To give you an opportunity to see what's new, and what has changed, we have taken the paywall down temporarily.
Currently, there is no need to log into the site.
We will provide instructions for creating new account and resetting passwords when the paywall is turned back on.
I hate to say I told you so, but … oh heck, I kind of enjoy it.
I typically write a Super Bowl prediction column every year, with mixed results. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more spot-on than this year, but I am sure it was the best Super Bowl I’ve ever watched.
For the record, I picked the Chiefs to win 38-28, writing that the game wouldn’t be decided until the final minutes and that Patrick Mahomes would make the difference for the Chiefs.
So, I got the Chiefs’ final score on the nose. I was right about Mahomes — though how much of a stretch was that, really? And I was pretty close on the game going down to the wire. It didn’t just go down to the final minutes, however; this game wasn’t decided until the final 10 seconds.
I also wrote that turnovers and penalties could be critical factors, and they were. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts was absolutely outstanding — except for a fumble that Kansas City’s Nick Bolton returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. And, of course, Kansas City’s game-winning field goal was set up by a defensive holding penalty on the Eagles’ James Bradberry. One aspect I failed to mention was special teams, where the Chiefs got a big boost from Kadarius Toney’s 65-yard punt return to set up a Kansas City touchdown in the fourth quarter.
I predicted a big game from Chief tight end Travis Kelce, and Kelce delivered with a first-half touchdown catch and six receptions for 81 yards.
The Eagles had the advantage along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but as I wrote last week, the Chiefs’ offensive line is vastly improved from the group that failed to protect Mahomes in a Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers two years ago. The official box score credits the Eagles with zero sacks, after they averaged more than four a game this season. Keeping Mahomes clean was huge for the Chiefs.
I may not guess right again about the Super Bowl for a while but there’s no guessing about one thing: The Chiefs were the best team in the NFL this season.
•••
Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Carroll County News. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews.com
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here