Super Bowl LIX, complete and utter dominance by the Eagles. Though the chiefs dominated the headlines in their attempt to win a third consecutive title, the Eagles outplayed the Chiefs in almost every possible way.
The 40-22 final score in Super Bowl LIX does not even put into perspective the extent to which the Eagles dominated the Chiefs. The 18 point victory by the Eagles felt like way more. According to ESPN, the Chiefs did the best job any team has done all season against Saquon Barkley, who ran 25 times for 57 yards. The Eagles went 3-for-12 on third downs, failed to convert their only fourth down, turned the ball over in the red zone and averaged 5.1 yards per play — fewer than the Chiefs. All of that sounds like the sort of game the Chiefs would expect to win given what they’re capable of doing on offense.
All of that is true and the Chiefs still fell behind 34-0 during the third quarter, precisely because of what they couldn’t do on offense. This was the worst possible time for Patrick Mahomes to have what will likely go down as his worst big game as a pro. Before saving his numbers with those late fourth-quarter scores, he looked as flummoxed as we’ve ever seen him.
If you had told that same Chiefs fan that Mahomes was about to go 6-of-14 for 33 yards with two interceptions in the first half of the Super Bowl, that fan could have done more productive things with a free Sunday. According to ESPN, those 33 yards were the fewest Mahomes has ever posted in the first half of any NFL game. His 10.9 passer rating was the third worst from any quarterback in the first half of a game this season. By expected points added (EPA) per dropback, his minus-1.36 mark was the 10th worst by any quarterback in the first half of any game since the start of the 2018 season.
Those who do not enjoy watching still got to enjoy the halftime show, in which Kendrick Lamar performed with SZA. Though many did not particularly enjoy this performance, I thought it was great and really enjoyed watching the two perform “All the Stars.”
According to ESPN, Mahomes finished with a Total QBR of 11.4, his second-worst performance in 133 career starts. Though Chiefs fans are likely not happy with their teams’ performance in the Super Bowl, to have the opportunity to play in three straight is extremely uncommon.
