It was a freezing evening when young Ethan spotted an old man shivering on the street corner. Despite his mother’s warnings about strangers, Ethan’s heart overruled his fears. He simply wanted to help. Little did he know that this beggar was actually Patrick Mahomes, the star quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, in disguise, and the next morning, his life would change forever.
The evening air was biting cold, carrying a sharp wind that cut through the quiet streets of the small town. Ethan, a 12-year-old boy with tousled hair and an earnest face, pulled his jacket tighter around him as he walked home from school. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the pavement. Just ahead, he noticed an old man huddled on the corner, his frail body shivering as he sat against the brick wall.
Ethan hesitated, recalling his mother’s warnings. “Be careful, Ethan. Not everyone is as they seem,” she had said. Yet, as he looked at the man whose tired eyes seemed to plead for warmth, something stirred within him. Compassion overrode his fears. With a deep breath, Ethan approached the man. “Hi there, my name is Ethan. Do you need anything?” he asked, his voice soft but confident.
The man looked up slowly, surprise flickering across his weathered face. “Just a bit of warmth, young man,” he replied, his voice a raspy whisper. Without a second thought, Ethan shrugged off his jacket, the chill biting at his skin. “Here, take this,” he said, draping the fabric over the man’s shoulders. The old man’s eyes glistened with gratitude. “Thank you, Ethan. You have a kind heart,” he said, pulling the jacket closer around him.
They spoke for a while, the old man, Patrick, sharing snippets of his life—tales of laughter and regret. Ethan listened intently, feeling a profound connection with this stranger. “It’s not easy out here,” Patrick admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “But your kindness makes the world feel a little warmer.” Ethan’s heart swelled with fulfillment. “I just wanted to help,” he said shyly, his cheeks flushed. The two continued to exchange stories, their laughter echoing into the night, forging a bond that seemed to transcend their circumstances. In that moment, Ethan felt as though he had made a real difference—not just for Patrick, but for himself as well.
The morning sun poured into Ethan’s room, painting everything in a warm golden hue. He stretched, a sense of lightness filling his heart as he remembered the kindness he had shown to Patrick the night before. The chill of the previous evening faded away, replaced by the warmth of satisfaction. He hopped out of bed, eager to share his feelings with his mother over breakfast. As he made his way downstairs, the aroma of pancakes wafted through the air, making his stomach rumble.
His mother, a woman of quiet strength, was flipping pancakes at the stove, her hair pulled back in a loose bun. “Good morning, Ethan! You’re up early today,” she said, glancing back at him with a smile. “Morning, Mom! I feel really good about helping that man last night,” Ethan replied, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “I think I made a difference.”
“I’m proud of you, sweetheart. Kindness is a powerful thing,” she said, pouring syrup onto a stack of pancakes. “You never know how it might impact someone.” After breakfast, Ethan grabbed his jacket and stepped outside, still humming with the joy of his good deed. To his astonishment, a large ornate box sat on the doorstep, glinting in the sunlight. “What on Earth?” he murmured, scratching his head in confusion. He looked around, half-expecting to see a delivery person, but the street was empty.
With a mix of excitement and apprehension, he dragged the box inside, the weight of it surprising him. “Mom, come here!” he called out, his voice echoing through the house. She hurried over, wiping her hands on a towel. “What is it, Ethan?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the mysterious box. “I found this on the porch! It wasn’t there when I left for school yesterday,” he said, eyes wide with curiosity. “Let’s open it together,” she suggested, her voice a mix of intrigue and caution.
Ethan nodded eagerly, his heart racing as they lifted the lid. The sight inside took their breath away—stacks of money were neatly arranged, and nestled among them was a heartfelt note. Ethan’s hands trembled as he picked it up and read aloud: “Dear Ethan, your kindness has changed my life more than you can imagine. This gift is a token of my gratitude. Remember, small acts of generosity can change lives.”
His mother gasped, her eyes darting from the money to Ethan. “
Battered Patrick Mahomes blames himself for Chiefs’ loss, and this pain will linger
NEW ORLEANS – This one will stick with Patrick Mahomes.
