TMQ: Stop Me Before – Hey, They Never Blitzed!

Philadelphia wins the Super Bowl by resisting the urge to blitz

The Philadelphia Eagles just played one of the top pass-rush games in NFL annals, sacking the rarely-sacked Patrick Mahomes six times, pressuring him 16 times, goading him into throwing a really bad pick six. The Eagles also forced a second pick six that was nullified by defensive offside.

Philadelphia brought relentless pressure – without blitzing. Same way the Giants beat the 18-0 Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl.

On Sunday, both contenders used as their base defense a 3-3-5 – pulling a defensive lineman to add a defensive back.

Kansas City’s three linebackers did a good job of bottling up Saquon Barkley, held to 57 yards in 23 carries. Philadelphia’s six defensive linemen and linebackers did a spectacular job of pressuring Mahomes.

Consider this sequence from the late first half:

1. Eagles force a three-and-out. Philadelphia drives for a field goal.

2. Kansas City first down, sack. Kansas City second down, sack. Third down, under pressure, Mahomes throws a pick six.

3. Philadelphia forces a three-and-out, then has to punt.

4. Hit as he released, Mahomes throws another interception.

5. Philadelphia scores a quick touchdown.

This sequence is as impressive as anything the Seattle Seahawks defense did to the Denver Broncos when holding them to 8 points in the 2014 Super Bowl.

A season in which the Eagles led the league back toward traditional power-rushing offense concluded with the Eagles leading the league back toward traditional front-four pass rush – if in this case on most snaps it was three defensive lineman plus a linebacker.

Offensive tactics by the Eagles also were traditionalist – run, run, run then play-fake and throw deep. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, predicted by TMQ to call a bad game because he was distracted by negotiations to become head coach of the Saints, instead called a great game. Which just goes to show -- All Predictions Wrong!

Who’s happiest about the outcome? In addition to anyone eating a cheesesteak, Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat. He recorded 2.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss. He’s about to become a free agent, and earned a lot of money Sunday.

Sacking Patrick Mahomes. Photo courtesy CNN.

In progress news, for generations few African Americans lined up at quarterback, because of bias. Sunday, both starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl were black. Better -- five of the last six Super Bowl starting quarterbacks were black.

This has to be bad somehow! Send in the Washington Post.

On Super Bowl morning the Post devoted a sports-section page one story to how racism runs rampant in the NFL. The shocking proof? END RACISM, painted along the back lines of last year’s big game, replaced by CHOOSE LOVE and IT TAKES ALL OF US.

Don’t you see? Trump is attending the Super Bowl and doesn’t want to end racism! CHOOSE LOVE is code for – well, we’ll think of something.

Here is a bulletin for the Washington Post newsroom – what’s painted in the Super Bowl end zone has absolutely no impact on anyone. The end zone might as well say EAT YOUR BROCCOLI.

All indicators involving race and the quarterback position are positive, which is why the Washington Post wants to change the subject to field paint. Consider: