Patrick Mahomes motivated by loss
The defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs entered Sunday’s contest as favourites over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the league’s most potent offense was silenced as they were unable to score a single touchdown, falling 31-9.
While Mahomes was obviously heartbroken by the loss, the sight of Brady winning his seventh Super Bowl is one that will motivate him going forward.
“It was a bad feeling in that locker room after the game,” Mahomes said a day after the loss in Super Bowl LV, via ESPN. “You don’t want to have that feeling again.
“It’s not the end of something. It’s going to be another chapter where we’re going to have to continue to drive to make ourselves better so we’re back in that game.”
Mahomes was drafted by the Chiefs with the 10th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, with Kansas City completing a trade with the Buffalo Bills in order to move up and select Mahomes. In his first four seasons in the league, he has already been to two Super Bowls, has an NFL MVP honor and a Super Bowl MVP as well.
Still, he knows he needs to get better if he wants to win anywhere near the amount of Super Bowls that Brady has.
“I’m going to look at the film and try to find ways to get better,” Mahomes said. “Obviously with our offense and the success that we’ve had, when teams see the defensive plan that [the Bucs] had and how well it worked, they’re obviously going to try to do the same things. So we’ll try to find ways to combat that. It’s the evolution of our offense where we’re going to have to do better things and be more efficient.
“That really goes with me and not always looking for the big play but just finding ways to move the ball down the field.”
The Chiefs were the best team in the regular season, finishing with a 14-2 record to top the AFC and earn a bye in the Wild Card Round. They defeated the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills on their way to the Super Bowl.
“I thought I did a good job toward the end of the season of being more efficient,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t do that in the Super Bowl, but I’m going to try to find ways to better myself that way. Just being more efficient, taking what’s there, especially when these teams are playing such deep coverages against us.
“It’s something I’ve got to battle with because I’ve got such an aggressive nature and want to have the big play. But as I watch the film and really study myself, I’ll have to get better at that so I can be a better quarterback at the end of the day.”
Mahomes is expected to see a foot specialist and undergo toe surgery during the offseason as it has been causing him issues throughout the playoffs.
Despite Sunday’s disappointing loss, the Chiefs will be entering the 2021 NFL campaign as a favorite to win the Super Bowl once again.
