Arrowhead Pride
Reviewing a disappointing night in New Orleans.
“Sometimes you eat the bear; sometimes the bear eats you.”
The Philadelphia Eagles took control of this game early, and it felt like the (now) former two-time defending Super Bowl champions never had a real chance to come back. As crazy as the outcome was, the formula was pretty simple. The Chiefs turned the ball over three times, and the Eagles only once. The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times; the Chiefs got to Hurts only twice. Whenever the momentum felt like it could shift Kansas City’s way, a big play went against them.
Here are a few that stood out as the Chiefs dropped to 3-2 in Super Bowls in the past six seasons (that’s still pretty great, by the way).
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy: There weren’t many reasons to cheer in this Super Bowl, but most of them involved the rookie wearing No. 1. Worthy caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, most of that production came when it was too late to mount a comeback. But we all got a big glimpse of what’s possible when the fastest guy on the field can also win at the catch point. The concerns about his size should be completely over. The kid is a football player — and his future could not be more bright.
The Chiefs’ run defense: Coming into this game, the greatest worry was Saquon Barkley, who dominated the league through the regular season and playoffs. But Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs defense swarmed and tackled him, preventing any real damage. Barkley was not only held to 57 yards and no touchdowns but also averaged only 2.3 yards per carry, and his longest run was 10 yards. The Chiefs had 10 tackles for loss against the Eagles
Left tackle Joe Thuney and left guard Mike Caliendo: These two weren’t supposed to be in those two positions, and it showed. Both appeared to be overmatched against a fierce Philly defensive front. Both should get credit for helping the team get to this point, but watching the offensive line be the primary reason this team lost yet another Super Bowl was maddening.
Head coach Andy Reid: Reid’s master class in coaching against the Buffalo Bills was followed by an absolutely puzzling performance on Sunday. The game plan didn’t work, and there weren’t any visible adjustments made. The makeshift offensive line probably should have been reshuffled when it was clear that the Eagles would overwhelm them. The Chiefs had a couple of tackles on the bench that could have helped. They have a fullback and extra tight ends; they have a deep playbook with some calls that typically make teams pay for getting too aggressive. Instead, the Chiefs were on their heels until it was too late.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: Well, if we’re going to talk about the Chiefs being outcoached, Spagnuolo gets his share of the blame. Saquon Barkley was...
