Patrick Mahomes may have failed to lead the Chiefs to a win in Super Bowl 55, but he still left a lasting impact on at least a few Buccaneers players in the 31-9 loss.
The defending Super Bowl MVP was forced to extend and create plays with his feet all game against Todd Bowles’ aggressive defense, which took advantage of the fact that Kansas City was without its two starting tackles. Mahomes on several occasions ran for his life while avoiding Tampa defenders, only to throw a last-second pass that just missed its mark. Never was that more apparent than when he nearly threw a fourth-down touchdown while his body was parallel to the ground.
Regardless of his effectiveness, Mahomes’ backyard-styled football clearly amazed Bucs receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller. Video from the game shows them marveling on the sidelines at the Chiefs quarterback:
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“Magician,” indeed. Especially when you take into account he did this with a case of surgery-requiring turf toe.
Mahomes completed only 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions — both off tipped passes — but his inability to score on Sunday clearly wasn’t for a lack of effort (his receivers also suffered from some untimely drops).
As much as the loss surely stings for Mahomes — it was the first time since he took over the starting position that he didn’t throw for a touchdown — he can take some cold comfort in the fact he did everything he could in the losing effort.