Patrick Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs face Philadelphia Eagles in Tremendous Bowl rematch with alarm bells ringing for Patrick Mahomes’ workforce

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been dismantled, demoralised and dispatched with ease by the Philadelphia Eagles to fall wanting Tremendous Bowl historical past in February – however an opportunity to counter-punch awaits on Sunday. They have to not miss. 

An Eagles-heavy Superdome erupted in largely-undisturbed delight to the sight of Jalen Hurts, the league’s greatest Lane Johnson-anchored blockade and Philly’s throttling protection denying Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs a 3rd straight Lombardi Trophy with a 40-22 victory.

It served as candy revenge for his or her marginal Tremendous Bowl defeat towards Andy Reid’s dynasty workforce two years earlier, an ice-cold Hurts ousting Steve Spagnuolo’s famed protection whereas Vic Fangio’s assault canines had Mahomes operating for his life with little in the way in which of receiver help.

New Orleans had witnessed a ruthless mismatch in physicality, roster depth, move rush energy, pass-catching expertise and high-octane soccer on either side of the ball.

Was Kansas Metropolis’s chapter of supremacy at its finish? That’s what the NFL is searching for to find out this 12 months.

“I mean, it sucks that you lose the game, but in order to progress and to be better next time, you have to watch and learn from it,” stated Mahomes. “And so, I don’t know the exact amount of times, but you watch it, and then you watch it in the offseason with the team and with the coaches, and then you watch it obviously this week as well.”

Alarm bells ringing for Chiefs

The Chiefs opened their 2025 marketing campaign in defeat final week as they fell 27-21 to the Justin Herbert-inspired Los Angeles Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Acquainted frailties resurfaced as soon as extra within the type of move safety points, a feeble move rush, leaky protection and – maybe most notably – separation issues amid an understaffed receiving core. Flashes of wizardry from Mahomes remained on the menu, however, because the Chiefs have realized by now, not even No 15 can compensate for the roster holes round him.

Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis now face the prospect of falling to 0-2 for the primary time since 2014, which marked the final time they missed out on the playoffs. They enter Sunday each blessed and burdened by the teachings of February’s painful loss, which they hope to keep away from turning into a defining full cease within the Mahomes and Reid period.

“That’s part of playing the game,” Mahomes stated on Wednesday. “You learn from your failures, just like you learn from the positive things you do, and then you come back and play better football this week, and it’s going to take our best football to go out there and get a win.”

Solely 5 of 40 groups to start out their season 0-2 since 2020 – when the NFL playoff discipline elevated to 14 groups – have reached the postseason, whereas 35 of 288 groups to start out 0-2 have made the playoffs since 1990, when the postseason discipline was elevated from 10 to 12.

Kansas Metropolis have visited 5 of the final six Tremendous Bowls whereas profitable 9 straight AFC West division titles as successors to New England’s perennial dominance. However between their Tremendous Bowl hunch, their loss to the Chargers and an 81-point opening week epic between AFC foes Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, they appear alarmingly off the tempo.

Philly’s move rush vs Chiefs o-line

Among the many staples to February’s victory and to Howie Roseman’s roster development has been the depth and rotation of premium expertise up entrance for the Eagles’ protection.

Nick Sirianni’s facet logged 16 pressures and 6 sacks on Mahomes in the course of the Tremendous Bowl, whereas relying solely on a four-man move rush to mark simply the fourth time within the Subsequent Gen Stats period {that a} workforce didn’t ship a blitz.

“They had a great game plan,” Mahomes stated. “They played hard and did a great job of disrupting my timing. I have to learn from that, find ways to get the ball out of my hand.

“When the alternatives are there, I feel that is one thing I did miss early within the sport, is there was alternatives to make performs and you have to make these performs as a result of should you do not, they don’t seem to be going to permit these alternatives once more.”

Jalen Carter – who swerved additional suspension for his spit on Dak Prescott – has established himself as one of many NFL’s luxurious game-changing wrecking balls alongside previous Georgia good friend Jordan Davis, whereas Nolan Smith Jr appeared to supersede doubts over his measurement with elite bend, velocity and precision off the sting to showcase potential as a stalwart move rusher in direction of the tip of final season.

However there’s a new look to Philly’s protection following the offseason departures of Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay and retired cornerstone Brandon Graham. In got here former New York Giants’ Azeez Ojulari as a rotational choice alongside former Chief Josh Uche, the latter of whom registered the very best move rush grade within the league in Week One.

The personnel change confirmed of their opening-day win over the Dallas Cowboys as they didn’t register a single sack on Prescott, as a lot prompting the signing of veteran free agent move rusher Za’Darius Smith as they search to retain the four-man rush potential customary to any trendy contending workforce.

For Kansas Metropolis, it’s the newest take a look at of a porous offensive line they sought to deal with through the use of their first-round choose on rookie left deal with Josh Simmons. They re-signed guard Trey Smith, however between the lack of Joe Thuney and early struggles for Jawaan Taylor and Kingsley Suamataia, a weak point of final 12 months stays a serious concern.

Who can Mahomes belief?

