New Orleans – When he was asked how surprised he had been surprised by the extent of his team Loss of Super Bowl Lix,, Chiefs of Kansas City The wide receiver Deandre Hopkins provided a fairly harmless response: “A loss is a loss. It is a “W” or an “L” at the end of the day. »»
Then Hopkins branched up in the same answer, of course want to remove something from your chesT after the defeat of Sunday evening 40-22 against the Eagles of Philadelphia.
“I saw a lot in the media on the referees but, obviously, (explained), what are you going to say now on the referees and we when there have been a lot of delicate calls?” Said Hopkins. “Do you all want to report this?” Are you all going to talk about the referees now?
However, it was not official who condemned the chiefs. For all the blame that will land on Patrick Mahomes for the unsuccessful attempt of the Chiefs of three Peat (and all Hopkins blamed the officials), the fortune pieces surrounding the quarter of the Kansas City superstar along the line offensive and the wide receiver room did not help things against a team of Eagles who owned the chiefs at each phase.
Go further
How the Eagles thwarted the pursuit of the heads of history in a dominant victory of the Super Bowl
It was clear that the rush towards the passes of the Eagles, entirely generated by the team’s defensive front, made Mahomas more uncomfortable than any defense of recent memory. The Rusher Eagles Edge Josh Sweat existed around the plated of chiefs for 2 1/2 bags, while the defensive player Milton Williams intimidated his path through the typically powerful inner of Kansas City for two others, including a Strip-mixed group.
Mahomes said he felt that the Eagles might bling it once or twice on Sunday; According to Trumedia, the real number of eagles blitzs in the Super Bowl Lix was zero. Without needing to bring additional defenders, Philadelphia has accumulated six bags over 18 pressures with a pressure rate of 40.9%.
“To make a team blitz, you must be able to beat what they show, and that’s what we have not done – especially in the first half,” said Mahomes. “We made good adjustments (to) at halftime and we left better, but it was almost too late. The momentum had somehow returned (the Eagles) the favor, (because) of the way they play and how they can manage football and control the clock with Jalen (Hurts) making big conversions third. In a way, it put our defense in a very bad place.
“And so, when you are in these big games, you have to play better from the start. And these are things that I hope to continue working and continue to improve. »»
There is no question that the pressure of the Eagles affected Mahomes on his two interceptions on Sunday evening, including a pick-six of Cooper Dejean which pushed the advance of Philadelphia at 17-0 in the second quarter.
“He is human,” said Hopkins of his QB.
This coherent pressure helps to explain why on the interception of Dejean, Mahomes moved outside the pocket to its right on a designed deployment. But even with a little clear space before the arrival of a late pressure, Mahomes – having already been dismissed several times at that time – pressed and threw a bad pass. Dejean chose the wandering ball, then picked it up for an Eagles TD.
Choose 6 for fans of Eagles Philly who go crazy!
📺: #Superbowllix on the fox pic.twitter.com/zxlxbuhxed
– Fox Sports: NFL (@nflonfox) February 10, 2025
The second interception of Mahomas also occurred in the depths of the territory of Kansas City, this time from an obstructed pocket. Mahomes said that a defender had struck his arm on the game, which caused a short pass that the second Eagles Zack Baun caught when he was diving on the lawn.
“They have not shown no different look,” said Center Creed Humphrey. “They have not shown nothing unpacked. It just came when they got out and playing harder. »»
It may be the most revealing part.
Joe Thuney has been one of the best guards in the League for many years – there is a reason why the chiefs signed him in 2021 and why he was a first All -Pro team in the past two seasons. But Thuney was the team’s last appeal to protect the blind side of Mahomas after Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris and Dj Humphries turned out to be the answers there, and this rotating door was intended to catch up with the chiefs at a time given.
Thuney finished the regular season with a pressure rate of 11.5% authorized in the left tackle on 131 snaps of pass blocks. Its number had improved in the two games for chiefing (4.6%pressure rate), but they returned (11.9%) on Sunday evening.
Go further
Best advertisements of the Super Bowl 2025: classification Advertising
Mahomes put himself warm on the errors of the chiefs and the inability to manage the rush towards the pass of the Eagles, moving the criticisms of its five fronts. He said he was going to study how to be better equipped with the abilities of opposing teams to throw free defenders into his pocket.
“These defenses will continue to improve, so I have to improve myself, so I take a lot of property in there,” said Mahomes. “… I cannot worsen bad games, and I think that is something you saw (Sunday) is that there are times when guys are not open and that I Need to throw the ball or check it out and let the other guys make the games occur.
TRUE. But Mahomes also needs help.
There is a strong probability that Thune is coming back to her usual place of guard for the 2025 season, which means that the chiefs will need a left tackle – badly. In addition, another goalkeeper of the city of Kansas, Trey Smith, is perhaps one of the most coveted free agents who stop on the market in March.
The heads of chefs are relatively new. The lack of viable options from Mahomas to the wide receiver, on the other hand, started last season.
Even with Rashee Rice Healthy in 2023, Mahomes produced the worst rate of EPA-dropback of his career. The chiefs won the Super Bowl this season, of course. But without rice (on the injured reserve since October) for a large part of this season, the chiefs had to reconstruct a band of aging veterans, like Hopkins, Hollywood Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster, with the Recruit Xavier Worthy, who passed The year try to freeze with Mahomes.
These three veteran receptors are imminent free agents, but they also combined for only 12 catches for 155 yards and a TD in the playoffs. Digne, in itself, has all overshadowed them (19 receptions, 287 yards, three affected).
Go further
Break the victory of the Eagles Bulgout Super Bowl by the figures
“It may be my last time that I have played with them, some of them – could be their last match, the professions occur,” said Worthy, who captured eight passes for 157 yards and two tds in Sunday’s defeat. “These guys really helped me a lot, just about my development as a man and as a player in this league. This knowledge they have given me to learn and continue to build my recruit year, I really appreciate them for that. »»
Given the number of narrow victories with which the chiefs have escaped this season, it has always been fair to wonder how far some of these position groups could take them. The Super Bowl Lix Dubbing should force the mahomas and chiefs to examine closely how they will have to improve to continue to move forward.
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)