The Philadelphia Eagles got their revenge on Sunday for their Super Bowl loss two years back, dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 for their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
The game was not as close the final score may suggest. By the time the first half concluded, the Eagles had 24 points scored while the Chiefs had 23 total offensive yards, for 0 points. By the third quarter the Eagles commanded a 34-0 lead, the largest lead in the Super Bowl since the Seahawks led the Broncos 36-0 in 2014.
Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes has earned a reputation for being able to keep a cool head and perform when the team needs him even on the biggest stages, with his propensity for comebacks and clutch game winning drives. On Sunday however Mahomes looked uncharacteristically lost.
Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio in his first season with the team led the number one ranked defense in the league, and his defense had a master class performance against the Chiefs. The defensive line sacked Mahomes six times – without blitzing once. And the back field intercepted Mahomes twice, including a 38 yard pick six from rookie cornerback Cooper Dejean.
After finally scoring their first touchdown late in the third quarter to cut the lead to 37-6, Mahomes was strip sacked on their very next drive. A recovery from the Eagles killed any momentum or morale the Chiefs may have had, and sealed the game for the fans watching.
Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts held up his end of the team as well. Though he didn’t have as stellar of a game as he did in his previous Super Bowl, his performance was crucial to the Eagles victory. With the Chiefs defense focus being on stopping Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley, Hurts had to make crucial throws to A.J Brown and Devonta Smith to capitalize on the defense’s efforts.
Jalen Hurts had been doubted his whole career. Despite being runner up for the Heisman trophy in 2019, critics wondered whether he had what it took to be NFL starter. Even as his teams started gaining success the questions became whether he was good enough to elevate his team to greatness and hoist the Lombardi trophy for his team.
With two solid performances on the biggest stage against dynasty Chiefs and helping lead the Eagles as they recover from their late season collapse last year, Hurts has finally cemented his spot as one of the elite quarterbacks of this generation.
Despite winning three Super Bowls in the last five years, this loss for the Chiefs still stings. A win last Sunday would have made the Chiefs the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row in the Super Bowl era. For Patrick Mahomes, he missed a golden opportunity to win his fourth ring before the age of 30, which would have immensely boosted his case as the greatest football player of all time.
There was no doubt that the Chiefs weren’t a bad team, but fans wondered if this team was the real deal. Despite an impressive 15-2 record, the ninth team in NFL history to accomplish this, the season was full of close one score games and controversial referee calls that made viewers wonder if this was the same dominant Chiefs we’ve come to expect or if the team had just been historically lucky.
With convincing wins in the playoffs against the Houston Texans and league MVP Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills, it looked like the Chiefs were going to make history and prove they weren’t a fluke.
Then, the clock struck midnight, and everything fell apart. The offensive line fell apart against the Eagles pass rush and let Mahomes get pressured all night. Mahomes himself did not respond well to the pressure, giving up costly sacks and turnovers, and struggling to get anything done when it mattered most in one of the worst games in his whole career.
Star tight end Travis Kelce usually looks unstoppable when he and Mahomes get going, but he and Mahomes couldn’t connect on a pass until the third quarter while the team was already down 27-0.
None of the Chiefs plans were working that day, it was as though a completely different team showed up that day rather than the dominant Chiefs we’ve come to expect. With speculations surrounding Kelce’s age catching up to him and a potential retirement, it’s uncertain whether the Chiefs will stay dominant in the near future.
The team has recovered from significant roster losses before, namely the departure of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill back in 2021, but the level of success the Chiefs have grown accustomed to is impossible to maintain considering aging stars and having to maintain their cap space. Even Tom Brady, who seems immune to aging, went 10 years between Super Bowl victories while on his dynasty team the New England Patriots.
We will have to wait until next season to see if the Eagles and the Chiefs are able to keep their spot on top of the NFL, as the 2024-25 season comes to a close.
To read about the iconic halftime show performance by Kendrick Lamar that happened during the Super Bowl, click here.