Before Andy Reid became a Kansas City Chiefs legend, he was the architect of a dominant Philadelphia Eagles team in the early 2000s. One of his proteges during that time was a young Howie Roseman, who soaked up every bit of knowledge Reid had about building a team from the inside out—starting in the trenches. Reid instilled in Roseman the philosophy that games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, a lesson that has helped shape the Eagles’ formidable rosters over the years.

Fast forward to Super Bowl LIX, and it was Roseman’s Eagles that put that very lesson to devastating use against Reid’s Chiefs. With a relentless pass rush and dominant offensive line play, Philadelphia bullied Kansas City, leaving Patrick Mahomes under constant duress. After the game, Reid didn’t hold back, acknowledging his offense’s struggles while crediting the Eagles’ superior play in the trenches. It was a humbling night for the Chiefs, and for Mahomes, it came with more than just a bruised ego—he reportedly lost out on a $1.5 million bonus tied to the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for a historic three-peat ended not with a bang, but a whimper—a messy, penalty-filled, turnover-plagued whimper. Imagine planning the perfect party, only to watch the guests trash the place before the cake is cut. That’s how Super Bowl LIX felt for Chiefs fans. Dreams of dynasty dominance dissolved under the glaring lights of New Orleans, as the Eagles soared high. Reid was obviously not impressed.

The offensive line struggled from the get-go and the Chiefs failed to establish a run game, while Mahomes also struggled under pressure. Philly’s defense swarmed Mahomes on the Chiefs’ opening drive, forcing a punt. Then Cooper DeJean’s pick-six in the second quarter made it 14-0. By halftime, the Eagles led 24-0, while Kansas City had just 23 total yards.

“Too many turnovers, too many penalties against a good football team. Can’t do that,” Reid said bluntly during his postgame press conference. Mahomes’ first turnover led to an Eagles touchdown. In the second quarter, Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean had the ball thrown right to him as another Mahomes’ intended target, DeAndre Hopkins was covered by another Philly defender. DeJean quickly found open space, getting to the sideline and running into the end zone to give the Eagles a 17-0 lead.

Mahomes alone had three turnovers (two interceptions, one lost fumble) and got sacked six times as Kansas City trailed 34-0 before its first score in the third quarter. By that time, the writing was already on the wall for Reid and the Chiefs as they ended the game with 275 yards and 49 rushing yards as a team. But more than the struggles of the Chiefs’ offense, it was the Eagles’ defense that proved to be a difference.

When asked about the offensive line’s collapse, Reid tipped his cap to Philly’s defense: “Their defensive line did a nice job.” Translation: Kansas City’s front five got schooled. The Eagles logged a staggering 52.4% pressure rate without blitzing, turning Patrick Mahomes into a scrambling piñata.

The Eagles run a base 3-4 defense, which allowed strongside linebacker Josh Sweat (2.5 sacks), left defensive end Jonathan Milton (2 sacks), and nose tackle Jordan Davis (1 sack) to run roughshod on the Chiefs, who had nowhere to run. Despite not sending a single blitz against Mahomes they managed to get pressure on 16 of his 42 dropbacks (38%). This allowed the Eagles’ defense to sit back and dictate play, something Reid would have been proud of.

The Eagles beat the Chiefs using the formula that Andy Reid himself taught Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman. Reid believes in building teams through the trenches and Roseman, one of his disciples from his Eagles days, followed the formula to a tee. He constructed a defense that didn’t allow the Chiefs to breathe on Sunday.

Top Comment by dionic33

No not at all. Chiefs have been criticized for the past 2 yrs for not having this or not having...more

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Patrick Mahomes’s stat line—257 yards, three touchdowns—looks decent on paper. But dig deeper. His first-half passer rating? A dismal 10.7. Travis Kelce broke Jerry Rice’s playoff reception record, but even that felt hollow amid the chaos. “Couldn’t get it going offensively,” Kelce said after the game. “I mean, they just got after us on all three phases.”

Meanwhile, Reid’s adjustments never came.

No schematic shifts, no creative play-calling—just the same overwhelmed unit. “We didn’t really play well in any of the phases,” Reid admitted. “I didn’t coach good enough.”

His 45th playoff game—a record—ended with arguably his worst coaching performance. Yet history suggests resilience. After their 2021 Super Bowl loss to Brady’s Bucs, the Chiefs bounced back with two titles. “You learn from it as a player, and you move on,” Reid insisted and the Chiefs fans should have reason to believe that they will bounce back.

However, offensive problems plagued the Chiefs all season and they kept getting away with it until the Eagles ran all over them. Kansas City’s offense ranked 15th in scoring this year, masking flaws with Mahomes’ magic. That magic ran dry Sunday. The $1.5 million Super Bowl MVP bonus? Gone, like Kansas City’s three-peat bid.

Mahomes’s $1.5 million elephant in the room

Mahomes’s financial hit can’t be ignored. The lost MVP bonus underscores how much was at stake. Unlike Brady, whose Super Bowl losses were nail-biters, Mahomes now owns two blowout defeats. His fourth-quarter touchdowns couldn’t erase the stench of a 34-0 deficit. “I take all the blame for that,” he said, though teammates shared culpability. Drops, missed blocks, and defensive lapses piled up.

This loss stings deeper than most. Mahomes, now 3-2 in Super Bowls, missed a chance to inch closer to Tom Brady’s seven-ring legacy. Brady, ironically calling the game for Fox, watched as Mahomes faltered under pressure he rarely faced. “Any time you lose the Super Bowl, it’s the worst feeling in the world,” Mahomes said. “It’ll stick with you.”

Yet Mahomes’s response—a vow to “be back”—echoes past comebacks. After Super Bowl LV’s 31-9 loss and the drubbing against the Bucs, he won two straight rings. The Chiefs’ core (Mahomes, Kelce, Chris Jones) remains intact. But fixes are needed. Reid must rebuild the O-line and find Mahomes more weapons.

The Chiefs’ dynasty isn’t dead, but the road gets tougher. The AFC West is rising, with the Chargers and Broncos retooling. Mahomes, still just 29, has time. But Reid, 66, faces urgency. His legacy as an all-time great coach is secure, yet this loss invites doubt. Can he adapt?

For Reid, the challenge is clear: Learn fast. Because in Kansas City, next year is always now. The party’s over, but the blueprint remains. Fix the flaws, reload, and chase history again. Because if anyone can turn humiliation into motivation, it’s the duo that turned Kansas City into Titletown.