NEW ORLEANS — In a dominant performance, the Philadelphia Eagles led 34-0 before coasting to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles avenged their loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII and denied the Chiefs a chance at becoming the first team to win three straight Super Bowls.
Philadelphia led 24-0 at halftime on the strength of Cooper DeJean’s pick six of Patrick Mahomes and an interception by Zack Baun that set up Jalen Hurts’ touchdown pass to A.J. Brown just before halftime. The Eagles led 34-0 before Mahomes threw three touchdown passes to make the final score look closer than the game actually was.
The Eagles defense was the story of the night. Vic Fangio’s unit sacked Mahomes a career-high six times, with Josh Sweat leading with way with 2.5 sacks. Philadelphia allowed a scant 23 yards in the first half and did not allow the Chiefs to convert on third down until there was just over a minute left in the third quarter.
While it was a tough night for Mahomes, it was a brilliant game for Hurts, who was named the game’s MVP after throwing for two touchdowns and finishing as the game’s leading rusher with 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Saquon Barkley had 97 total yards on 31 touches while breaking Terrell Davis’ 26-year-old record for the most rushing yards in a season (including the postseason).
Here’s a closer look at how the Eagles pulled it off.
Why the Eagles won
Mahomes’ late touchdowns doesn’t take away the fact that this was a historically dominant night by the Eagles defense. Specifically, the Eagles front four deserves a shout-out for how they were able to impact the game.
Philadelphia was able to pressure Mahomes without blitzing, which was the key to its success. In fact, the Eagles did not blitz Mahomes on any of his 32 dropbacks, making him the sixth quarterback in Super Bowl history to not be blitzed a single time (h/t ESPN Research). Each of those quarterbacks lost the game.
The defense shined, but Hurts and the rest of the Eagles offense showed out, too. Hurts was in control for most of the game, going 17 of 22 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one pick. Hurts was protected well by the largest starting offensive line in Super Bowl history, a unit that also paved the way for Barkley and Co. to run for 135 yards on 45 carries. Barkley joined Davis and fellow Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith as the only rushing champions to win the Super Bowl.
Why the Chiefs lost
Similar to their loss to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, the Chiefs couldn’t protect Mahomes, who didn’t look comfortable in the pocket until the game was out of reach. Mahomes also didn’t help himself by holding onto the ball too long and trying too many low-percentage passes, like the one that led to Baun’s pick late in the first half.
It didn’t help that the Chiefs had absolutely no balance, as they finished the game with just 11 rushing attempts. Mahomes was Kansas City’s leading rusher with just 25 yards on four carries. Another note on the Chiefs offense was the lack of production by future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce, who caught just four passes for 39 yards.
If the Chiefs had a star on this night, it was rookie wideout Xavier Worthy, who caught two of Mahomes’ late touchdowns that included a 50-yard scoring catch. Worthy’s 157 yards receiving are the most by a rookie receiver in a Super Bowl.
It’s hard to criticize the Chiefs defense too much. Their offense put them in terrible spots most of the game, and they did a good job containing Barkley, who finished with 57 yards on 25 carries. But they did not make enough big plays that could have shifted the game’s momentum. They also allowed Hurts to make too many plays (especially on the ground) on Philadelphia’s four second-half scoring drives.
Turning point
The Chiefs still had a pulse late in the first half after forcing an Eagles punt. Kansas City, which would start the second half with the ball, had the ball with enough time to score before halftime. But any thoughts of a Chiefs comeback quickly evaporated when Baun snatched Mahomes’ pass that was intended for Hollywood Brown. Hurts parlayed the turnover into his touchdown pass to Brown that extended the Eagles lead to 24-0. The game’s outcome was never really in question after that.
Play of the game
Fittingly, the night’s signature play was turned in by the Eagles defense, when DeJean (who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Sunday) picked off Mahomes before racing to pay dirt.
Quotables
“Defense wins championships. We saw how they played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, they gave us short fields, and we were able to do what we do.” — Hurts during his postgame interview with Fox
What’s next
The Eagles will begin celebrating their fifth NFL championship and second Super Bowl title. Eagles fans have good reason to celebrate, as their team was on the winning side of one of the most unexpected outcomes in Super Bowl history.
Conversely, the Chiefs will begin to pick up the pieces after coming up short of their quest to win three straight Super Bowls. Instead of making history, the Chiefs became the ninth back-to-back champion to come up short of a three-peat.
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