Kansas City Chiefs Let Patrick Mahomes Down In Super Bowl Loss

Patrick Mahomes left Super Bowl LV battered, bruised and brought low by a ferocious and unassailable Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense during the Kansas City Chiefs' humbling 31-9 loss.

At the same time, the Chiefs quarterback was easily the team's best player and did everything in his power to keep his squad competitive despite obvious disadvantages. 

Mahomes twirled and pranced and attempted nearly impossible passes from improbable angles only to have everyone around the quarterback let him down. 

"Until the last snap, he was trying to win the football game," head coach Andy Reid told reporters about his quarterback after the team's disappointing performance. 

The Chiefs remain within a Super Bowl window, but the dressing needs to change a little in the coming months to keep it open for as long as possible. While Kansas City is extremely talented in certain areas—specifically quarterback, tight end, wide receiver and safety—numerous positions could require some renovation. 

As everyone learned, including Mahomes, the hard way, the offensive line simply didn't hold up and wasn't good enough in a big-game atmosphere. It's not entirely the unit's fault, of course. But better preparation could have been made to provide quality depth behind Kansas City's projected starters. 

On paper, the Chiefs offensive front looks quite good until right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, left guard Kelechi Osemele and left tackle Eric Fisher are lost to season-ending injuries on top of right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opting out this season to help on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Injuries are part of the game, and depth is crucial to success. Of the four replacements in the lineup Sunday, the Chiefs made the following investments: 

• Left tackle Mike Remmers signed a one-year, $1.2 million free-agent contract. 
• Left guard Nick Allegretti was a 2019 seventh-round draft pick. 
• Right guard Stefen Wisniewski, who did play in Kansas City the previous season, joined the team in late November after the Pittsburgh Steelers released him. 
• Andrew Wylie, who signed as an undrafted free agent four years ago, started one game at right tackle prior to Super Bowl LV.

No one had any expectations of this unit holding up against Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea, not even the Chiefs' head coach. 

"I could've done a better job of putting them in a better position. They fought their tails off," Reid told reporters. "I'm not gonna lay it on the offensive line."

Tampa Bay's defensive front brutalized its competition. Technically, the Buccaneers sacked Mahomes only three times, but the beating looked so much worse than the previous number indicates. Todd Bowles' crew pressured the quarterback a Super Bowl-record 29 times, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Mahomes' 497 scrambling yards before passes/sacks became the most by any quarterback this season. 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

An impossible situation could have been improved with more of an emphasis on depth along the offensive front. In fact, the Chiefs invested in an offensive line prospect before the seventh round only once during the last four drafts, and rookie Lucas Niang opted out this season. 

As of now, Osemele and center Austin Reiter are free agents. Mitchell Schwartz, who turns 32 before the 2021 campaign, enters the last year of his current contract. Finally, Eric Fisher isn't guaranteed to be healthy for the start of next season after suffering a torn Achilles in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. 

The Chiefs should emphasize improvements along the offensive line moving forward in order to protect the team's $450 million investment behind center. The team's current approach of using late-round draft picks/undrafted free agents or snatching up other squad's castoffs to fill roster spots cost the Chiefs the chance at a second-straight championship. 

Inevitably, the onus will be placed on those blockers who faced an impossible situation when Kansas City has far more to worry about in regards to its roster. 

Tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill both earned All-Pro distinction this season, but they're going to have moments when good defenses slow them down as the Bucs did during the Super Bowl despite the duo combining for 206 receiving yards. Others need to make plays. Mecole Hardman, Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson combined to make four catches for 28 yards. The latter two are set to enter free agency. 

The Buccaneers didn't have to bring pressure because the defensive line dominated, which allowed Bowles to play two-high coverage and bracket Mahomes' top targets. No one else made Tampa Bay pay for the approach. 

On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs are soft at the point of attack. Tampa Bay running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II combined to average 5.4 yards per carry. The Buccaneers are big and physical up front with center Ryan Jensen, right tackle Tristan Wirfs, guard Ali Marpet and left tackle Donovan Smith.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Aside from two-time Pro Bowl performer Chris Jones, Kansas City is average up front. Like its offensive counterpart, the Chiefs require fortifications along its defensive front, especially with Tanoh Kpassagnon and Mike Pennel entering free agency. 

Linebacker is no different. Damien Wilson is a pending free agent. The organization could move on from middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens as well to save $6.4 million with a post-June 1 designation, per Over the Cap. The speed found among Tampa Bay's linebackers became a sight to behold. The ground Devin White and Lavonte David can cover is simply mind-boggling. The Chiefs need to become more athletic along their second line of defense. 

Kansas City does have a couple of excellent players in its secondary. Tyrann Mathieu is the most instinctive safety in football. His versatility creates flexibility and diversity within Steve Spagnuolo's defensive scheme. Rookie corner L'Jarius Sneed turned into an absolute steal as a recent fourth-round pick. Even so, Bashaud Breeland is an unrestricted free agent, while Charvarius Ward falls under the restricted variety. 

Every single level of the Chiefs roster has potential issues to address. 

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

The escalation of Mahomes' market-changing contract extension will start to limit the franchise's financial capabilities in the coming seasons. At 14.8 percent of league cap maximum, Tom Brady became the most expensive quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, per Spotrac's Michael Ginnitti. With a salary-cap hit of $24.8 million next season, Mahomes' percentage will hover around 13.7 percent of the reported $181 million salary cap. The number will quickly escalate in the coming years with an increase to $42.5 million by 2023. 

Even at the lower number, the Chiefs are already in the read for the 2021 season. Some maneuvering, creative accounting and contract restructures should be forthcoming. 

The Chiefs remain one of the league's best franchises for the foreseeable future. Mahomes' presence is a big part of why the team can be successful over the long haul. But Reid and general manager Brett Veach must get creative to address and improve the quarterback's overall surrounding cast in the coming years to build a solid foundation. 

Otherwise, Kansas City could waste some of the best years from the most naturally gifted quarterback the game has ever seen.

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