Kansas City Chiefs Lose Super Bowl LV Along The Line Of Scrimmage

Super Bowl LV was billed as a matchup between the best quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, and the best current quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.

But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 because of the Big Uglies up front.

It was a point echoed by CBS
VIAC
VIAC
studio analyst Bill Cowher, a former Chiefs defensive coordinator, who said the game was won in the trenches.

The Chiefs — who were already without their best offensive lineman, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, because of a back injury — lost their blind-side protector Eric Fisher to a torn Achilles in the AFC Championship Game.

Without Fisher the Chiefs started Mike Remmers, who had replaced Schwartz at right tackle, at left tackle. Andrew Wylie moved from right guard to right tackle, and Stefen Wisniewski started at right guard. Austin Reiter, the center, was the only player in his usual spot.

And that re-jiggered offensive line couldn’t hold up. The Buccaneers only sacked Mahomes three times, but they hit him eight times.

“It was a bad day,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, “to have a bad day.”

Reid, though, blamed himself for not putting them in a better position.

Whoever was at fault, the Chiefs could have a different-looking offensive line next year. Not only are there health questions for Fisher and Schwartz, but contract issues loom.

Wylie, Remmers and Reiter are all slated to be free agents.

They did not help their negotiations with their protection issues in Super Bowl LV, which was best exemplified by a fourth-quarter drive with 8:06 left.

Trailing 31-9, the Chiefs had to pass, and the Bucs were able to tee off on them. Ndamukong Suh sacked Mahomes and then followed that with a roughing-the-passer penalty. Remmers also held on the drive.

Two plays after that hold, a painful-looking sack by Suh and Cam Gil forced the Chiefs to face 3rd and 33.

Mahomes’ first third-down completion didn’t come until the 5:43 mark of the fourth quarter. Super Bowl LV was also the first time he started an NFL game when his offense didn’t score a touchdown.

“We weren’t on the same page,” Mahomes said.

Making matters more difficult, the Chiefs ignored the run in the first half.

That’s somewhat understandable, considering the Buccaneers had the best rush defense in the NFL, but Chiefs running backs only had five carries in the first half, and Mahomes led their rushers in both attempts (five) and rushing yards (33).

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers gave the Chiefs a healthy dose of their running game. Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette combined for 150 rushing yards, including a 27-yard touchdown by Fournette to put the Buccaneers up 28-9 in the third quarter.

“Give the kid credit,” Reid said. “He did a nice job.”

Fournette, a free agent at season’s end, has always looked up to Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, who preceded him high school at St. Augustine High in New Orleans. Fournette then wore his No. 7 at LSU.

Playing each other in an NFL game — let alone the Super Bowl — carried extra meaning for them.

“That’s always been on the bucket list of us,” Mathieu said.

Another LSU product, Chiefs rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, began the second half with a 26-yard run. He then followed that with a 10-yard run two plays later. But the Chiefs largely ignored him in the first half, giving him four carries and no receptions.

It was part of some questionable coaching and sloppy play by the Chiefs that featured two punts for less than 30 yards and eight penalties for 95 penalties in the first half. The latter is a Super Bowl record for any half.

“You can’t have that,” Reid said. “It’s uncharacteristic.”

Chris Jones, the outstanding Chiefs defensive lineman, was less diplomatic, saying the calls impacted the game 1,000%. 

“It’s the Super Bowl,” Jones said. “Usually, you let the guys play.”

The performance was anything but usual for a Chiefs offense that was ranked No. 1 in the league.

But in the locker room after the disappointing outcome, Reid praised his team that won the previous Super Bowl, telling them that they “battled their tail off” all season. 

“That’s a tough thing to even get back to this game,” he said.

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