The Kansas City Chiefs were handled fairly easily in Super Bowl LIX, with Patrick Mahomes struggling to step into throws and find open receivers with any regularity. The Eagles won the line of scrimmage, it really is that simple.
Philadelphia celebrated its Super Bowl victory Friday with a parade in the City of Brotherly Love on Valentine's Day. The Chiefs, meanwhile, were left watching from home (or on vacation), deciding upon their own futures. Travis Kelce, for one, could retire from football altogether.
It's been a long three seasons for Kansas City. Reaching three straight Super Bowls means three seasons which extend well into February, and then start again shortly thereafter. There isn't much time to catch their breath, but the noise around the Chiefs has been, for the most part, positive and onto the next challenge. Yet, even prior to the game, Kansas City was reportedly feeling 'Super Bowl fatigue,' per a report by Henry McKenna of FOX Sports:
"Before the game, a Chiefs coach told me that media members had been asking him if going to Super Bowls ever got old. And he bluntly told me: 'It does.' There was legit Super Bowl fatigue from this Chiefs team. It was completely clear in the first half, when things escalated quickly," McKenna wrote.
Chiefs convenient excuse for Super Bowl LIX doesn't add up
While success can certainly breed complacency, this goes directly against what the Chiefs echoed all Super Bowl week long, including in media sessions – this was their chance to make history. Patrick Mahomes specifically sounded extremely disappointed after the loss, taking full blame. Some of Mahomes' teammates were sulking on the sidelines, clearly taken aback by the scoreboard. That does not sound like a complacent team to me.
"Any time you lose the Super Bowl, it’s just the worst feeling in the world. It’ll stick with you for the rest of your career. These will be the losses that motivate me to be better. … It hurts probably more than the wins feel good," Mahomes said.
How could Mahomes feel this bad if the Chiefs were complacent about their place in history? Mahomes showed up to the game wearing all green, as if to send a message to the Eagles. He even posted an Avengers-themed hype video the week of Super Bowl LIX.
Mahomes sure didn't sound complacent or burned out before Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs didn't either. Suggesting as much now is a convenient excuse for a team that was simply outplayed. And as Mahomes tweeted postgame, they'll be back.