The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ bid for a historic three-peat resulted in heartbreak Sunday, as they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, in Tremendous Bowl LIX.
In an anticlimactic finish to a promising season, the Chiefs saved their worst efficiency for final because the Eagles outplayed them in each part of the sport. After the loss, head coach Andy Reid shouldered the blame whereas crediting Philadelphia for his or her dominant efficiency.
“Right now was a tough day,” Reid stated in his postgame remarks. “We didn’t actually play effectively in any of the phases. I didn’t coach adequate. They did a pleasant job… We’ll be taught from this. Like most video games right here, if you don’t do very effectively, you be taught from it as a coach, you be taught from it as a participant, and you progress on.”
Maybe essentially the most important issue within the Chiefs’ loss was turnovers. Although Kansas Metropolis struck first on this division with security Bryan Prepare dinner intercepting Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts within the first quarter, the Chiefs rapidly discovered themselves on the unsuitable aspect of the turnover battle, with three turnovers in complete, all courtesy of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
His two first-half interceptions proved particularly expensive. Each led to Philadelphia touchdowns, and the Chiefs rapidly discovered themselves in a demoralizing 24-0 gap by halftime.
“Whenever you give a staff 14 factors, particularly a very good soccer staff, a Tremendous Bowl soccer staff, then not a number of good issues,” Mahomes defined. “That’s why I take possession on this loss greater than in all probability any loss in my whole profession as a result of I put us in a nasty spot. Despite the fact that we put up some stats on the finish of the sport, these stats didn’t actually matter as a result of we had already misplaced the momentum.”
With their offensive struggles within the first half, Mahomes started to press, forcing throws that weren’t there in an try and spark his staff. Whereas his capability to create one thing out of nothing is without doubt one of the defining traits of his greatness, he admitted afterward that he should be taught to take what the protection offers him, even when meaning throwing the ball away and avoiding pointless dangers.
“When defenses are going to play within the shell protection and keep again and play man on third down, I can’t make dangerous performs worse,” Mahomes admitted. “That’s one thing that you simply noticed immediately is that there’s instances when guys aren’t open, and I have to throw the ball away or verify it down and let the opposite guys make performs occur. Generally I get the place I need to make a giant play to spark us, and that’s one thing that I’ve handled my whole profession. If I don’t present that I’ll take what’s there within the recreation, then the defenses are going to remain within the coverages that they’re in.”
To their credit score, the Eagles teaching workers devised the proper defensive recreation plan to maintain Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense in verify. Moderately than blitzing, Philadelphia relied on its stout four-man cross rush to generate stress on Mahomes whereas permitting the remainder of the protection to drop in protection. This resulted in six sacks for the protection. Reid credited Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio with executing a recreation plan that saved the Chiefs’ offense on its heels all night time.
“Vic does a pleasant job with that protection,” Reid stated. “They performed effectively. They’ve excellent gamers, a great scheme, and so they executed higher than what we did. They coached higher—and that begins with me—and so they performed higher.”
As an alternative of celebrating one other championship, the Chiefs are left with a protracted offseason of reflection. Their dynasty aspirations are briefly placed on maintain as Kansas Metropolis regroups and reloads for an additional run. As for Mahomes, the loss could also be a bitter finish to the season, however the famous person quarterback appears extra decided than ever to make use of it as gasoline heading into subsequent season.
“There’s issues that I’ve to get higher at, and so they type of confirmed immediately on the largest stage,” Mahomes stated. “I’m going to discover a approach this offseason to fight what defenses are doing to me so far as rush lanes and completely different coverages that they’re enjoying. That’s the great thing about soccer. You’ll be able to by no means be happy with simply coming on the market and enjoying, considering you’re going to have success, 12 months in and 12 months out. These defenses are going to proceed to get higher, so I’ve to get higher. I take a number of possession in that, and I need to hopefully come again and play higher soccer subsequent season.”
