NEW ORLEANS — When requested how a lot he was greatly surprised by the extent of his crew’s Tremendous Bowl LIX loss, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs extensive receiver DeAndre Hopkins offered a reasonably innocent response: “A loss is a loss. It’s a ‘W’ or an ‘L’ on the finish of the day.”
Then, Hopkins branched off throughout the similar reply, clearly eager to get one thing off his chest following Sunday night time’s 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I noticed a variety of issues within the media in regards to the refs however, clearly, (expletive), what y’all gonna say now in regards to the refs and us when there was a variety of sensitive calls?” Hopkins stated. “Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna speak in regards to the refs now?”
It wasn’t officiating that doomed the Chiefs, although. For all of the blame that may land on Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs’ failed try at a three-peat (and any blame Hopkins wished to drop on the officers), the makeshift items surrounding Kansas Metropolis’s famous person quarterback alongside the offensive line and extensive receiver room didn’t assist issues in opposition to an Eagles squad that owned the Chiefs in each section.
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It was clear the Eagles’ move rush, generated solely by the crew’s defensive entrance, made Mahomes extra uncomfortable than any protection in latest reminiscence. Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat sped across the Chiefs’ tackles for two 1/2 sacks, whereas defensive lineman Milton Williams bullied his approach by Kansas Metropolis’s usually potent inside line for 2 extra, together with a second-half strip-sack.
Mahomes stated he felt the Eagles blitzed him possibly a couple of times Sunday; in accordance with TruMedia, the precise variety of Eagles blitzes in Tremendous Bowl LIX was zero. With out ever needing to convey further defenders, Philadelphia piled up six sacks on 18 pressures with a 40.9 p.c stress fee.
“In an effort to make a crew blitz, you might have to have the ability to beat what they’re displaying, and that’s what we didn’t do — particularly within the first half,” Mahomes stated. “We made some good changes (at) halftime and got here out higher, but it surely was virtually too late. The momentum had sort of flipped in (the Eagles’) favor, (due to) how they play and the way they will run the soccer and management the clock with Jalen (Hurts) making massive third-down conversions. It sort of put our protection in a very unhealthy spot.
“And so, if you’re in these massive video games, it’s a must to play higher from the start. And that’s stuff that I hope to proceed to work on and proceed to get higher at.”
There’s zero query the Eagles’ stress affected Mahomes on each of his interceptions Sunday night time, together with a pick-six by Cooper DeJean that pushed Philadelphia’s lead out to 17-0 within the second quarter.
“He’s human,” stated Hopkins of his QB.
That constant stress helps clarify why on DeJean’s interception, Mahomes moved outdoors the pocket to his proper on a designed rollout. However even with somewhat clear house earlier than some late stress arrived, Mahomes — having already been sacked a number of occasions by that time — pressed and threw a poor move. DeJean picked off the errant ball, then took it again for an Eagles TD.
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Mahomes’ second interception additionally occurred deep in Kansas Metropolis territory, this time from a clogged pocket. Mahomes stated a defender hit his arm on the play, which induced a brief move that Eagles linebacker Zack Baun nabbed as he dove to the turf.
“They didn’t present any completely different seems to be,” heart Creed Humphrey stated. “They didn’t present something unscouted. It simply got here right down to them popping out and taking part in tougher.”
That may be probably the most telling half.
Joe Thuney has been one of many league’s finest guards for a few years — there’s a cause the Chiefs signed him in 2021, and why he’s been a first-team All-Professional the previous two seasons. However Thuney was the crew’s final resort to guard Mahomes’ blind aspect after Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris and D.J. Humphries proved to not be the solutions there, and that revolving door was destined to catch as much as the Chiefs sooner or later.
Thuney ended the common season with an 11.5 p.c stress fee allowed at left sort out on 131 pass-block snaps. His numbers had improved through the Chiefs’ two prior playoff video games (4.6 p.c stress fee), however they reverted (11.9 p.c) on Sunday night time.
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Mahomes put the warmth on himself for the Chiefs’ miscues and incapacity to deal with the Eagles’ move rush, holding the criticism away from his entrance 5. He stated he’s going to check tips on how to be higher outfitted in opposition to opposing groups’ talents to throw free defenders at him within the pocket.
“These defenses are going to proceed to get higher and higher, and so I’ve to get higher, and so I take a variety of possession in that,” Mahomes stated. “… I can’t make unhealthy performs worse, and I believe that’s one thing that you simply noticed (Sunday) is that there’s occasions when guys aren’t open and I must throw the ball away or examine it down and let the opposite guys make performs occur.”
True. However Mahomes wants assist, too.
There’s a excessive chance Thuney returns to his traditional guard spot for the 2025 season, which means the Chiefs will want a left sort out — badly. Plus, one other Kansas Metropolis guard, Trey Smith, could also be one of many extra coveted free brokers set to hit the market in March.
The Chiefs’ offensive line points are comparatively new. Mahomes’ lack of viable choices at extensive receiver, alternatively, started final season.
Even with Rashee Rice wholesome in 2023, Mahomes produced the worst EPA-per-dropback fee of his profession. The Chiefs gained the Tremendous Bowl that season, after all. However with out Rice (on injured reserve since October) for a lot of this season, the Chiefs needed to piece collectively a band of getting older veterans, similar to Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, together with rookie Xavier Worthy, who spent the yr attempting to jell with Mahomes.
All three of these veteran receivers are impending free brokers, however additionally they mixed for simply 12 catches for 155 yards and one TD this postseason. Worthy, by himself, eclipsed all of them (19 receptions, 287 yards, three TDs).
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“This may be my final time taking part in with them, a few of them — may be their final sport, trades occur,” stated Worthy, who caught eight passes for 157 yards and two TDs in Sunday’s loss. “These guys actually helped me out rather a lot, simply on my improvement as a person and as a participant on this league. This data they gave me to be taught and preserve constructing my rookie yr, I simply actually admire them for that.”
Given what number of shut wins the Chiefs escaped with this season, it all the time was truthful to surprise how far a few of these place teams might take them. The Tremendous Bowl LIX drubbing ought to power Mahomes and the Chiefs to look at carefully how they’ll want to enhance to maintain tempo shifting ahead.
(Picture: Patrick Smith / Getty Photographs)