On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs failed to become the first team in league history to win three straight titles in the Super Bowl era.

The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Chiefs, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Here are four takeaways from the blowout:

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes can’t do it all

Mahomes is arguably the best QB in the NFL, but he can only do so much, especially when the Chiefs O-line can’t keep him upright.

Against Philadelphia, Mahomes was sacked six times, even though the Eagles used zero blitzes, via Pro Football Focus. As a result, the three-time Super Bowl MVP competed 21-of-32 passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

K.C.’s inability to protect Mahomes was a problem throughout the year. Per Pro Football Reference, the Chiefs tied for the fourth-most pressures allowed (163) in the league in the regular season.

Clearly, the Chiefs should consider drafting an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, perhaps Armand Membou of Missouri.

Rookie WR Xavier Worthy carried the Chiefs passing attack

Worthy, a first-round pick out of Texas, had a game-high eight receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder late in the fourth quarter. 

The rest of K.C.’s pass-catchers flopped. Outside of Worthy, they combined for 100 yards and one TD on 24 targets. Star TE Travis Kelce — a future Hall of Famer — finished with four receptions for 39 yards.

It’s surprising that the Chiefs couldn’t find their groove, considering the Eagles had struggled to stop the pass throughout the playoffs. Philadelphia allowed 245.7 passing yards per game through its first three postseason games, 10th among 14 teams.

Eagles rookie CB Cooper DeJean’s pick-six seemed like the turning point

Midway through the second quarter, DeJean — who turned 22 on Sunday — had a 38-yard pick-six, giving the Eagles a 17-0 lead. Afterward, things began to snowball for the Chiefs.

Later in the second quarter, Mahomes threw his second interception to Eagles linebacker Zack Baun. Two plays later, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts threw a 12-yard touchdown to wide receiver A.J. Brown.

The Chiefs didn’t score their first offensive TD until late in the third quarter when Mahomes connected with Worthy on a 24-yard pass play.

The Eagles looked like the better team throughout the game, but it’s fair to wonder if it would’ve been a closer game had DeJean not returned the interception for a touchdown.

The Chiefs missed former CB L’Jarius Sneed 

In March 2024, the Chiefs dealt Sneed to the Tennessee Titans for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.

Although the losing Sneed was costly, the Chiefs had stopped the pass this postseason. In their first two playoff games, they allowed 207 passing yards per game.

Philadelphia, however, exploited the holes in their secondary. Hurts finished 17-of-22 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns and posted a stellar 119.7 passer rating.

If the Chiefs had kept Sneed, it could’ve made a difference. Per PFR, he has seven passes defended in 13 postseason games in his five-year career.