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I was very surprised that not only did the Chiefs lose, but the manner in which they did. I knew that Philadelphia had the better overall roster talent-wise, the best defense in the league, and a top-two rushing game. But I thought that the experience of the Chiefs—both from players and coaches alike—along with the advantages of Andy Reid as OC and Steve Spagnuolo as DC, would give them the edge.
We’ve seen all year and last year as well that the Chiefs win a lot of games, but often in an ugly fashion. They don’t necessarily care about the box score—only the final score. I thought this would be another example of that. Instead, the game provided a lot of valuable takeaways for the Houston Texans as they continue building toward Super Bowl contention.
1. The Formula for Beating Elite QBs: Pressure with Four
This has been a point I’ve harped on, and Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has mentioned it as well—the way to beat quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson is to get pressure while only rushing four.
We saw this in Mahomes’ previous Super Bowl loss against the Buccaneers, and again late last season when the Raiders, led by Aidan O’Connell, shocked the Chiefs in Arrowhead. But the Eagles hammered this point home in a way that should stick with Texans fans.
Philadelphia sacked Mahomes six times—the most he has ever been sacked in his career. Even more impressively, they recorded 16 pressures without blitzing a single time. That’s dominance up front. For Texans fans, this should be an encouraging reminder of why DeMeco Ryans prioritizes a defensive front that can win with four rushers. The Texans already have one of the league’s best pass-rushing duos in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but continuing to add depth along the defensive line will be key.
2. The Chiefs Didn’t Get the Calls—And It Showed
Many Texans fans felt vindicated watching this game, as it felt like one of the first times the Chiefs didn’t get an overwhelming number of favorable or questionable calls.
Most recently, we saw the Chiefs get favorable calls in both their regular-season matchup against the Texans and the divisional round playoff game. They also benefited from officiating in the AFC Championship against the Bills and last year’s Super Bowl against the 49ers. Kansas City has frequently been on the right side of controversial officiating in close games, so it was ironic to see Chiefs fans complain about calls when this time, the game wasn’t close enough for it to matter.
Similarly, Texans fans found some solace in seeing former Texans defensive lineman Charles Omenihu in tears on the sideline. After being traded from Houston to San Francisco, Omenihu eventually signed with the Chiefs and has since publicly bashed the Texans organization multiple times. Seeing him on the losing side of a Super Bowl was poetic justice for many Texans fans.
And speaking of poetic justice— former Houston sports talk radio guy turned national pundit Nick Wright, one of the most unapologetically loud Chiefs fans, had to endure every brutal second of this game. Wright has spent years talking down on other fanbases and insisting that Mahomes and the Chiefs are untouchable. Seeing him struggle to process this loss, after weeks of confidently predicting a Chiefs win, made this moment even sweeter for Texans fans.
3. Defense Wins Championships—And DeMeco Ryans is Building the Right Way
The old adage “defense wins championships” is still a proven formula, and the Eagles just reinforced that. Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run was built on dominant defense and a strong ground game—not an offense that relied on airing it out every play.
This should resonate with Texans fans because this is exactly how DeMeco Ryans wants to build Houston.
We’ve already seen signs of this—Houston often leaned on its defense this year, keeping the team in games when the offense struggled. And while fans may want a high-scoring offense, even Eagles fans were frustrated at times this season when Philly played this way, grinding out wins rather than piling up points.
But the Eagles just proved that this method still works. The Texans are being built in a similar mold—dominant pass rush, sound defense, and a commitment to running the football. It may not always be flashy, but it’s a winning formula.
4. Offensive Line Play is the Biggest Priority
If there was ever a game to hammer home the importance of pass protection, this was it. Texans fans lived this reality all season, watching CJ Stroud take a league-high amount of pressure and seeing how it affected his performance. At one point, Stroud's struggles due to poor protection even led to people questioning him as a quarterback—something unthinkable when he had time to throw.
Mahomes got a small taste of what Stroud endured all season, and the results weren’t pretty. The Chiefs’ offensive line got overwhelmed by the Eagles’ pass rush, and for the first time in his career, Mahomes looked completely helpless for an entire game.
This should send a clear message to the Texans—no matter who your quarterback is, even Patrick Mahomes can’t succeed behind a bad offensive line.
Houston must address the offensive line this offseason, whether it be through free agency, the draft, or both. And just as important, we have to hope that Nick Caley, the new offensive coordinator, has better solutions than Bobby Slowik did when it comes to pass protection rules, play-calling adjustments, and protection checks for Stroud.
5. Elite Interior Defensive Linemen Change Everything
Another major takeaway from this game? The value of elite interior defensive linemen.
Jordan Davis and Milton Williams dominated the trenches for Philadelphia, combining for three sacks while also shutting down the Chiefs’ run game. Having game-wrecking interior linemen allows defenses to control the line of scrimmage, generate pressure without blitzing, and disrupt quarterbacks from the inside out.
The Texans got strong play from their interior defensive line this year, but imagine adding a true difference-maker in the middle. A dominant interior pass rusher could take Houston’s already strong pass rush to another level and further solidify DeMeco Ryans’ defense.
6. Building a Strong Coaching Staff is Crucial
Nick Sirianni has demonstrated the importance of coaching staff continuity and adaptability. After the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance in 2022, he lost both his offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs—Shane Steichen (Colts) and Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals).
Rather than using that as an excuse, Sirianni restructured his staff and continued winning. And when the Eagles had a successful regular season but suffered an early playoff exit in 2023, he made the tough decision to fire both his OC and DC after just one year.
For Texans fans, this should reinforce the importance of hiring, developing, and adjusting coaching staff as needed. We already saw DeMeco Ryans make the tough decision to move on from Bobby Slowik after two playoff wins, showing that he’s not afraid to make necessary changes.
The Texans are only going to go as far as their coaching allows. If Ryans and Nick Caserio continue making smart hires and adjustments, Houston will stay on track toward being a Super Bowl contender.
Final Thoughts
The Texans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic after watching this Super Bowl. The formula for success is clear, and Houston is already following many of the same steps:
A strong pass rush that wins with four rushers
A defensive-minded head coach prioritizing defense and turnovers
A commitment to winning in the trenches with both the O-line and D-line
A team-building strategy that capitalizes on a young QB’s rookie window
A head coach who prioritizes staff development and coaching adjustments
A focus on running the ball effectively and controlling time of possession
With another strong offseason, the Texans could be in this position sooner than we think.
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