NEW ORLEANS – So much for a three-peat.
Three points. Three first downs. Anything but three-and-out. Those turned out to be much more realistic goals for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, when they proved without a doubt that past performance was not an indication of the here and now.
Because this blowout was hardly about taking a bow among the greatest champions in Super Bowl history. With the chance to be so special, the Chiefs demonstrated that they could be rather ordinary – or even worse.
Who knew?
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Rather than a three-peat, the Chiefs did themselves a solid by not becoming the first team to get shut out in a Super Bowl, finally getting on the scoreboard in the final minute of the third quarter. At halftime, when they trailed 24-zip, they had just one first down and 23 net yards. They were 0-for-6 on third-down conversions.
Now that was flirting with some kind of history.
How embarrassing. Sure, they saved some face by scoring their 22 points in the final 16 minutes. But that was mere window dressing. It was such a disaster for the Chiefs that Trump left the building way early, and the Eagles had the Gatorade shower before the two-minute warning.
Was that really Patrick Mahomes? The magnificent Chiefs quarterback was anything but that as he put his stamp on where the game was headed with interceptions on back-to-back passes in the second quarter that were quickly converted into 14 points.
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Sure, Mahomes’ best lineman, Joe Thuney, was pushed into the quarterback by Josh Sweat to influence the second pick over the middle to a diving Zack Baun. It led to Jalen Hurts’ 12-yard touchdown throw to A.J. Brown.
On his previous throw, a run-for-your-life situation, Mahomes threw across his body – uh-oh – at the wrong time. Rookie Cooper DeJean undercut the pass and didn’t stop until he dashed across the field for a 38-yard touchdown return.
In the days leading up to Sunday, Mahomes admitted that his previous Super Bowl loss, 31-9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four years ago, is the game that stilll haunts him.
Well, the latest setback is the stuff of nightmares.
And it kept getting worse. A strip-sack in the fourth quarter – Milton Williams got the sack, forced fumble and recovery – led to another Jake Elliott field goal (his fourth) that made it 40-6. It was also a fitting snapshot for the punishment Mahomes absorbed throughout the game as his wall of protection was demolished by a deep, active and hungry Eagles defensive line that collected six sacks.
Some might suggest that karma finally caught up with Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and the rest their crew. If only it had come down to a one-possession game, of which the Chiefs have won a record 17 in a row.
The Eagles, though, made sure it was nowhere near being close.
And no, conspiracy theorists, the only way the officials could have pulled the Chiefs out of this mess was if they threw in the towel and declared the game over because of the mercy rule.
Yeah, Chiefs Fatigue is a thing. But not because they are tired of winning.
In this case, it seems as though the Chiefs had to be sick and tired of the beatdown.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
