Reuters
NFL Football – Super Bowl LV – Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Kansas City Chiefs – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, U.S. – February 7, 2021 Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes reacts REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Reuters
NFL Football – Super Bowl LV – Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Kansas City Chiefs – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, U.S. – February 7, 2021 Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes reacts REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
The O-line woes of the Kansas City Chiefs were there for all to see during Super Bowl LV. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times, endured eight QB hits, and was pressured 29 times. The last stat being an all-time record in NFL history.
Many attribute the Chiefs 31-9 Super Bowl loss to their O-line. Failing to provide the pass protection required to make the big plays, even a player of Mahomes’ caliber failed to get a single touchdown for his time.
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USA Today via Reuters
Feb 7, 2021; Tampa, FL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is pressures by Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (90) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
But this wasn’t always the case. In fact, even in the season before, the Kansas City Chiefs squad pulled it together to lift the Lombardi Trophy. And in that Super Bowl-winning O-line were offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mark Schwartz.
The left and right tackle duo were starters for 2020 as well before injuries cut their seasons short. But now it looks it wasn’t just their season’s that got short.
Kansas City Chiefs cleaning up their O-Line
According to a tweet by NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs released their Super Bowl-winning OT duo on Thursday. A day after the NFL officially set the salary cap for the 2021 season at $182.5 million.
The move many believe boils down to the fact that both players endured season-ending injuries last season. Fisher, 30, endured a torn Achilles heel and looked doubtful to recover in time for the new season.
Schwartz, meanwhile, has had struggles of his own. A major surgery has pushed the OT to make some decisions regarding his future in the league. And now a comeback can only come in the form of a new franchise.
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What’s important to note though is that both players missed the recent Super Bowl due to these injuries. Thus it wasn’t them who crumbled under the Buccaneers‘ Blitz. It was their backups.
And going by what we saw in that game, the Kansas City Chiefs will have to either trade or draft some fresh blood for that O-line. Otherwise, Patrick Mahomes running almost 500 yards, sideways and backwards to evade the opposition defense will become a more common sight in the months to come.
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