Chiefs’ halftime fury, Eagles’ future, free agency and more
For the Kansas City Chiefs, another championship vaults them into football immortality, a pantheon graced by so few.
GLENDALE — Fight for your right to party. The Beastie Boys and the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Sunday night in Super Bowl LVII, little went right for the Chiefs in the first half. They trailed 24-14 in a game that could have been far worse save for a Nick Bolton scoop-and-score. The Philadelphia Eagles had 14 first downs through two quarters. Kansas City had 20 total plays. Inside the two-minute warning, Patrick Mahomes aggravated his right high ankle sprain. Chad Henne was warming up.
Then a 29-minute halftime came.
It altered the legacy of these Chiefs.
“When you have guys like Travis Kelce, come into the locker room and the first thing Travis said is ‘we need some energy,’” said Kansas City edge rusher Frank Clark. “Where is your fight? Where’s the fight? You always hear him harp on fight for your (right) to party, but that’s a true thing. It’s a song, but it’s like, dang, what are you willing to fight for so you can party? Super Bowl. Make it to the biggest party of the year. Are y’all willing to fight? That was the question we had to really ask ourselves in the second half.”
Turns out, the Chiefs were ready and willing.
In the second half, Kansas City scored 24 points on four drives, culminating in a thrilling 38-35 victory.
While Rihanna pranced around the stage, it wasn’t one leader but many rallying the Chiefs, encapsulating why Kansas City is much more than a Hall of Fame head coach in Andy Reid and a trio of all-time talents in Mahomes, Kelce and Chris Jones.
“You have to enjoy this moment,” Mahomes said of the halftime message. “You can’t let the moment overtake you, and I thought the guys did that and in the second half they fought to the very end and that’s all you can ask is for guys to leave everything they have on the football field.”
“Let’s go be ourselves,” said Kelce of the conversation in the locker room trailing 24-14. “Let’s go out there and be ourselves. Play with a little more fire. That was essentially the end of the discussion right there. Play with more fire for the guy next to you. There’s never a battle of want. Everybody wants it. It’s the ones that can bring the energy and bring that focus to finish and that’s what you saw out of us today.”
After the break, Kansas City was dominant. The Chiefs rolled up 228 yards on a staggering 7.1 yards per play (excluding kneel-downs), all while Mahomes went 13-of-14 for 88 yards with two touchdowns. Then there was the offensive line, which didn’t allow a sack against a defense that totaled 78 on the season, four shy of tying the all-time record.
“Zero sacks. Put it on a [expletive] t-shirt,” Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown said postgame. “This is a historic offensive line. … We take a lot of pride upfront in being the source of energy and when you’re coming into this game, circumstances, everything is going to be really high, it’s the Super Bowl, Patrick’s been dealing with an ankle injury. We knew we’re were going to have to pass in certain situations. It wasn’t pretty or perfect, but it was enough to win the game and that’s what matters.”
Defensively, Kansas City allowed only 11 points, finally getting two key third-down stops to give Mahomes a few opportunities.
“Most importantly, we had to stop shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Jones about the difference between the two halves. “Third down, third and six, third and five, Frank Clark jumps offside, they get a first-down, which led to a touchdown. Second quarter, its fourth and four, we’re in sneak defense, my nose tackle jumps offside, its fourth-down, we’re off the field. And the quarterback draw, we also had self-inflicted wounds which stopped us from being in the lead. We cleaned it up especially on the D-line part, we were able to clean that up, back end tighten up, we made a few adjustments.”
For the Chiefs, the game will be forever remembered as a defining moment for Mahomes, who in winning his second NFL MVP on Thursday and a second Super Bowl MVP on Sunday, joins only Tom Brady and Joe Montana as players with those accolades and multiple titles.
For the Eagles, the night will be a frustrating memory of a lost moment. It was punctuated by a questionable holding call against corner James Bradberry with 1:54 remaining in regulation, giving Kansas City a first down which effectively ended the game. Bradberry said afterwards it was the right call, but that’s little consolation to a crestfallen fanbase.
But this Super Bowl isn’t about Philadelphia. It’s about Kansas City’s growing legacy.
For the Chiefs, this is the continuation of a potential dynasty. They’ve won two Super Bowls in four years, reaching a third in that span. They’ve hosted five straight AFC Championship Games — no other team has ever hosted three straight in either conference — and won seven straight division titles.
The Chiefs are now one of the top-10 teams in the Super Bowl era. They aren’t on the level of the ’60s Green Bay Packers, ’70s Pittsburgh Steelers, ’80s San Francisco 49ers, ’90s Dallas Cowboys or the New England Patriots of the 2000s and ’10s, but they rival if not supersede anybody else.
Whether Kansas City is dynastic remains an open question, one a couple Chiefs tried to answer while still wearing their uniforms and gloves, adorned in grass stains and championship hats.
“You can call it a dynasty – you can call it whatever you want,” Kelce said. “All I know is we’re coming back next year but our heart and mindset on trying to get another. I can tell you that.”
