In the second quarter of the Super Bowl on Sunday, a three-play sequence perfectly captured how the game unfolded for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philadelphia had already gained a 10-0 lead, and Mahomes was under pressure. First, he was sacked by the Eagles’ Josh Sweat. Then, on the next play, Sweat sacked him again. Finally, under heavy pressure, Mahomes threw an interception that Cooper DeJean returned for a 38-yard touchdown.
Six sacks, three turnovers, and no Mahomes magic.
By the time the game ended, the Chiefs had suffered a crushing 40-22 Super Bowl loss, sending them home empty-handed.
“They played better than us from start to finish,” Mahomes said. “We didn’t start how we wanted to. The turnovers hurt. I take all the blame for that. Those turnovers swung the moment of the game and they capitalized on them. They scored on one and got a touchdown immediately after another. That’s 14 points I gave them. It’s hard to come back from that in the Super Bowl.”
“I didn’t play to my standard,” Mahomes said. “And I have to be better next time.”
The six sacks Mahomes took were the most since the 2015 Texas Bowl, where he was sacked six times by LSU when he played for Texas Tech. The pick-6 was his first in the playoffs and ended his streak of 297 passes without an interception. He also threw another interception and lost a fumble, marking the second-most turnovers in a game in his career.
All these struggles made for one of Mahomes’ worst performances.
“He’s a human being, man. I guess the world got to see that,” said Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The Chiefs were aiming to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, with Mahomes and several teammates, including Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, hoping for their fourth ring in six seasons. But instead of the sharp, precise play the Chiefs displayed in their past Super Bowl victories, they looked more like they did during their loss to Tampa Bay in 2021.
Jalen Hurts huddles up with the teammates before the game“These will be the two losses that motivate me the rest of my career,” Mahomes said.
The Eagles didn’t even need to blitz to put pressure on Mahomes. The Chiefs managed only one first down in the first 30 minutes of the game, which came on their opening play, a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. The rest of the half saw them gain just 14 more yards.
“Their defensive line did a nice job,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
By halftime, the Chiefs were down 24-0, and it seemed like they were out of the game. To make things worse, even Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, was booed by the Eagles crowd.
Mahomes wasn’t solely responsible for the poor performance. The Chiefs’ offensive line struggled against the Eagles’ defensive front. They allowed three sacks in the first half and played a big role in Mahomes’ two interceptions. The second interception, by Zack Baun, led to another Eagles touchdown.
Throughout the season, the Chiefs had issues protecting Mahomes’ blind side. They tried rookie Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle but benched him for second-year player Wanya Morris, who struggled so much that he was inactive for the Super Bowl. They moved All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to left tackle and placed Mike Caliendo in his spot. While this lineup worked at the end of the regular season, it failed to stop the Eagles’ defense on Sunday.
“It’s going to hurt for a while,” Mahomes admitted. “But how can you respond from it?”
