Daniel Sorensen Among 5 Chiefs Key to Super Bowl Victory

Daniel Sorensen has been sensational for Kansas City in the postseason thus far. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in Super Bowl mode. Celebrations quickly ensued after Andy Reid’s men defeated the Tennessee Titans 35-24 at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday to become champions of the AFC.

Much of that win has been rightfully credited to quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After all, the 24-year-old is already stating his case as one of the best to throw the ball. However, the reigning MVP has had a considerable amount of help defensive-wise in both the Divisional Round and AFC Championship games, and that has come in the form of an unlikely individual.

In a team dripping in talent, it’s understandable why Daniel Sorensen is probably not the first name that comes to mind when discussing Steve Spagnuolo’s indomitable defense. That being said, it’s worth recognizing just how valuable the Brigham Young product has been to the Chiefs thus far and why he’s one of the five players who could be key to a second Super Bowl title for Kansas City.

Sorensen’s Been Responsible for Several Key Defensive Stops

Aptly nicknamed “Dirty Dan,” the 29-year-old put critics on notice against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. After 15 minutes of game play, the Texans held an incredible 24-point lead that had silenced the faithful massed at Arrowhead. Once running back Damien Williams helped put the Chiefs on the board early in the second quarter, it was time for Sorensen to shine.

On the next defensive series, Kansas City stopped their opponent from moving the chains and they had to punt. When they decided to try to run a trick play to get the first, Sorensen was there to stop them and make a sensational play to shift the tone of the game.

The Chiefs scored when the ball was converted on downs, leading to a Texans kick-off. Another moment in which Sorensen’s efforts led to a score came when he forced a fumble by DeAndre Carter, with Darwin Thompson recovering the ball to put the Chiefs in scoring range.

When asked about his team’s sensational comeback that he undoubtedly played a huge role in, Sorensen humbly answered, via Chiefs:

“It’s a mindset thing. We talked on the sideline about taking it one play at a time and stacking up positive plays and we were able to do that. We had a couple plays that turned in our favor that gave the offense the ball back. They capitalized and scored. And then from there, we just kept carrying the momentum. We worked together as a team and played together as a team and you saw a great team victory out there.”

In Sunday’s AFC title game, the Titans attempted a run play on third and long. They failed, and who was there with the big-time stop on Ryan Tannehill? You guessed it.

Sorensen has been incredibly vital to the Chiefs’ postseason success and if he puts on the same performance in Miami that he did at Arrowhead, there’s no question he could be looking at a contract extension in 2021, when he’s slated to become a free agent.