This article should not ned to exist. Most people watching the Buccaneers’ 31-9 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV will tell you that Patrick Mahomes did everything in his power to give Kansas City a chance.
But there is a very loud group of people out there who will tell you that the Chiefs quarterback played poorly. Statistically speaking, that’s a fair assessment of his performance. It was, easily, the worst of his career. It was the first time Mahomes failed to lead his team to a touchdown. His 61 dropbacks resulted in a loss of 11.4 Expected Points. His 52.3 passer rating was the worst of his career.
The lack of production was mostly the result of the intense pressure Mahomes found himself under for most of the game. The Buccaneers pressured him on 52% of his dropbacks — the highest mark ever recorded in a Super Bowl. But some have argued that Mahomes brought some of that pressure on himself. That, at times, he reacted to pressure that wasn’t there, causing him to miss out on big plays down the field.
Respected NFL analyst Gregg Cossell was one of those people.
Think Mahomes played well in the Super Bowl? Listen to what @GregCosell said on today’s @RossTuckerPodhttps://t.co/UFGFSa6OLj pic.twitter.com/uSIGCDDyYa
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) February 11, 2021
Others said he held the ball too long. And when he was able to get the ball off, he was inaccurate with his passes.
I didn’t see much of that on tape, though. In fact, after reviewing the tape, I wouldn’t even say Mahomes played poorly. There were, of course, some bad plays — there always are — but I don’t believe that any of the popular criticisms we’ve heard this week are valid.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. In this post, we’re going to be looking at every incompletion, interception and sack. I’ll offer my opinion on why the play failed but you’re free to form your own.
Let’s get started…
