Ball Don't Lie: Refs put Patrick Mahomes in danger at end of ugly Super Bowl LIX

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had a rough go of it against a dominant Philadelphia Eagles defensive line on Sunday night in Super Bowl LIX. Mahomes and the Chiefs offensive front were not prepared for the push the Eagles interior would make each down, and thus Philadelphia was able to create intense pressure with just their front four.

Such an edge left Mahomes without anywhere to go with the football, as the Eagles don't have any obvious holes in their secondary. Cooper DeJean, a relatively unproven yet promising rookie, made an interception in the first half and returned it for a touchdown. If Mahomes can't take advantage against the rookie from Iowa, then where else is he meant to get the upper hand?

Mahomes knew what he was in for against Vic Fangio's defense. When asked about facing Fangio's defensive scheme just last week, Mahomes did not sound all that confident.

"Every time I've played coach Fangio, there's been different change-ups and different things that he's thrown at us," Mahomes said Wednesday. "I think that's what makes him so great is he's not gonna just do exactly what you saw the last time. I'm sure there will be blitzes during the game, I'm sure there will be times where they play coverage. It's gonna be a chess match. But you want to go up against the best and he's one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. It'll be a great challenge for us as an offense and as a football team."

For more Super Bowl 59 updates, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs news and more, check out FanSided's Super Bowl LIX Hub, your ultimate guide to the Big Game.

NFL refs failed Patrick Mahomes late in Super Bowl LIX

Of course, the prevailing narrative from Super Bowl LIX will be that the Chiefs didn't get the calls, and that is why they were handled by Philly. Suggesting that to be the case is, essentially, telling on yourself. The Chiefs remain a dynasty even without a three-peat to their name. The calls didn't go their way against the Eagles, but neither did the flow of play. Hopefully non-calls like this in the final minutes of a blowout loss in Super Bowl LIX put the 'NFL script' talk to bed once and for all.

Yes, NFL officials miss just as many calls that would favor the Chiefs. A first down rather than a strip sack by the Eagles wouldn't have meant much in the grand scheme of things – Kansas City faced a steep deficit with or without the football late in the second half – but protecting players like Mahomes ought to be part of the league's mission statement.

In that sense, a flag-happy officiating crew failed miserably on Sunday night.