Tom Henigan
In one of the most dominant performances in Super Bowl history, the Philadelphia Eagles humiliated the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 40-22. The Chiefs entered this game with a chance of becoming the first team ever to win the Super Bowl three times in a row. Philadelphia had other ideas. They more than avenged their loss from two years ago in the Super Bowl against Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes played maybe the worst game of his career while Jalen Hurts was once again up to the task on the biggest stage of all, making just one mistake in an otherwise perfect performance.
The Eagles were denied a red zone trip on their first drive due to a soft call on A.J. Brown for offensive pass interference on 4th down, ending their drive earlier than deserved. But after their defence forced a punt, Philadelphia benefitted from a soft call themselves as Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was called for unnecessary roughness on 3rd down, keeping the drive alive. The Eagles took advantage. Saquon Barkley showed his value in pass protection as Philadelphia picked up the Chiefs’ blitz and Hurts found Jahan Dotson down the right sideline, who was brought down at the one-yard line. That called for the ‘brotherly shove’ as Hurts bundled in for the opening touchdown of Super Bowl LIX.
This matchup against Philadelphia’s defensive line was looking eerily similar to how the Chiefs struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers in Super Bowl LV, a game they lost 31-9
The Eagles defence forced another punt, as Mahomes continued to look uncomfortable in the pocket, failing to get his feet set. On offence, a solid drive for the Eagles ended abruptly when Hurts threw an interception on 3rd and long as he threw the ball with Nick Bolton in his face. That was Hurts’ first and only mistake of the game.
The Chiefs couldn’t capitalise on the turnover as the Eagles forced another punt. Philadelphia was neutralising Kansas City’s offence. Mahomes’ team has started slow in each of his Super Bowls, trailing by at least ten points in all four. In three of those four games they came back and won. But this matchup against Philadelphia’s defensive line was looking eerily similar to how the Chiefs struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers in Super Bowl LV, a game they lost 31-9.
Kansas City’s defence had forced one turnover already but needed more plays to switch the momentum. They weren’t able to replicate their interception from the previous drive but they did force the Eagles to a field goal, making it 10-0.
For the Chiefs to three-peat, they would need to do what they did in Mahomes and Reid’s first three Super Bowl wins, make a comeback from 10 points down. But, Philadelphia continued to wreak havoc against the opposing offensive line, sacking Mahomes on the first two plays of the next drive. On 3rd and 16, the Chiefs needed a big play but instead, Mahomes made one of the worst plays of his career. Rolling to his right on a play designed to avoid the pass rush pressure that was causing so many issues, the three-time Super Bowl MVP threw a pick to Cooper DeJean over the middle. The rookie took the ball all the way back to the endzone, scoring a 38-yard touchdown in the Super Bowl on his birthday. With the score at 17-0, the Philadelphia Eagles were dominating this game and there was no sign of life from the Chiefs.
Kansas City had lost all faith in their offensive line. After a two-yard loss on first down to start the next drive, the Chiefs ran the ball again on 2nd and 12. That could be seen as trying to establish the run game, but I saw it as fear of Philadelphia’s pass rush. That run call resulted in the next play being a 3rd and 9, a play where Mahomes was sacked for the third time in the first half. As Matt Araiza punted for the fourth time in one and a half quarters, Hurts and the Philadelphia offence entered the field with a chance to put the game to bed before Kendrick Lamar had even made his halftime performance.
At this point, Kansas City was starting to have some success on defence as the Eagles had an incomplete pass on 2nd and 26. But any sort of momentum they had was squandered with an unnecessary roughness penalty on Bolton after the play, possibly another soft call. That gave the Eagles a 1st and 10 instead of a 3rd and 26.
Kansas City did recover from the penalty, forcing a punt three plays later, giving Mahomes just under two minutes to get points before the half. The reigning champions were in a bad spot and had been non-existent on offence, there’s no denying that, but given that they were getting the ball to start the second half, a comeback was not out of the question.
On the first play of a drive where Kansas City had a chance to find a way back in the game, Mahomes threw another costly interception
But the Eagles defence made it clear to even the most die-hard Chiefs fans that this game was over. On the first play of a drive where Kansas City had a chance to find a way back in the game, Mahomes threw another costly interception as linebacker Zack Baun made a diving catch. That set up Philadelphia’s offence on the opposition 14-yard line. While it was an awful throw from the Chiefs quarterback, his left tackle Joe Thuney, who traditionally starts at left guard, was forced back into Mahomes by Eagles rusher, Josh Sweat. On a day where every pass rusher dominated the line of scrimmage for the Eagles, Sweat was the standout player.
Philadelphia had the ball back and they were starting their drive in the red zone. Two plays later, they were in the endzone again. Hurts found a wide open Brown and at 24-0, the game was over before halftime.
