Mahomes had no chance against that TB pass rush with 2 starting OTs out of the game. Watching him struggle was very fulfilling & portends what's to come for me.
I agree with you about the portents - I think we've seen the high-water mark for this edition of the Chiefs.
And as bad as that game was for Mahomes, it was worse for Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy.
Unable/unwilling to make adjustments on the biggest stage is no way to burnish a reputation.
And yes, the Chiefs offensive line was a mess. But they were down just one OT from the team that had no problems with the Bills in the AFCCG.
And I recall a Patriots team that lost Damien Woody and had to plug in replacement Russ Hochstein, just prior to a Super Bowl. And before that Super Bowl it was predicted that the opposing defensive line, featuring Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers, would feast on a patchwork Patriots offensive line. It didn't happen, because there was both quality depth and good coaching. In fact, the Pathers got zero sacks in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Contrast that with this year's Super Bowl - little help for the Chiefs offensive line by using multiple tight ends or having the fullback in the game. There was the disastrous use of time-outs at the end of the first half. And lots of undisciplined play leading to lots of penalties.
There are lots of folks that think Andy Reid is a great coach. I don't see it.