Patrick Mahomes has been breaking records ever since he entered the NFL. He led his 14-2 Kansas City Chiefs to a second Super Bowl in as many years. After winning the 2018 NFL MVP, Mahomes helped the Chiefs capture their first championship in over forty years last season. Mahomes had lost just one of his past 26 games as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense dominated the 25-year-old in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs were held to three field goals on their way to a 31-9 defeat. It was the first time that Mahomes’ team failed to score a touchdown in a game that he started since high school. The loss was his first as a starter with the Chiefs by more than eight points. It was also the first time that his team did not score double-digit points.

“They were the better team today,” Mahomes said. “They beat us pretty good, the worst I think I’ve been beaten in a long time.”

Mahomes was pressured 29 times, which set a Super Bowl record. Even more impressive than that is the fact that the Bucs only sent extra pass-rushers on two of those plays. On the other 27 plays, the Buccaneers’ defensive line dominated a Chiefs offensive line that was missing four starters from the group Kansas City planned on having before the start of the season. Mahomes was sacked three times and was constantly scrambling away from Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh.

“They took away our deep stuff,” Mahomes said. “They took away the sidelines and they did a good job of calling to the football and making tackles. We weren’t executing early, had a few miscues. Guys weren’t on the same page. Credit to them. They played a heck of a game defensively and offensively to beat us.”

Linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David flew from sideline to sideline to make tackles all night. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles called an excellent defensive game script, which prevented the Chiefs offense from finding a rhythm.

Mahomes seemed to be shellshocked the entire night. He was often forced to scramble around the pocket and actually did an admirable job making something out of nothing on a few plays. He converted 26-of-49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. He failed to throw a touchdown and his QBR of 49.9 was the second worst of his NFL career.

“I just think we weren’t on the same page as an offense,” Mahomes said. “I wasn’t getting the ball out on time. The receivers were running routes not exactly where I thought they were going to be at. The offensive line, they were good sometimes and sometimes they let guys through. When you play a good defense like that, you’ve got to be on the same page as an offense, and we weren’t today and that’s why we played so bad.”

“They were just better than us.”

It didn’t help the Chiefs cause that Mahomes was dealing with a toe injury that will likely require offseason surgery. That being said, Mahomes did not blame the loss on the injury.

“I can’t say the toe was a problem when I played two weeks ago and I played well on it,” he said. “Anytime you play football, you have to battle through injuries. We’ll look at it tomorrow and we’ll make a final decision on if we’re going to have to have surgery on it or not.”

The Chiefs have been one of the best teams in football since Mahomes was drafted as the No. 10 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. They lost in the 2018 AFC Championship in overtime and then won the Super Bowl the following year. This blowout loss seemed to come out of nowhere after Kansas City had not lost since Week 17, when they rested most of their starters. The Chiefs will have to regroup for the first time since Mahomes became the team’s leader. That said, odds on next year’s Super Bowl list Kansas City as the early favorites. Don’t count Mahomes out for long. He will surely be back with a vengeance next season.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets remain at an impasse as training camp begins Wednesday in Florham Park, N.J.

The two sides have not spoken since contract talks broke off about a month ago and they remain “far apart” with no resolution in sight, according to ESPN‘s Ed Werder.

Stalemate Continues For Jets, Fitzpatrick As Training Camp Begins

New York offered Fitzpatrick a three-year, $24 million contract back in February, according to various reports, after the journeyman QB posted the best season of his career in 2015.

The sticking point for Fitzpatrick’s camp was that the offer included only $18 million in guarantees, $12 million for the first season and $6 million for the remaining two.

After throwing for a franchise-record, 31 touchdowns and a career-best 3,905 passing yards, Fitzpatrick believed he earned more guaranteed money, spurred by the Houston Texans signing of former Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler, who inked a four-year, $72 million deal, with $37 million guaranteed.

RYAN FITZPATRICK 2015 HIGHLIGHTS

Osweiler has played in 21 games in his career and his signing bonus ($12 million) would equal the first year’s earnings for Fitzpatrick, should he sign the February offer.

A graduate of Harvard, Fitzpatrick, 33, earned $3.25 million in 2015, when he led the Jets to a 10-6 record, a year after going 4-12.

New York fell a win short of the playoffs after losing to the Buffalo Bills, and former head coach Rex Ryan, in the season finale.

The Jets and head coach Todd Bowles have continued to heap praise upon former starting signal-caller Geno Smith, who would be a front-runner to reclaim the role should Fitzpatrick not re-sign.

Bowles told reporters Smith is “light-years ahead” of where he was before last season, the head coach’s first in New York.

DAVID HARRIS IS HOPING RYAN FITZPATRICK RETURNS TO JETS

It was Fitzpatrick who was brought in to fill-in for Smith after he suffered a broken jaw as a result of an altercation with former Jets linebacker IK Enemkpali.

After starting the season 2-0, Fitzpatrick was named the full-time starter by Bowles.

Third-year quarterback Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg are attempting to supplant Smith for the job if it remains vacant.

New York has maintained that Fitzpatrick is the starter if he signs.

The Jets signed defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson to a five-year, $86 million contract at the beginning of July, but that deal may have actually helped move the two sides closer to an agreement for Fitzpatrick.

“In theory it could help expand their options,” Jets beat reporter and ESPN Analyst Dan Graziano said. “Because they gained $5.7 million worth of cap room with (the Wilkerson contract).”

“Honestly I think they have a number in mind for Fitzpatrick and they are happy to have him back if he likes it and they’re happy to move on without him if he doesn’t.”