FOXBORO -- Tom Brady's GOAT status remains intact, as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs came up short in their bid to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls on Sunday night. The Chiefs didn't come close, as they were stomped by the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
A victory would have given Mahomes four Super Bowl titles before turning 30, and the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat would have been another gold star on his resume as he looks to overtake Brady as the "Greatest of All Time." Brady would have still held that title thanks to his seven Super Bowl victories, but a Mahomes win on Sunday night would have made the debate a lot more interesting.
But it was not to be, as Mahomes turned the ball over three times for the Chiefs, including a pick-six in the second quarter that let Philadelphia jump out to a 17-0 lead. The Eagles led 24-0 at halftime and held a 34-0 lead before Kansas City found the end zone late in the third quarter. The Philadelphia defense sacked Mahomes six times in the game.
Brady was in the FOX broadcast booth calling his first Super Bowl on Sunday, giving him a unique position as Mahomes and the Chiefs failed to make NFL history. But Brady had nothing but admiration and compassion for Mahomes throughout his difficult game, and provided some gracious insight as he looked back at his own career while explaining how it feels to lose such a historic Super Bowl.
Even as the Chiefs fell behind by two, three, and four scores, most fans had that inkling in the back of their mind that if anyone could pull off a comeback, it was Patrick Mahomes. Brady shared that sentiment as he referenced his own 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, and called Mahomes "the greatest winner in the NFL."
But not even Mahomes could overcome the Philadelphia defense on Sunday night.
The Chiefs loss was a cause for celebration in New England, as Brady's seat in his GOAT throne got more comfortable with the Mahomes defeat. But Brady wasn't gloating as the final minutes ticked off the clock. Instead, he empathized with Mahomes and discussed the pressure that comes with chasing unchartered NFL history.
Brady opened up an old wound of his own, calling back to New England's failed bid at perfection in 2007 when the Patriots lost to the New York Giants, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
"I think about, unfortunately, the three [Super Bowl] losses probably more than I think about the seven wins," Brady admitted. "It hurts to lose this game. We lost to the Giants in 2007. That was 17 years ago. We were on the precipice of history and we faced a Giants team that played their hearts out that day and beat us. I still haven't really lived it down, because you care so deeply. And I know that this Chiefs team does as well. Patrick is the ultimate competitor. The reality of a loss in this game is you don't ever get over them."
Brady remembers the raw emotion that lingered after that loss to the Giants.
"It's the highest of highs when you're trying to win and do something historic in the NFL, and unfortunately it's the lowest of lows," he said. "I remember when we lost to the Giants in 2007. I got on the bus after the game; I absolutely believed 100 percent that we were going to win and it was just devastating. I couldn't speak for the rest of the night.
"I just remember waking up the next morning and I thought, 'That's a nightmare. That's a nightmare. That game didn't happen. I was dreaming, and we lost badly, but we haven't actually played the game yet.' It's a difficult feeling to have," said Brady. "But if there's anybody that can rebound, it's Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, this organization and what they're built on."
Mahomes was stymied by a ferocious Philadelphia defense throughout Super Bowl LIX, throwing for just 257 yards to go with three turnovers. He said the sting of coming up short of the first-ever three-peat is never going to go away.
"Any time you lose a Super Bowl, it's the worst feeling in the world that will stick with you for the rest of your career," Mahomes said after the defeat.
Mahomes is now 3-2 in his Super Bowls, including a loss to Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.