Another Super Bowl is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs are NFL champions again. Patrick Mahomes wins his second ring, second Super Bowl MVP, on top of being named league MVP for the second time days before the big game. Mahomes played a great game, especially in the second half, and he deserves all the praise he’s received this season. But let’s be real, those hogs up front protecting Mahomes made the biggest difference.
Kansas City’s O-line more than neutralized the vaunted Philly pass rush. They closed them. The Eagles’ defensive line barely touched Mahomes and, during the second half, rarely got close enough for him to breathe. In general, The bosses played relatively clean game offensively, and the o-line made up for its poor performance two years ago in that offense against Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV.
The O-line kept Mahomes mostly upright
This year, the Chiefs line did not allow Mahomes to be sacked once. Against the Bucs, he dropped three times and was on the run all night in a 31-9 loss. KC played a pretty tight game against Philadelphia, only being flagged three times in this game compared to 11 penalties against the Bucs.
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The Chiefs had a much more balanced offense in this Super Bowl, with Mahomes attempting 27 passes. Against the Bucs, Mahomes came back and passed 49 times. Not counting Mahomes’ rushing attempts, Kansas City ran the ball 20 times against Philly — as opposed to just 12 against Tampa Bay. Mahomes even rushed for 11 more yards in Super Bowl LVII on just one more carry, with a sprained ankle. That Chiefs O-line made it all possible by stepping up and taking on the challenge against the #1 pass rush in the NFL. Philly led the league with 70 sacks this season and left Arizona with a big goose egg in that category.
Everyone knew that one of the running backs was going to win the MVP, regardless of which team won. But if a particular unit could win the award, it would be the Chiefs’ offensive line. Mahomes executed a great game plan created by Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy. In fact, Mahomes had his best game of his three Super Bowl appearances. Mr. MVP had four interceptions in the first two Super Bowls and zero in Sunday’s contest. He threw just two touchdowns in the first two, both of which came against the 49ers in his first outing. Mahomes had three TDs against the Eagles.
Coming into the game, it was thought that KC would have a handful of Philly pass blocks, and apparently that doubt was enough to motivate them. The Eagles’ D-line dominated nearly every offense they faced leading up to the biggest game of the year. KC’s O-line deserves all the praise, and then some, for setting up the clinic blockade. On top of that, the Chiefs saved us all from that insufferable fanbase in Philly.