Tampa Bay’s brutal takedown of Patrick Mahomes gave NFL precedent on how to end Chiefs’ dynasty

Todd Bowles is fighting for his job in 2026.

But five years ago, Bowles was the architect of a brutal Tampa Bay defense that eventually set him up to be the Buccaneers’ head coach.

“This is the worst I’ve been beaten in a long time,” said Patrick Mahomes, after Tampa Bay humbled the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV on the Bucs’ home turf.

Mahomes barely completed 50 percent of his passes (26 of 49) while being intercepted twice, sacked three times and posting a 52.3 rating.

On Saturday, the Bucs and Chiefs will meet again in a preseason matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Mahomes isn’t expected to play while he recovers from a major knee injury.

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Baker Mayfield is pushing the Bucs for a new contract, while Bowles faces’ looming questions about his future.

But Super Bowl LV was a coronation for Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Bruce Arians.

“It’s hands down one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history,” Gronkowski said. “I mean, I’m not going to say it’s the greatest, but it’s up there for sure.

“To come down here to Tampa, come to an organization that was ready to win, come down here with the players — they’re all fantastic players, great guys — just everyone overall, the story is unbelievable and it definitely ranks up there with one of my biggest accomplishments ever.”

It was also lasting proof of how to disrupt Mahomes and wreck Andy Reid‘s Chiefs offense.

Tampa Bay consistently pressured Mahomes in Super Bowl LV without blitzing.

Strong coverage in the defensive secondary slowed down Kansas City’s passing game, then constant pressure from the Bucs’ defensive line wore down and frustrated the heir to Brady.

“We’ll attack with this front seven and, trust me, we will get there,” former Bucs defender Ndamukong Suh exclusively told talkSPORT, recalling Bowles’ big game plans.

“We just ate that offensive line and their offense alive, because we had that confidence and we knew what we were going to do and we were all on the same page and we believed.”

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The Eagles did the same two years ago, constantly attacking Mahomes and overpowering Kansas City 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

“I feel like I didn’t play to my standard, especially the struggles that I had early in the season,” said Mahomes, answering a question from talkSPORT.

“There’s things that I have to get better at, and they kind of showed today on the biggest stage.”

The Bucs led 21-6 in Super Bowl LV while Big Red’s offense was held to frustrating field goals.

Five years later, Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense set the tone the same way.

It was 24-0 Eagles at halftime, 34-0 Philly in the third quarter, and most of Mahomes’ numbers in Super Bowl LIX (21-of-32, 257 yards, three TDs, two interceptions) arrived in garbage time.

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Mahomes fired a pick-six into the hands of Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean that changed the game.

And just like how the Bucs attacked Mahomes in 2021, the Eagles showed the NFL how a future Hall of Famer can look vulnerable between the lines.

“Credit to the Eagles, man, they played better than us from start to finish,” Mahomes said.

“We didn’t start how we wanted to. Obviously the turnovers hurt and I take all the blame for that.”