NEW ORLEANS — When requested how a lot he was bowled over by the extent of his group’s Tremendous Bowl LIX loss, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs large 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 inside the identical 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 number 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 number of sensitive calls?” Hopkins stated. “Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna discuss 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 large receiver room didn’t assist issues towards an Eagles squad that owned the Chiefs in each section.
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It was clear the Eagles’ cross rush, generated totally by the group’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 manner by means of 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; based on TruMedia, the precise variety of Eagles blitzes in Tremendous Bowl LIX was zero. With out ever needing to deliver further defenders, Philadelphia piled up six sacks on 18 pressures with a 40.9 % stress fee.
“As a way to make a group blitz, you will 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 nearly too late. The momentum had type of flipped in (the Eagles’) favor, (due to) how they play and the way they’ll run the soccer and management the clock with Jalen (Hurts) making large third-down conversions. It type of put our protection in a very unhealthy spot.
“And so, once you’re in these large video games, you need 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 a bit clear house earlier than some late stress arrived, Mahomes — having already been sacked a number of instances by that time — pressed and threw a poor cross. 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 cross that Eagles linebacker Zack Baun nabbed as he dove to the turf.
“They didn’t present any completely different seems,” 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 greatest 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 group’s final resort to guard Mahomes’ blind facet 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 in some unspecified time in the future.
Thuney ended the common season with an 11.5 % stress fee allowed at left deal with on 131 pass-block snaps. His numbers had improved in the course of the Chiefs’ two prior playoff video games (4.6 % stress fee), however they reverted (11.9 %) on Sunday night time.
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Mahomes put the warmth on himself for the Chiefs’ miscues and incapability to deal with the Eagles’ cross rush, holding the criticism away from his entrance 5. He stated he’s going to review easy methods to be higher geared up towards 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 number 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 instances when guys aren’t open and I have to 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 likelihood Thuney returns to his regular guard spot for the 2025 season, that means the Chiefs will want a left deal with — 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 large 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, in fact. However with out Rice (on injured reserve since October) for a lot of this season, the Chiefs needed to piece collectively a band of ageing veterans, corresponding to Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, together with rookie Xavier Worthy, who spent the 12 months attempting to jell with Mahomes.
All three of these veteran receivers are impending free brokers, however in addition 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 study and hold constructing my rookie 12 months, I simply actually admire them for that.”
Given what number of shut wins the Chiefs escaped with this season, it at all times was honest to marvel how far a few of these place teams might take them. The Tremendous Bowl LIX drubbing ought to drive Mahomes and the Chiefs to look at intently how they’ll want to enhance to maintain tempo shifting ahead.
(Photograph: Patrick Smith / Getty Photos)
