>>150437962
>Their #1 WR was no better than an average WR2
He was on pace for 1,300 yards and over 100 catches. Also, if you actually thought Rice was just a WR#2 then what does that say about the rest of their receiver room? Worthy wass a rookie with speed but raw polish, Brown is a situational role guy, Hopkins was more of a vet stopgap than a needle mover, and JuJu wasn’t even the player he was in 2022 for them. Saying Rice-Worthy/Brown/Hopkins opposed to Worthy/Brown/Hopkins/JuJu is “only marginally different” is ignoring that Rice was the only one Mahomes had actually built real chemistry with and the only WR defenses respected. Also, it’s not about excuses with the Oline, it’s about reality. Moving Thuney to tackle isn’t some minor tweak, it’s a last-resort adjustment that completely reshuffles your protections. It’s one thing if your LT just struggles, it’s another if you’re having to Frankenstein the line together in the Super Bowl. As for the fan/player thing, I don’t really care about debate club nonsense either but I'll gladly step in on whoever is being unfair. I’m not saying Mahomes deserves a sympathy trophy, I’m saying the roster construction matters when you evaluate how the game played out and the fact that no other QB would have made it there if they had to deal with what he had to.