No three-peat. No parade. No new championship hardware. No trip to Disneyland.
Just a whole lot of heartbreak and soul-searching for the Kansas City Chiefs and their fearless leader.
“I take ownership in the loss, probably more than any one in my career,” Mahomes said in the bowels of the Caesars Superdome while the Philadelphia Eagles could be heard celebrating their Super Bowl 59 triumph. “I put us in some bad spots.”
What, did Superman leave his cape at home?
Mahomes was harassed, bruised, bullied and battered on Sunday night, which sums up what happens when you’ve absorbed a career-high six sacks. And when it’s 24-0 at the half and 40-22 at the finish, it’s pretty hard to pin it on one player.
Even one as magnificent as the Chiefs quarterback.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Then again, Mahomes knows. The two first-half interceptions were the last elements his team needed on a night when it was apparent his O-line was woefully overmatched. And if Mahomes, 29, is not bringing his A-game to the NFL’s biggest stage with all of that glory and history on the line, good luck, Chiefs.
The first pick was returned 38 yards for a touchdown by rookie Cooper DeJean. The second one, by Zack Baun on Mahomes’ next throw, gave the Eagles possession at the Chiefs’ 14-yard line.
Celebrate Eagles’ Super Bowl win with our new book
“We didn’t start how we wanted to,” Mahomes said. “I take all the blame for that. Those early turnovers swung the momentum of the game. That’s 14 points I kind of gave them.
“Just didn’t play up to my standard.”
No argument here. Consider how the first nine drives went for the Chiefs: Punt. Punt. Punt. Interception. Punt. Interception. Punt. Punt. Turnover on downs.
No, that’s not Mahomes’ standard. Or maybe it was an imposter. That couldn’t have been the real Mahomes.
OK, it wasn’t, but it was. He’s human, capable of a bad day, even on the big stage. Admittedly, given the pressure of trying to seize a third straight crown, Mahomes kept pressing. And that sure didn’t work.
“I can’t make bad plays worse,” he said. “I think that’s something you saw today.”
Mahomes wound up passing for 257 yards and three touchdowns, with a respectable 95.4 efficiency rating. But those numbers kind of lie when juxtaposed against what really happened. In addition to the two picks, he committed another turnover off a strip-sack.
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, admitted during the week that the one game that has kept him up at night was the Super Bowl 55 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four years ago, a 31-9 setback when he was sacked three times, hit nine times and intercepted twice.
If that one kept him up, this one might wake him up with nightmares.
“They both suck,” Mahomes said of the Super Bowl losses. “There’s no way around it. Anytime you lose the Super Bowl, it will stick with you the rest of your career. These are two losses that will motivate me to be even better the rest of my career. You only get so few of these. You have to capitalize on these.”
Mahomes, of course, started with the turnovers when he assessed the hard lessons he’ll take from Sunday. He said, “I can’t turn the ball over when it’s not going our way. I have to learn from that.”
Even deeper, he explained, will be learning to combat how defenses are scheming against him. The Eagles used a heavy dose of shell coverage on early downs – zone coverage with two high safeties – then supplemented that with man-to-man schemes on third downs. And with the deep, active defensive line manhandling Mahomes’ wall of protection, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio blitzed on just one, or maybe two of Kansas City’s 32 pass attempts.
“They were going to make me be a fundamental quarterback from the pocket and take what’s there,” Mahomes said. “That’s something I can get better at.”
While Mahomes struggled and the Eagles unleashed a different type of “Philly Special” on KC’s O-line, it didn’t help that the Chiefs had a non-existent rushing attack. When Mahomes is the leading rusher (four carries, 25 yards), you know that’s trouble. He ran for more yards than the three running backs combined.
On the other side, the Chiefs defense couldn’t contain Jalen Hurts when it mattered as the Eagles quarterback ran 11 times for 72 yards. And the Eagles stung KC for five big-play passes covering at least 20 yards, including Hurts’ 46-yard touchdown strike to DeVonta Smith.
Superman, it turns out, needed a lot more help.
