Chiefs’ pass protection plan became a nightmare in Super Bowl LIX

In Tremendous Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles registered a 40-22 blowout of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs by dominating the road of scrimmage all through the sport. Kansas Metropolis didn’t rating till it was trailing 34-0 within the third quarter.

Making the most of the Chiefs’ lackluster offensive line play (and the staff’s refusal to run the ball), the Eagles line of defense had a day to recollect, hitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes early and infrequently. Philadelphia completed the competition with six sacks, 11 hits and 17 pressures.

All of this rattled Mahomes — and because of this, his timing was off all through the night time.

Hitting Mahomes

The Eagles’ greatest play on Mahomes got here on the primary play of a drive that started with slightly below 10 minutes left within the sport — and it just about summed up the Chiefs’ struggles.

Right here, Philadelphia defensive sort out Milton Williams is lined up over Mike Caliendo. On the snap, Williams begins to work the B-gap. Creed Humphrey comes over to help, however Williams works exterior and rips his approach via Caliendo’s block.

This pressured Mahomes to maneuver to his proper, the place Jalen Carter lit him up and compelled a fumble. Mahomes’ motion opened a lane for Carter to get previous Trey Smith for the kill shot.

The Chiefs’ ancillary blocking from the working backs and tight ends was additionally subpar. This didn’t assist left guard Joe Thuney, who struggled whereas filling in at left sort out. To his credit score, he’d had a very good playoff run taking part in out of place — however Philadelphia took benefit of him by placing their bigger, extra bodily cross rushers on the skin towards the short-armed All-Professional guard.

Trying to make first contact, Thuney misses his shot, hitting the sting rusher within the helmet. The defender shortly fires his longer arms and blows Thuney into the backfield to create stress. In the meantime, the Chiefs use Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco to dam the alternative edge rusher whereas Jawaan Taylor helps Smith alongside the inside.

Kelce initially locks onto the defensive finish — however when Pahceco approaches, Kelce lets go. Pacheco whiffs. Mahomes is already stepping up from the stress on the left, however the stress from either side offers him nowhere to go.

Thuney’s bodily deficiencies, Kelce’s baffling determination to let go of the top, and Pacheco’s miss add as much as an terrible play.

It wasn’t the one befuddling determination we noticed in cross blocking.

Right here, we see the Chiefs go along with a run-action look the place Xavier Worthy is coming again throughout the formation. Kelce is meant to provide the sting rusher a chip block whereas Taylor blocks the opposite path. That is meant to assist promote the run and provides the Chiefs an additional physique in safety.

Humphrey can also be presupposed to fold exterior to help Kelce, which is meant to maintain the Eagles’ cross rushers guessing — and provides Mahomes additional time for a protracted play down the sphere.

It doesn’t work.

The Eagles don’t chunk on the run promote or Worthy’s movement — and Kelce whiffs on the block. With the defensive finish chugging up the sphere, Humphrey has no time to get the place he must be. Mahomes tries to flee, however he’s swarmed.

Miscues from Mahomes

Mahomes remains to be the perfect participant in soccer — however Sunday was one of many worst video games of his profession. Whereas his late-game numbers did not look terrible because of some memorable passes to Worthy, the whole first half — and far of the second — was a battle.

On an early third down, poor play-calling led to Mahomes lacking an open man.

On this play, JuJu Smith-Schuster seems to be open — however Mahomes keys on Kelce, who’s quadruple-covered in the midst of the sphere. Seeing the heavy protection, Mahomes tries to scramble however runs into stress and will get taken down.

Whereas Mahomes was rattled, Kansas Metropolis’s outcomes have been poor. Even on performs the place he was well-protected, he nonetheless wasn’t snug, working himself into pressures and sacks.

Right here, Mahomes seems to be to flee as he perceives slight stress from Taylor being pushed again into the pocket. On the left facet, Thuney and Caliendo decide up the line of defense’s twist — however Mahomes runs straight into the looping defensive finish.

With the beating he was taking, it’s arduous in charge Mahomes for working out of fresh pockets. Nonetheless, it was because of poor cross safety — and it’s been one of many staff’s greatest points all season.

The underside line

The Chiefs’ offensive line points (and Mahomes’ ensuing issues with pocket presence) caught up with them on the worst doable time. The necessity for stability at left sort out has by no means been extra obvious. It ought to be one of many staff’s highest offseason priorities.

Within the blink of a watch, the Chiefs’ dream season changed into a nightmare. Now it’s time to select up the items and transfer on.