Cornerback Eli Apple has always kind of been the low-hanging fruit, no pun intended, when it comes to being criticized, dunked on, or even "memed" by NFL fans.
The New York Giants' first-round selection out of Ohio State in 2016 has made several stops throughout his nine-year NFL career thus far, and that included a two-year stint as a Cincinnati Bengal back in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
It's no secret that the 29-year-old's defensive pass coverage has left a lot to be desired at times, specifically for a former first-round pick.
But without the much-maligned cornerback's heroics in the AFC Championship Game back in January 2022, the Kansas City Chiefs would currently be in the midst of an incredible six-year Super Bowl streak, rather than just a three-year run.
The Chiefs got up early on the Bengals 21-3, with wide receiver Tyreek Hill scoring one of those three touchdowns. At that time, the Chiefs had won 21 straight games when Hill scored a touchdown, dating back to the middle of the 2019 season.
The Bengals were able to claw back with a second-quarter touchdown to make it 21-10. At the end of the half, instead of kicking a field goal to go up by two touchdowns, the Chiefs opted to go for it on the goal line, with Patrick Mahomes throwing a quick pass to Hill on the left side of the field in attempt to get him into the end zone for the second time in the half.
But Apple was there to make the tackle on the one-yard line, and the clock expired, denying the Chiefs any points going into halftime.
The Chiefs did not find the end zone the rest of the season
In the second half, the Bengals' comeback continued, and the two teams went to overtime tied at 24. Though the Chiefs won the coin toss, an overtime interception by Von Bell led to the Bengals' game-winning field goal by Evan McPherson.
Had Apple not made that stop, a 28-10 halftime deficit probably would have been insurmountable for a team that, despite actually making a successful 18-point comeback in that game, wound up with 27 total points in regulation and overtime.
The Bengals' trip to Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams ended the Chiefs' two-year run of Super Bowl appearances.
Kansas City had advanced to Super Bowl LIV in February 2020 with an AFC Championship Game victory over the Tennessee Titans. After beating the San Francisco 49ers that year, they got back to Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following year with an AFC-clinching win over the Buffalo Bills, though they fell flat against the Bucs and got blown out.
The following year is when Apple made his heroic play, and the Chiefs haven't missed the "Big Game" since
Of course, Super Bowl LVI did mark another low point for Apple, who was beaten by Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the go-ahead, and ultimately the game-winning touchdown. But without his game-saving play against the Chiefs, the Bengals would have never even made it to their first Super Bowl since 1989.
Hill never played another down for the Chiefs, as he was traded to the Miami Dolphins during the ensuing offense. Of course, his beef with Apple continued long after the AFC Championship Game – and then Apple ironically ended up joining him in Miami in 2023. He later signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, his sixth different team, during the 2024 season, but is now a free agent.
But even without Hill, the Chiefs have been three-for-three in Super Bowl appearances since 2022.
After their infamous third-down redo, they defeated the Bengals in January 2023 to advance to Super Bowl LVII, where they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for their second title in four years. Then they won on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title decider in January 2024, before going on to win their second straight Super Bowl, once again over the 49ers.
This past season, the Chiefs ultimately failed in their Super Bowl three-peat attempt with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Eagles. But they still got to the sport's biggest stage, yet again, after another AFC title game clincher over the Bills.
Throw out that Apple stop, and the Chiefs would be slated to enter the 2025 season seeking their unprecedented seventh consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
Tom Brady's 2018-19 New England Patriots would still be the most recent AFC champions other than the Chiefs, thanks to their own AFC Championship Game triumph over Mahomes and Andy Reid, had it not been for Eli Apple's stop.
Kansas City just became the first team to play in five Super Bowls over a six-year span, and had it not been for that season-altering play, they would have already shattered the record for most consecutive Super Bowl appearances. The record is still four; the Bills played in – and lost – four straight Super Bowls from 1991 to 1994.
I think I speak for all Bengals fans (and Ravens fans, Bills fans, etc.) in saying that the Chiefs getting to their fourth Super Bowl in a row is not exactly something anybody outside Kansas City would like to see next winter.