The stage was set.
And then the Eagles’ defence ripped through the Chiefs’ offensive line time and time again and Mahomes, who so often does the unthinkable to create plays out of nothing, did the unthinkable. He did nothing.
Very rarely do you see a player in their prime throw up such a stinker in the big game. This is when they shine. Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup final comes to mind but there were reports he was ill before kickoff. By all accounts Mahomes was fit.
With the Chiefs down 24-0 at halftime you didn’t have to think too far back to be reminded it’s not an insurmountable score to come back from. In 2017, Tom Brady’s New England Patriots were 28-3 down in the third quarter and beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
But one drive into the second half, after watching Mahomes struggle yet again, I knew the result was a foregone conclusion. Off the TV went. The Doritos were left unopened.
Contenders for worst Super Bowl match-ups
For Super Bowl stinkers, it’s up there with the worst of them.
Super Bowl LV – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 Kansas City Chiefs 9
2020 also had plenty of hype. Brady’s Buccaneers against Mahomes and the Chiefs, who were defending champions. The passing of the torch for NFL quarterbacks. But much like yesterday, Mahomes barely got going as the Bucs defence dominated.
Super Bowl XLVIII – Seattle Seahawks 43 Denver Broncos 8
2013 was a similarly tough watch as Peyton Manning looked a shell of his former MVP self. The Seahawks held a 22-0 lead over Denver at halftime. On the kickoff to start the second half, Percy Harvin ran straight through the Broncos to make it 29-0. Another contender for “turn the TV off, we’ve seen enough”.
Super Bowl XXIX – San Francisco 49ers 49 San Diego Chargers 26
One of the first Super Bowls I remember sitting down and watching. In the blink of an eye, Steve Young led the 49ers in two early touchdown drives and San Francisco didn’t look back, holding a 28-7 lead in the second quarter before the Chargers got a field goal to keep it to 18 at the break. Not even Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle at halftime could keep a pre-teen me interested in watching the second half.
Super Bowl XXXVII – Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 Oakland Raiders 21
Another match-up with a great storyline as Bucs coach Jon Gruden was up against his previous side. Tampa Bay had a 20-3 lead at halftime. Rich Gannon was never coming back from that, let alone the 34-3 scoreline in the third quarter. The number one defence in the league proving that’s what decides title games.
Super Bowl LIII – New England Patriots 13 LA Rams 3
Enough of the blowouts. What about when both teams don’t show up? The Patriots and Rams traded just a field goal each in the opening three quarters before the Patriots secured victory with the only touchdown of the game with seven minutes left. It was a hard watch but one most fans would have stuck with through to the end.
