NEW ORLEANS — When asked about his team’s Super Bowl LIX loss, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins responded by saying, “A loss is a loss. It’s a ‘W’ or an ‘L’ at the end of the day.”
However, Hopkins didn’t stop there. He expressed his frustration with the media’s focus on the referees following the Chiefs’ 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs but, obviously, (expletive), what y’all gonna say now about the refs and us when there was a lot of touchy calls?” Hopkins said. “Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna talk about the refs now?”
Despite the talk about officiating, the Chiefs’ loss was not solely due to the referees. In addition to the blame that will fall on Patrick Mahomes, the makeshift pieces around him in the offensive line and wide receiver room did not provide much support against the dominant Eagles.
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The Eagles’ pass rush, led by players like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, caused significant problems for Mahomes throughout the game. Despite Mahomes’ efforts to adjust, the pressure from the Eagles was relentless and impactful.
Mahomes acknowledged the challenges posed by the Eagles’ defense and expressed his determination to improve in the future.
“There’s zero question the Eagles’ pressure affected Mahomes on both of his interceptions,” Hopkins commented. “He’s human.”
Mahomes took responsibility for his mistakes and highlighted the need for improvement, especially in dealing with opposing teams’ pass rush.
“True. But Mahomes needs help, too,” concluded the discussion on Mahomes’ performance and the Chiefs’ offensive struggles.
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The Super Bowl loss shed light on the Chiefs’ areas for improvement, emphasizing the need for a stronger offensive line and more options at wide receiver.
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The Chiefs must address these shortcomings to compete at a high level in the future.
(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)