What happens to Mahomes at halftime? Chiefs shut out in second half of MNF loss to Eagles – Marca English
It happened again. The Kansas City Chiefs were shut out in the second half for the third game running.
The Philadelphia Eagles came into Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night and left with a 21-17 victory — despite trailing 17-7 at halftime to Patrick Mahomes and the host Chiefs. It means that what might have been considered a fluke now must be considered a trend — the Chiefs offense shuts down after halftime.
This Super Bowl LVII rematch went the visitors’ way because — once again — Kansas City suffered a second-half power outage, its wide receiving corps failing to come up with enough plays even though the defense did as much as it could to keep the game in the balance.
Valdes-Scantling sums up the night
Chiefs receivers have the most drops in the NFL, as the unit has badly missed the presence of a game-changing #1 wide receiver this season. While Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and rookie Rashee Rice have had their moments in 2023, a large reason for the Chiefs’ second-half struggles in recent weeks can be boiled down to the fact that 34-year-old tight end Travis Kelce remains Kansas City‘s most reliable pass-catcher.
Valdes-Scantling could have given the Chiefs a sensational late win on Monday. A go ball from Mahomes with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter landed right in his fingertips. It would have been a 51-yard touchdown…but Valdes-Scantling couldn’t secure the ball, and it fell harmlessly incomplete.
Following the game, ESPN cameras caught Valdes-Scantling slamming his helmet on the “Chiefs” wordmark in the tunnel — a concise summation of Kansas City’s frustrating night.
A “don’t drop the ball” challenge the Chiefs’ receivers could use
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ hilarious don’t drop the ball challenge
A rare November loss for Mahomes
November rain brought with it a loss for Mahomes and company — the reigning MVP’s first defeat in November in five seasons. The Chiefs had won 14 consecutive November games dating back to a 35-32 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 10, 2019.
Mahomes also suffered only the second Monday night loss of his already-illustrious career — the first coming at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2018, in the unforgettable matchup with the Rams that finished 54-51 to the home team. Monday night’s defeat also marked the third consecutive game in which the Mahomes-led offense failed to generate at least 350 yards of offense.
The good news for Kansas City is that its defense largely had another stellar night. The Eagles amassed only 238 yards of total offense, and star receiver A.J. Brown had just one catch for eight yards. If the Chiefs hope to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they will need their defense — one of the NFL‘s youngest units — to continue playing at an elite level.
