media scrum to the next, posing for selfies with fans, mugging for cameras of all shapes and sizes.
It was 39 degrees when the light workout began. Dawkins, being a Buffalo guy, thanked Las Vegas for the ideal weather. Mathieu tweeted how proud he was to have been named Pro Bowl captain by his peers.
Curiously, neither said much about that great game two weeks ago. Perhaps that’s just how it is when Super Bowl aspirations fall short. You don’t want to be in Las Vegas when the final destination is 270 miles down the road in Los Angeles.
“Of course not,” said Dawkins, who wasn’t even sure he’d show up for the Pro Bowl. He said he thought it would feel strange being here without his offensive linemates, some of whom may not return to Buffalo next season due to free agency and salary cap considerations.
“We all dream of playing in the Super Bowl, we all dream of winning,” he said. “The Pro Bowl is what it is. I would rather be preparing for a game in L.A.”
But instead of pontificating on what might have been, the fifth-year pro from Temple said he preferred to talk about how much progress has been made as the Bills continue to pursue their first Super Bowl triumph.
“I think it’s more so just thinking about how far our team has come,” Dawkins said. “That we can even talk about how far we get in the postseason. Our organization has changed, our outlook, our presence has changed. It just shows we’re on the right track. Sooner or later, we’re going to get the whole thing done.”
FROM THE BLOOPER REEL: Dion Dawkins crashes the RJ's Vegas Nation newscast at the 2022 Pro Bowl. pic.twitter.com/yPiwyzdo4Z
— Vegas Nation (@VegasNation) February 4, 2022
The Chiefs already have been been there, done that. Despite losing 27-24 to Cincinnati in Sunday’s AFC title game, they seem on the verge of establishing a mini-dynasty. The pending free agent Mathieu endeared himself to Chiefs fans in an emotional postgame news conference after the AFC title game when he indicated he’d like to remain in Kansas City.
The former “Honey Badger” from LSU still was feeling melancholy at Pro Bowl practice.
“Obviously, a little deflated, disappointed,” he said. “Definitely didn’t end the season the way we wanted to, especially being to the last couple of Super Bowls.
“You can kind of get used to making that trip.”
Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.