As for Mahomes, he becomes only the 13th quarterback in NFL history to win at least two Super Bowls as a starter. At 27 years old, the potential achievements are mind-boggling. While there are myriad reasons for his success — his situation included — perhaps no play showcases why Mahomes is different more than his 26-yard scamper with 2:55 remaining the fourth quarter, on a bad wheel, with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.
“Toughest son of gun you ever met man,” said Kelce of Mahomes. “That Texas gunslinger ain’t going to let nothing get in the way.”
Going into the offseason, Kansas City is already the favorite to win it all in 2024.
But we’ll have months to pontificate about the next champ. For now, the moment at hand.
Love or hate the Chiefs, they’ve become the NFL measuring stick for 31 other teams. They’ve proven to have both bursts of brilliance and sustainable longevity, and there’s little reason to think they’ll burn out soon with Reid confirming he’ll be around for the foreseeable future.
On Sunday night, the Chiefs were beasts. They earned their right to party.
Again.
Power rankings
Top 10 favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII
1. Kansas City Chiefs (6/1)
2. Buffalo Bills (7/1)
3. San Francisco 49ers (8/1)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (9/1)
5. Cincinnati Bengals (9/1)
6. Dallas Cowboys (14/1)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (22/1)
8. Baltimore Ravens (22/1)
9. New York Jets (28/1)
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (28/1)
Quotable
“Every day I am amazed that my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world. Encourage to pray, encourage to spread love, and encourage to keep fighting no matter the circumstances. Sudden cardiac arrest was nothing I would have ever chosen to be a part of my story, but that’s because sometimes our own visions are too small even when we think we are seeing the bigger picture. My vision was about playing in the NFL and being the best player that I could be, but God’s plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world.”
– Bills safety Damar Hamlin on his inspirational journey after suffering cardiac arrest
Nothing to add, just a phenomenal young man and a wonderful story.
Podcast
Random stat
The AFC South is the only division with three teams who haven’t won the Super Bowl. The Indianapolis Colts are the only ones to win it all, doing so in 1970 and 2006.
Info learned this week
1. Eagles have bright future, but first some tough hurdles
Forget all the stuff about an easy schedule and whether Jalen Hurts is elite.
Philadelphia has its franchise quarterback, and the Eagles are good enough to beat anybody on any field. But this offseason will be challenging for head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman.
For Sirianni, he’s about to lose both coordinators in Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen, who are likely taking head-coaching jobs with the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.
As for Roseman, there’s the matter of a huge, looming extension for Hurts. Then there’s defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, corner James Bradberry and safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson all hitting free agency while Philadelphia deals with a tight cap situation.
The good news? Philadelphia has two first-round picks, a loaded roster with young talent and one of the best front offices in football. But there will be uncomfortable nights ahead for Roseman, figuring out the best path forward.
2. Franchise tag deadline is next date to watch
The NFL calendar is now swinging from Sundays to deadlines. First up, the franchise tag.
Looking around the league, there are a litany of contenders to be given the tag. Here’s a few:
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson, QB
Dallas Cowboys: Tony Pollard, RB
Kansas City Chiefs: Orlando Brown, LT
Las Vegas Raiders: Josh Jacobs, RB
New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB
Washington Commanders: Da’Ron Payne, DT
Of course, Jackson bares watching the most. If the Ravens give him the exclusive tag, he’s going to count as a $45.2 million hit against the cap. By doing this, no team could present an offer sheet to Jackson. However, if Baltimore gives the non-exclusive tag ($32.4 million) and a team signs Jackson to an offer sheet, it would only get two first-round picks as compensation.
Outside of Jackson, nobody above would be under consideration for the exclusive tag.
A final thought on this topic: with free agency largely being a dud this year (more on that below), teams might be more willing than normal to eat big cap numbers on tagged players.
3. HOF class of 2023 is loaded with long-deserving names
On Thursday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced nine new members. A couple waited a long time.
The full class includes linebacker Zach Thomas, left tackle Joe Thomas, corners Ronde Barber and Darrelle Revis, and edge rusher DeMarcus Ware. Then there’s former head coach Don Coryell, defensive lineman Joe Klecko, linebacker Chuck Howley and corner Ken Riley. For Riley and Coryell, the call came posthumously.
Howley, 86, remains the only player to ever win Super Bowl MVP in a losing effort, earning the honor for the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. Then there’s Klecko, who earned All-Pro status at defensive end, tackle and nose tackle. He remains the only player to ever hold that distinction.
As for Riley, he notched 65 interceptions and somehow only one Pro Bowl in his 15 years with the Bengals. His thefts rank tied for fifth with fellow Hall of Famer, Charles Woodson.
Finally, Coryell, who revolutionized the passing game. Coryell’s influence can be seen across the league today, with an emphasis on working high-to-low with three levels to target. Coryell oversaw the Chargers from 1978-86, a team which had one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history. Fittingly, the group was known as Air Coryell, resetting the single-season passing record three consecutive times from 1979-81.
4. Derek Carr won’t accept trade, forcing Raiders to make decision
The Las Vegas Raiders put themselves in this spot. Now they have a tough choice to make.
