Patrick Mahomes lost like a champion which can be harder to do than win like one

The lasting memory Patrick Mahomes left of the 2024 NFL season is that he ultimately lost. 

He failed.

That, rather than continue his chase of Tom Brady’s record seven-ring Super Bowl domination and set an unprecedented mark by winning three consecutive championships, Mahomes fell short. And not just fell short because his team betrayed him, but because he played poorly and wasn’t what anyone, including himself, expected.

Mahomes Shows Grace And Class

So, yes, bitter disappointment.

And do you know how, amid all that defeat and failure and disillusion, Mahomes handled the moment?

Like a champion.

He took his beating, as did all the Kansas City Chiefs in that 40-22 final that wasn’t really as close as the score, and handled it like a grown man afterward. Like a professional.

Like a winner.

Mahomes sought out opposing quarterback Jalen Hurts, shook his hand and offered congratulations. He also shook hands with a couple of other victorious Philadelphia players, including offensive tackle Lane Johnson, and then he ran off the field.

Even Tom Brady Didn’t Handle This Well

No big deal?

Tom Brady didn’t shake Nick Foles’ hand after the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Kyle Shanahan didn’t shake Andy Reid’s hand after the Super Bowl a year ago. It’s the classy thing to do, but sometimes the pain and frustration of the moment wipe away the veneer of good sportsmanship.

Because losing these games hurts. A lot. And Mahomes has now lost two of them, including one to Brady in Super Bowl LV.

“Um, I mean, both sucked,” Mahomes said. “There’s no way around it. Anytime you lose a Super Bowl, it’s the worst feeling in the world. They’ll stick with you the rest of your career. 

“I mean, these will be the two losses that will motivate me to be even better for the rest of my career, because you only get so few of these, and you have to capitalize on these, and they hurt probably more than the wins feel good.”

Let that marinate for a moment.

The losses elicit a greater lasting feeling than the victories. And yet, amid that kind of personal emotional cataclysm, Mahomes came to the podium to face reporters and answered about 14 questions or so with patience and class.

Mahomes Responds To Emotional Cataclysm

He talked about Jalen Hurts winning it all.

He talked about Travis Kelce possibly retiring.

And he addressed his rough outing by actually taking responsibility for the loss.

“I threw two interceptions,” Mahomes said. “I threw a pick-six, and I threw a pick that they returned to the 5-yard line, and they scored immediately after, so when you give a team 14 points, especially a really good football team, a Super Bowl football team, then not a lot of good things happen. 

“And so, that’s why I take ownership in this loss more than probably any loss in my entire career, because I put us in a bad spot, and even though we put up some stats at the end of the game, those stats didn’t really matter, because I’d already kind of lost the momentum for this entire team.”

At the beginning of Super Bowl week, Mahomes was asked multiple times about his faith. And he boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ. He talked openly about God.

He said he wants to use Jesus as an example of how to live his life.

And, predictably, the haters said that’s easy to do when your team wins 15 of 17 regular-season games and two playoff games after that. It’s easy to be close to God when the breeze of consecutive Super Bowl wins is at one’s back.

Mahomes Thanks God Even In Defeat

But what about the rough times?

Where was the quarterback’s God Sunday evening while he was getting sacked six times? And where did this mess of a game leave Mahomes and his professed faith?

The answer to both questions is exactly where it all was before the game.

God apparently allowed the Chiefs to take one on the chin. They say setbacks are a set-up for a great comeback. I believe that’s in the Gospels somewhere because Jesus suffered unspeakable punishment on the cross on Friday and died, but didn’t stay that way very long.

Sunday’s grand victory surely came.

Mahomes, meanwhile, thanked God after the Kansas City loss. He thanked God “for every opportunity he has given me.”

That doesn’t change the fact the Eagles were better. It doesn’t change the fact Mahomes went home with an L.

But neither did that loss change the fact Mahomes took the setback like a champion.

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