Kansas Metropolis’s issues within the trenches won’t really feel as accentuated have been Mahomes surrounded with extra playmakers and supplemented by a extra dynamic operating sport.

Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice missed a mixed 28 video games within the common season final 12 months, prematurely warranting an expanded position for then-rookie wideout Xavier Worthy, who instantly needed to bolster straight-line velocity with a stretchier route tree. What’s extra, an ageing Travis Kelce lacked the juice of earlier campaigns as he put up a career-low 823 yards, he and mid-season pick-up DeAndre Hopkins visibly struggling to get off the road of scrimmage within the face of a rampant Eagles protection on the Tremendous Bowl.

Mahomes once more finds himself brief on help. Rice, fast-becoming Mahomes’ new most trusted goal previous to his harm in 2024, is in the course of a six-game suspension, whereas Worthy faces outing after dislocating his shoulder throughout a crossing route collision with Kelce after enjoying simply three offensive snaps towards the Chargers.

“I just got to be better, man. I’m 13 years in the league,” stated Kelce this week. There is not any excuse for me operating into my very own guys like that. Worthy has his man beat and we’re out the gate, and that sport begins fully totally different.”

Brown, in turn, enjoyed his best day in a Chiefs jersey with 10 catches for 99 yards to preview the heightened responsibility that awaits. JuJu Smith-Schuster was the next busiest receiver with five catches for 55 yards, while Tyquan Thornton went for 41 yards off two receptions. It does not make for pretty or hope-fuelling reading.

“He’ll be massive these subsequent couple of weeks,” Mahomes said of Brown. “It is one thing I feel he is prepared for.”

Mahomes has operated two different offenses since entering the NFL, as much stemming from the league’s effort to clamp down on his influence. A once-explosive deep-threat attack spearheaded by Tyreek Hill was forced to evolve into a more methodical, patient, drive-building system built on clock control and short-to-intermediate routes, both down to Hill’s departure and defensive coordinators turning to four-man rushes and two-high safety coverages to squeeze the field.

Mahomes notably had a passer ranking of 117.1 on passes to receivers 20-plus yards downfield from 2018-22, in comparison with a ranking of 44.8 throughout 2023 and 2024. He and Reid tailored essentially and as efficiently as they may have hoped, rewarded by two extra Tremendous Bowls, even when the soccer was not as fairly or absorbing. However the cracks have widened and the league’s greatest play-caller wants extra assist.

Among the many final issues a stuttering offense must see is what may be the NFL’s most completed linebacker duo in Zack Baun and rookie Jihaad Campbell. And whereas there are nonetheless questions at security, Quinyon Mitchell stays a no-throw-zone.

Can the Chiefs blunt Hurts and co?

For all that continues to be stated of their regression on offense, scrutiny is effervescent for Spagnuolo’s protection and its potential to rediscover the degrees that noticed them outline Kansas Metropolis’s highway to the final three Tremendous Bowls.

The place they may as soon as depend on the veteran and tempo-switching knack of profitable match-ups Chris Jones provided Joe Alt’s success is neutralising the Chiefs focus for the Chargers turned an unflattering mild in direction of the dearth of manufacturing exterior of him.

George Karlaftis signed a brand new four-year, $93m deal as Jones’ main help within the offseason, however couldn’t show sufficient of an element to grant Spagnuolo a licence to belief in his four-man rush. Spags dedicated extra our bodies, and Herbert willingly took benefit to punish them by means of the air.

The lack of Justin Reid delivered a dent at security, whereas Tershawn Wharton’s exit in free company has additionally left a gap on the inside of the Chiefs entrance. If not Jones, it has turn out to be troublesome to determine a constant supply of strain.

The great thing about Spagnuolo’s protection at its greatest has been the liberty to disguise and rotate his coverages in a bid to tarnish a quarterback’s discipline prognosis. He additionally dials up probably the most inventive, most unique blitzes within the NFL; he doesn’t wish to be drawn away from as a lot by a failure to win one-on-one up entrance. Karlaftis hitting double figures in sacks feels a necessity if the Chiefs are to achieve success this 12 months.

Spagnuolo’s sport plan in February had largely centred round stuffing the NFL’s 2,000-yard man Saquon Barkley in favour of daring Hurts to beat him. Positive, Barkley had certainly one of his quietest days with 57 speeding yards off 27 carries. However Hurts did, actually, beat him.

The Tremendous Bowl MVP completed 17 of twenty-two for 221 yards, two touchdowns and a choose, whereas speeding for 72 yards and a rating within the newest instalment of his big-stage prowess. He led the way in which once more versus the Cowboys as he threw for 152 yards whereas speeding for 62 yards and two scores as Barkley ran for simply 60, a weird sub-plot, although, coming within the type of AJ Brown’s one catch from one goal. A head-scratcher.

Neither workforce will purchase into the ‘rematch’ or ‘revenge’ title. Victory is not going to nurse Kansas Metropolis’s wounds, however it’ll kick their season off amid the specter of an ominous 0-2 begin.

“It’s just another opportunity for us,” stated Hurts this week. “That’s how I’m approaching it. We’ve got a long [way to go], we can learn from this past week. We know we’re playing a really good team. It’s a new team, and we’re a new team.”

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