After benching and sending quarterback Derek Carr home with two games remaining in the regular season, the Raiders told the league it’s over between the parties. By doing this, there’s a loss of leverage, and Carr is taking full advantage.
Instead of allowing the Raiders to trade him, Carr is exorcising his right to uphold the no-trade clause in his contract. By doing this, Las Vegas is faced with either releasing Carr for nothing or allowing his $40.4 million to become guaranteed on Tuesday. If the Raiders choose the latter, they would essentially be playing a game of high-stakes chicken, trying to get Carr to accept a trade. However, if Carr doesn’t, Las Vegas is stuck with a crippling cap hit.
Bottom line? The Raiders are all but forced to lose a top-15 starting quarterback for nothing. It’s terrible asset management from a franchise which desperately needs all the draft capital it can get to rebuild the defense and offensive line.
5. NFL has to do a better job with fields moving forward
This is a complaint I’ve debated including in a column this year, but it seems appropriate after what we watched in Super Bowl LVII.
Players are more valuable to their teams than ever before. Fans are gambling billions of dollars every year now as well. It’s time for the NFL, both in the name of safety and consistency, to figure out its fields.
On Sunday night, it looked at times as though the players should have traded in their spikes for skates. Both the Chiefs and Eagles were slipping constantly, multiple times taking away what could have been big gains for each.
For a league that works on its Super Bowl field for 11 months, the product was an embarrassment.
Two cents
It’s now the offseason. The time to rev up hype machines will soon be upon us.
Let me be the first to crank the wheel on a few teams, while halting a couple others.
Everyone is going to be all over the Detroit Lions, and rightfully so. Detroit began 1-6 last season before finishing 7-2. With head coach Dan Campbell entering his third year, and the Lions having two first-round picks — Nos. 6 and 18 overall — they’ll be able to add more firepower.
But don’t overlook another NFC North team in the Chicago Bears. Nobody has more cap space at $93.5 million and Chicago also holds the No. 1 overall pick, which could turn into massive draft capital. Chicago isn’t going to be a Super Bowl contender, but it could make a huge jump after struggling to a 3-14 mark.
Staying in the NFC, watch for the Carolina Panthers. New head coach Frank Reich and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is a fantastic combination on the sideline. If general manager Scott Fitterer can land a quarterback in the draft, Carolina should be considered a strong pick to win the NFC South.
Now, for a few others. The Denver Broncos are going to be lauded all spring because of the hiring of head coach Sean Payton. While the Payton move deserves respect, Denver was a rollicking mess last year, going 4-13. The AFC West is also a brutal division. The Broncos might fight for a wild card berth, but expecting more than that is lunacy.
Finally, the Raiders. If the Raiders acquire Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, talk will explode around a revival in Sin City. And while the offense will be fascinating, the defense remains a mess and the head coach is a real concern. And, again, the division is deep. The Raiders should be given more respect with Rodgers, but contender status should be withheld.
Inside the league
If the Packers are willing to trade Rodgers — as they should — this is screaming for the Jets.
While the Raiders will likely be involved, New York has the cap flexibility and a glaring need at quarterback which has largely existed since Joe Namath left town in the mid-’70s. The Jets have all their draft picks both now and into the future, and with Rodgers, would be a playoff team with upside.
For the Jets, acquiring Rodgers would mean relevancy and the back page in New York for the first time in a decade. Unlike most teams who don’t need to fight for attention in the sports pages, this means something to owner Woody Johnson. Rodgers immediately puts the Jets in ink.
More importantly, Rodgers should be happy about going to Gotham. The Jets have real weapons in receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, along with a terrific defense. New York also has offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who has been close with Rodgers since the two worked together in Green Bay from 2019-21.
As for the Packers, it’s time. Rodgers is 39 years old, Jordan Love is on the last year of his rookie deal (pending his fifth-year option being exercised) and Green Bay is about to go through a cap crunch.
For the Jets, Packers and Rodgers, it’s time to make the move.
History lesson
The NFL Draft has a unique history, but no year was crazier than 1956.
That year remains the only time the draft was split, with the first three rounds taking place in November at Philadelphia, and the final 27 rounds happening in January at Los Angeles.
It was a good year for Green Bay, who selected two Hall of Famers in offensive tackle Forrest Gregg in the second round, before taking quarterback Bart Starr with No. 200 overall in the 17th round.
Parting shot
If your team has holes throughout its roster, focus on the draft and not free agency.
The market varies annually in quality and quantity, and this is a down year. Removing the names which will never actually reach free agency (see the franchise tag section), there’s very little in terms of difference-makers.
The best receivers available? Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Best edge rusher? Marcus Davenport or Yannick Ngakoue. Best corner? James Bradberry.
Yes, there are some top-tier players like Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne, but they’re rare. The only position one might consider deep is safety, with Jessie Bates (Bengals), Juan Thornhill (Chiefs), Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Eagles) and Jordan Poyer (Bills) among others.
There will be a few notable moves, but don’t expect a ton of seismic changes coming in March.
