Player of the Game: Patrick Mahomes
The numbers won't tell the story, but that was a peerless game by Mahomes. Maybe one bad throw all game, missing MVS on a deep shot. But man, to go 13/14 in the second half, to laser balls into JuJu repeatedly when the Eagles did a better job of covering Kelce. And of course, the running, the scrambling, and doing it all with a bum ankle. That last drive run for 20 yards was amazing. He had a sense of hte moment, he didn't get flustered in that weird first half. That was an incredible performance, the best ever that didn't get 200 yards passing. Patrick Mahomes is doing incredible things, basically having the combination of early career Peyton (stats, MVPs) and Brady (winning) in one go. Historical stuff. GOAT conversations are too early, but if you could draw up a career to threaten, Mahomes is doing it right now.
Runner-Up: Jalen Hurts
I hate just going with the two QBs, but when the score ends 38-35 it isn't too surprising to do so. Hurts was incredible. He got help with his two top WRs playing well (more on them in a bit) but his throws were on point. His throws to Goedert on the drive to make it 27-21 was incredible. He was a beast in the run game, making the Eagles overall rush numbers look good when the RB-led running game disappeared. It was a record setting performance with the three rushing TDs, and his best rush might have been the 2-point converstion fighting through traffic. Hurts was exceptional, both as a runner and an amazing game throwing hte ball with pace, anticipation and placement. Incredible stuff from a truly great QB.
Goat of the Game: The Eagles Pass Rush
I will credit the Chiefs OL later, but many was the much ballyhooed pass rush, the one with teh 70 sacks, the first team ever with four players with 10+ sacks, all of it just went completely sileent. Yes, Mahomes did great scrambling, and yes the Chiefs OL is very good, but this was supposed to be the biggest strength. Everyone on the Eagles side had visions of the Bucs overrunning the Chiefs in theri head. Not only did that not happen, but not even the level of play the 2019 49ers got in their Super Bowl showed up. Reddick had a few plays chasing Mahomes, but man were Sweat, Graham, Hargreave all silent.
Runner-Up: The Turf
Almost thought of making this the main goat. The turf was a disgrace. So many players, on either team, slipping. Luckily we seem to have avoided any huge injury due to it, and more luckily it didn't show up at a key moment, but the amount of players that nearly fell, or did fall, to short-circuit plays was staggering. I don't know how the NFL can let that happen in a Super Bowl.
Surprise of the Game: Chiefs Run Game
A few times this season, the Chiefs decided "let's run the ball today" and it generally worked. Really well. The best example was back ealry in the season when the Chiefs went to Tampa and steamrolled the Bucs, mainly by running at what was supposed to be a great run defense. They did it again here. The Chiefs consistently got positive yards on run plays, from both great blocking, and great speed from Pacheco and McKinnon getting out to the edge. They consistently stayed ahead of the downs - which also helped to reduce the impact of the pass rush. Just a monster game from a really underrated unit.
Runner-Up: Eagles Short Yardage Dominance
I'm not surprised the Eagles did well on 3rd & 1 and 4th & 1 - hell they did that all year. But the Chiefs are a good short yardage defense, and the Eagles did it like 10 times and were successful basically every time. There's a chance the league outlaws plays where you can so blatantly push the palyer forward from behind, but I will never forget how foolproof that play was. It extended drives, it made the Eagles score a bunch of points against a defense that generally played really well in my mind.
Disappointment of the Game: The Officials (for more than just The Call)
Obviously, the final holding call was a bit ticky-tacky (though I'm happy Bradberry himself copped to tugging him) but as much as I disliked that call, I also disliked many other aspects of the refereeing yesterday. They didn't call a more blatant defensive holding / DPI on the Chiefs second drive that forced a punt. They also had maddeningly long reviews on the catch-fumble reviews, even for fairly routine ones. Everyone knew almost immediately the Sanders fumble was not a catch but even that took five minutes to figure out. I get that refereeing is hard, but they're making it seem harder by taking longer and longer to adjudicate what should be routine plays.
Runner-Up: Rihanna's halftime (saved by the baby)
Granted, it made a whole lot more sense when she confirmed to the world what we all kind of saw, that Rihanna is pregnant, but personally I was expecting a bit more from the halftime show. The music is great, because her catalog is great. But it seemed more like just a spotify playlist of Rihanna's greatest (again, I would love that on a car ride) but with little performance, singing or spectacle that the halftime show usually has. For her first public show in half a decade, I was left a bit wanting. But then again, maybe the plan was for a lot more motion, but with her pregnant it changed things.
Team Performance of the Game: Chiefs OL
The whole two weeks the common refrain of the game was that the Chiefs had Mahomes and Kelce and Chirs Jones but hte Eagles are better overall everywhere. Well, the Chiefs showed their overall roster is stronger than people think, specifically their OL was able to outplay and straight-up win the matchup against the Eagles DL. Both in the passing game, but some of that was Mahomes brilliance and good play-calling and stuff like that, but more than that in the run game. They road-graded them, just great blocking especially on the edge, which the Chiefs turned to time and time again. That OL was brilliant consistently, such a marked change since their last Super Bowl.
