'It hurts': Tom Brady's brutal verdict for Patrick Mahomes as NFL stunned by star's stinker in biggest game of the year
Updated . First published at
Patrick Mahomes walked onto the field at Caesars Superdome on Monday (AEDT) with plenty expecting him to orchestrate the fourth Super Bowl victory of his football career.
Within two hours there were punters labelling his performance one of the worst they had seen on the sport's biggest stage, and the iconic Tom Brady had a warning for him after it all ended.
Mahomes - who earns about $72 million AUD per season to guide the Kansas City Chiefs - was sacked three times and threw two interceptions in a disastrous first half as Philadelphia took a 24-0 lead into the main break.
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Mahomes was sacked multiple times again in the second half, with one resulting in a fumble that was regathered by Philadelphia.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Getty
The rampant Eagles ultimately defeated the Chiefs 40-22 as Sydney product Jordan Mailata became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl.
"This is an absolute beatdown," ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said as the Eagles shot out to their 24-0 lead.
Squarely in the crosshairs was quarterback Mahomes, who struggled badly and bizarrely looked overawed compared to his Philly counterpart Jalen Hurts.
Hurts scored the opening touchdown of the game thanks to an Eagles tush push.
Mahomes then threw an interception for Cooper DeJean who sprinted away to extend that lead.
"The worst game of his career," Orlosvky said.
"Patrick has to settle down a little bit and play more like himself.
"I have never seen Mahomes this unsettled ... This defensive line is hunting."
The other ESPN commentators could barely believe what they were seeing from the three-time Super Bowl champion.
"Sack, sack, pick six - you can't get worse than that," Chris Fowler said.
Social media was, predictably, even less kind to the embattled Chiefs superstar.
Mahomes had previously been spoken of in the company of the legendary Brady, but ESPN's Louis Riddick cast doubt on those comparisons after the first half.
"If you're going to be Patrick Mahomes, if you're going to be in that GOAT conversation ... you can't have that kind of half, and basically have the game end with you playing at that level," Riddick said.
"I have never seen that out of him in a first half of football."
Brady delivered his own warning to Mahomes.
"I think about, unfortunately, the three losses more than the seven wins. It hurts to lose this game," Brady said on Fox.
"That loss to the (New York) Giants was 17 years ago. I still haven't lived it down as you care so deeply. I know the Chiefs do as well, Patrick too.
"The reality of a loss in this game is you don't ever get over it. You go in with such high expectations as you won Super Bowls before ... I remember when I lost to the Giants in 2007, I got on the bus after the game, it was just devastating, I couldn't speak for the rest of the night. I just always remember waking up, (thinking), 'That was a nightmare. That game didn't happen?'. It's a difficult feeling to have, but if there's anybody who can rebound it's Patrick Mahomes."
