People don’t forget, and they never stop talking. For almost half the year, all anyone could talk about was the Chiefs going for a three-peat. Now, the conversation has shifted to Patrick Mahomes falling short of making that history. After the loss, the Chiefs QB owned up to the failure. And his fans poured all their love and support for him. But as much as there is love, there is criticism too. And yeah, some of it is pretty harsh. Honestly, Mahomes spoiled us with his magic for so long that a night like Sunday feels almost surreal. 

Everybody has something to say about the Chiefs’ loss -from fans to analysts to former players. Three-time Super Bowl champ and former safety Devin McCourty also weighed in on the discussion with Dan Patrick. On Monday, the former Patriots player made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, breaking down the Chiefs vs. Eagles game. “The biggest issue with Mahomes and the Chiefs was that there was no adjustment. Like, you can’t sit back there in the pocket and do what you normally do -holding the ball, moving up, finding exits, and then going and making plays,” said McCourty. 

The Chiefs couldn’t put a single point on the board until late in the third quarter. By then, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles had already secured a 34-point lead. Kansas City’s first touchdown came with just 34 seconds left on the clock -way too little, way too late. Host Dan Patrick didn’t hold back, throwing some sharp criticism at Coach Andy Reid’s game plan. “I don’t think Andy Reid had a good game last night when you think about adjustments.” No sugarcoating here. 

Kansas City’s offense was crippling, but the defense wasn’t any better. The Eagles‘ defense thrashed Patrick Mahomes pretty badly. And on the other side, the Chiefs’ defense made Jalen Hurts look like he was playing against a practice squad. “It didn’t seem like they ever tried to confuse Jalen Hurts, give him something different,” said Devin McCourty.

Appreciating the way Philly used WR DeVonta Smith against their defense, the former Patriots player added, “They did a good job with, you know, DeVonta Smith, a ton of motion early in the play to see if it was man or zone, put him into the short side of the field. Just a lot of different things Philly did that I never thought Kansas City did on offense or defense.”

Patrick Mahomes vs Tom Brady: End of Debate

Tom Brady’s legacy remains untouched, for now. That’s right. A lot of people were ready to hand Patrick Mahomes the GOAT title. If the Chiefs had pulled off the three-peat, he might’ve been in the same elite company as Brady. But the manner of Kansas City’s loss on Sunday has put the question of Mahomes being in the same league to bed for now. “I know it’s fresh in our minds right now, but to lose the way that they did, and for that to be the second time on the Super Bowl stage, a huge game, to go out there and just get destroyed, I just don’t think was a good look,” said McCourty. 

Brady has seven Super Bowl rings and has been a five-time Super Bowl MVP. But it’s not just about the titles and accolades. It comes down to the fact that Brady has never choked in big games. “We just don’t see Brady and the Patriots team, they never lost that way. They might not have gotten there (close to a three-peat), which I think you could argue about. But once they got there, you just never saw a game where, you know, midway through the first quarter or second quarter, it felt like, well, this one was just gone,” added Devin. 

So, with the three-peat hopes crushed, it’s time to put the Brady vs. Mahomes debate to rest. But mind you, this is not the end of Mahomes’ career. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back stronger than ever next season and write a legacy of his own.