Runner-Up: Chiefs Coaching
Obviously the plaudits for Reid and Bienamy are clear - the play calling was great, from the two wide open TDs, to them running the same play after a penalty but hitting a hole shot instead of the WR swing screen. But how about the defense. Spags's unit may have given up 35 points, but they also forced 18 third downs. Of course, the Eagles converted a bunch of them, but the Eagles are just a good offense. Spags defense was great against the run all game. AJ Brown beat them repeatedly and they lost Smith on one deep route, but the defense tackled really well and Spags got free rushers time and time again. The Chiefs coaches outcoached the Eagles. Not by a huge amount, but by enough.
Team Letdown of the Game: Eagles running game
Jalen Hurts was good enough as a runner that the overall final stats look ok. But the Eagles run game just disappeared. Sanders, Gainwell and Boston could do next to nothing. Even their good runs came when they had to fight through contact. The Eagles had one of the best running games (including Hurts in this) of the past 20 years by some of the advanced metrics, and were so dominant in both NFC playoff games. There were a few plays where their incredible OL drove the Chiefs back, but those were few and far between. The Eagles lost what on paper was their biggest matchup edge.
Runner-Up: Chiefs Secondary vs. Brown / Smith
This is more of a personal letdown, but after seeing the Chiefs secondary do great work against Chase & Higgins, I was hoping to see a better battle here. Instead, Brown & Smith can of ran roughshod. Browns adjustment on the long TD was brilliant, but McDuffie looked lost at the point of attack. Sneed of all people completely lost Smith on the long pass. Brown routinely just beat cornerns off the line for quick slants. The two WRs did a great job, but to be honest I expected more from this Chiefs secondary.
Storyline that Will Be Beat into the Ground, 1: The refs ruined the ending
I think this is already starting to become a bit quieter of a talking point, what with Bradberry himself admitting the held. Also, let's remember last year in the Super Bowl, there was arguably an even more impactful, even far more ticky-tacky holding penalty that gave the Rams a 1st & Goal instead of a 4th & Goal down 4. I don't think many outside of LA and Cincinnati fans remember that. This will recede to. And at the end of the day, it was a good call. There were other officiating issues, but that one (correct) call should not overshadow that brilliant spectacle of a game.
Storyline that Will Be Beat into the Ground, 2: Mahomes on the GOAT track
It's already started - is he better than Montana, better than Peyton, on track for Brady (not coincidentally, the three other QBs with multiple rings and multiple MVPs). Not that any of these are rushed, but jesus can we jsut not worry about GOAT debates. Mahomes is doing unreal things, combining early career Peyton stats with early career Brady winning. He's a truly transcendant player. But let's give him a bit more time to surprise, to dazzle. Given his longevity, the actual GOAT debate is probably a ways away - let's not overburden and just enjoy Pat's unreal talent, will and successes.
Storyline that Should Be Beat into the Ground 1: Reid on the All Time List
Andy Reid has coached for a very long time. He's also been a good coach for a very long time. 14 years in Philadelphia, with just three losign seasons. Now 10 years in KC, with zero losing seasons (the worst year was 9-7 in 2014). He's now 5th on the all time wins list (including postseason), one behind Tom Landry, with then just George Halas, Don Shula and Bill Belichick ahead of him. Granted, those three are a decent bit ahead of Andy Reid, but Andy Reid has just an insane resume now. Easily the best coach to have great success at muiltiple stops. He has an impressive coaching tree, especially even if we include assistants who were on defense but still praise him to the end of the earth (Ron Rivera, Sean McDermott, John Harbaugh). He's maybe the greatest playcaller in NFL history. He's just special. Good he'll be coming back, maybe for a last hurrah, but you know he'll leave KC in great shape when he eventually moves on.
Storyline that Should be Beat into the Ground 2: The Chiefs are the dynasty
The Patriots were unanimously called a dynasty in 2004 when they won their 3rd Super Bowl. Granted, the Chiefs only have two, but their run these past five years is worthy. Five AFC Championship Games, with teh two they lost being in OT. Two Super Bowl wins. 12+ wins each season in the five. The year the 2001-2004 Patriots didn't win teh Super Bowl, they missed the playoffs at 9-7. And the Chiefs aren't done. They have the greatest similarity with the 2011-2018 Patriots, or 2003-2009 Colts. in that they are just never bad in any given year. They'll be right there with between 12-14 wins next year, with a great offense, with a defense that plays better than the sum of its parts. Will it be good enough to be the first back-to-back team since those same 2004 Patriots? Maybe, maybe not. But they'll be good enough for either it to be them, or someone who beats them in dramatic fashion. They are the standard, and they will be for a long, long time.
