Patrick Mahomes looked under duress for most of Sunday’s Super Bowl, and that pressure prevented Mahomes from dealing the sort of damage he tends to invoke on defenses.
Mahomes battled a turf toe injury throughout the playoffs, and he’s expected to undergo surgery to correct that issue in the offseason, according to NFL Network. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers found a winning formula Sunday by dialing up pressure on a mobile quarterback who was a touch slower than normal.
According to ESPN, Mahomes was pressured on 29 of his 56 dropbacks — the most of any quarterback in Super Bowl history. Brady, meanwhile, was only pressured on four of his 30 dropbacks, which is the fewest tally of any of his Super Bowl appearances.
Mahomes finished with a 53.1 completion percentage and threw for 270 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked three times.
“Keep them in front of us, let him run for it,” Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said of the defensive game plan. “Get after him, and they chased him around all night.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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