The Kansas City Chiefs fell short of making history in Super Bowl LIX. On paper heading into the game, it was clear that they had the inferior squad even with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid leading the way. Games are not played on paper, and the Eagles were one of the few teams in recent memory that were able to take advantage of those strengths and translate them onto the field perfectly.
The Chiefs’ offense did not come to play whatsoever. However, the same could not be said for their defense at least early in the game. Kansas City’s defense faced an uphill battle instantly in this game because of their offense’s slow start and eventual turnovers. With that being the case, they still showed some resistance, but against a team like the Eagles, they couldn’t be held down forever. Philadelphia eventually broke through offensively. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles capitalized on every defensive mistake the Chiefs made, and a game that was expected to come down to the final possessions instead turned into a one-sided affair and was never really close.
Lack of Defensive Pressure
One of the biggest takeaways from this game was the Chiefs’ inability to generate consistent pressure. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s signature blitz packages were neutralized, allowing Hurts to operate with ease. Kansas City recorded four sacks, but those numbers were misleading as their overall pressure rate was just 33.3%. That ranked among their worst performances of the season.
Charles Omenihu, a reliable pass rusher throughout the season, was virtually invisible in this game. The veteran defensive end failed to record a single pressure and missed a key tackle off the edge. With Chris Jones leaving the game due to injury, Omenihu’s lack of impact was a big setback. His failure to step up when the Chiefs needed him most was one of the defining disappointments of the night.
George Karlaftis echoed similar frustrations, acknowledging the Eagles’ superior execution. “They had a heck of a game plan. They executed. They outplayed us to a man,” Karlaftis said. “It’s the reality of the game we play. It sucks. They played a phenomenal game.” The inability to disrupt Hurts allowed Philadelphia to attack downfield, making it nearly impossible for Kansas City’s defense to recover.
Struggles in the Secondary
Kansas City’s defensive backs had been a strength throughout the season, but that was not the case on Sunday. Philadelphia’s passing attack was relentless, picking apart the secondary and exploiting mismatches all over the field. Jaylen Watson, in particular, had a rough outing, struggling to keep up with the Eagles’ speed on the outside.
Watson’s worst moment came with Kansas City trailing 27-0, desperately needing a stop. Instead, DeVonta Smith burned him on a 46-yard touchdown pass, effectively sealing the game. Hurts finished with a perfect passer rating when targeting Watson, highlighting how much of a liability he was in coverage. While Watson wasn’t the only defensive back who struggled, his mistakes were among the most costly.
Trent McDuffie acknowledged the challenges of facing a high-powered offense like Philadelphia’s. “Their pass game was rolling, you know. And at the end of the day, they just came out and played harder than us,” McDuffie said. “Gotta take it on the chin and learn from it.” Unfortunately, the Chiefs had no answers for the aerial assault, making it one of their worst defensive showings of the season.
Steve Spagnuolo’s Defensive Game Plan Backfired
Much of the pregame discussion revolved around Spagnuolo’s aggressive blitzing and whether it would disrupt Hurts. The Eagles were more than prepared, recognizing pressure schemes and adjusting accordingly. On 12 blitz attempts, the Chiefs generated pressure just three times, making their pass rush virtually nonexistent.
Philadelphia’s ability to neutralize the KC pressure completely changed the game’s outcome. “Spags did a few different things; he had a couple of blitzes in there,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “I thought the backs did a nice job—both of them—of picking the blitz up. And when we got through, (Hurts) moved, and they got some big plays.” The Chiefs’ inability to adjust defensively only added to their struggles.
Hurts took full advantage of the defensive breakdowns, attacking downfield whenever he recognized an extra rusher. His 17.4-yard average depth of target was among the highest of the season, showing how aggressive he was in pushing the ball. The Chiefs’ blitzing, which had been a strength all year, became a liability against an offense that knew exactly how to counter it.
Final Thoughts
During this run of dominance for the Chiefs, it has been their defense that has steadied the ship and kept them in every game. Especially in Super Bowls where it has been commonplace for the Chiefs offense to get off to a slow start, their defense typically would do just enough to allow the offense to get going and take over late to help them win those games.
The defense in this game accomplished its chief objective which was to neutralize the explosiveness of Running Back Saquon Barkley. He was held to 57 yards on 25 carries. Besides that though, they failed in every aspect of the game and had no answers for Hurts and the Philadelphia passing attack. They could not generate any real pressure on the Eagles, which allowed them to eventually just start teeing off on their secondary and put the game out of reach.
Kansas City’s offseason was already going to be filled with tough decisions because of their limited cap space and pending free agents on the offensive side of the ball. Spagnuolo, who has been instrumental to this team’s success, is also going to have to look himself in the mirror. He must address how badly his philosophy of defensive football failed on a huge stage.
Moving forward there are clear areas of this defense that need to be addressed starting with their defensive line and then moving into their secondary. If Kansas City wants to be the team from their conference that is back in this game next season, they cannot stand pat on this side of the ball. No matter how good it has been in the past they have been exposed and now need to adjust.