Patrick Mahomes had performed badly in a playoff game just once coming into this Super Bowl. This was the worst game of his career. His offensive line wasn’t helping him, either. On the first play of Kansas City’s next offensive drive, right guard Trey Smith was called for holding, setting up 1st and 20. The Chiefs got it back to 3rd and 11, and they looked to find their first big offensive play as they hunted for points right before halftime. Mahomes rolled right and found a wide open DeAndre Hopkins, who dropped the ball with acres of space in front of him. Maybe Hopkins would have scored with that catch, or at least set up a scoring drive, but even if he had it wouldn’t have changed anything, the Eagles were in complete control of the game. Kansas City punted and at halftime, the Eagles led 24-0. Yes, you read that correctly.
This was a masterclass that was exceeding Tampa Bay’s destruction of Mahomes and Reid four years ago
23 total yards, zero for six on 3rd down, two turnovers, and just 10 minutes of possession. Those were the stats for Kansas City at halftime. As bad as the offensive line and Mahomes were playing, the Eagles had been incredible on defence. Philadelphia’s defensive line had been unstoppable. This was a masterclass that was exceeding Tampa Bay’s destruction of Mahomes and Reid four years ago.
Trying to clutch onto the idea that this could still be a close, exciting Super Bowl, many at halftime were referencing the New England Patriots’ famous 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Facons in Super Bowl LI. But this was nothing like that game. Before making that famous comeback, New England had been uncharacteristically bad on offence, yes, but they had moved the ball and showed signs of life. The Chiefs had done neither of those things. At halftime, they hadn’t even possessed the ball in Philadelphia’s half.
This was no game of two halves. The theme of Eagles dominance continued in the second half. The offensive line of Kansas City was being ripped apart but Mahomes wasn’t helping himself. Usually so poised in the pocket, he looked uncomfortable on every play. For example, one of the sacks by Sweat came after Mahomes stepped up in the pocket too early. He could have had time to find a wide open Xavier Worthy but the success of Philadelphia’s pass rush all game, and Davis’ sack on the play before, had the Chiefs quarterback completely flustered. Because of the way the game had gone so far, Mahomes was worried about pressure even when it wasn’t there. On their first drive of the second half, the Chiefs punted for the sixth time.
Philadelphia’s beatdown of their opponents continued as Hurts got the ball back on offence. A long run by the quarterback on 3rd and 5 was a backbreaker for the Chiefs as they tried to find some sort of momentum from anywhere. A couple of plays later, Saquon Barkley had his first solid run of the game, a run that gave him the record for the most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs. Another big Hurts run, followed by a pass to Barkley, had Philadelphia four yards away from the endzone. As humiliating as this game was for the Chiefs, they were defending Barkley well. The defence held the Eagles to a field goal but Elliott’s 29-yard kick made it 27-0 and a four score game.
At this point, the Kansas City offence was playing to avoid becoming the first team to fail to score a point in the Super Bowl. With five minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the most amazing stat of the game was that the Eagles hadn’t blitzed once. Despite that, they had sacked Mahomes five times up to that point. They were sending just four rushers on every pass and still causing disruption almost every time. On a 2nd and 4, the struggles of the offensive line were summarised in one play. Mahomes somehow found a way through Philadelphia’s pass rush for a first down, evading defenders brilliantly, only for his run to be cancelled out by a holding call on Trey Smith.
That gave Kansas City a 2nd and long and, after a short run by Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce had his first catch of the game to set up a 4th and 5.
Mahomes looked to Hopkins on the right sideline only to have his pass knocked down by Avonte Maddox, putting Hurts and the offence back on the field. Ironically, the 4th down incompletion was one of the few plays where Mahomes had some time to throw.
This game was starting to enter the territory of the biggest Super Bowl victory ever, a record held by the San Francisco 49ers, who beat the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV.
Hurts had all the time in the world to deliver a perfect pass, a credit to Philadelphia’s offensive line
The next play showed that Philadelphia weren’t going to shy away from shooting for that record. Everyone thought that at this point, up 27-0 late in the 3rd quarter, they would run the ball and drain the clock. Kellen Moore, the offensive coordinator for the Eagles, had other ideas. Hurts faked the run to Barkley, setting up a play action as he made the throw of the night to DeVonta Smith for a 46-yard touchdown. Smith beat Jaylen Watson on the play, hauling in the catch. Similarly to Hurts, Smith was great in the last Super Bowl against the Chiefs, but even better in this one. Hurts had all the time in the world to deliver a perfect pass, a credit to Philadelphia’s offensive line and their elite pass blocking. They were able to handle Kansas City’s blitzes all night in a great performance.
34-0 down, the Chiefs were simply in damage limitation mode. They crossed the middle of the field for the first time in the game on the first play of their next drive as Mahomes found Worthy for a 50-yard gain. A few plays later, he found Kelce on 3rd and 6 with a flip pass before hitting Worthy again for a 24-yard touchdown. With the third quarter coming to a close, we had finally seen vintage Mahomes but it was too little, too late. After a failed two-point attempt, the Chiefs now trailed 34-6 with 34 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
The Chiefs had avoided being crowned with the dubious honour of becoming the first team not to score in a Super Bowl, but this was still a humiliation. Kansas City’s only positive was that they were stopping Barkley. They couldn’t stop Hurts, though. He continued to have success with his legs, breaking the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a Super Bowl with 72 yards, a record he set against the Chiefs two years ago when he had 70 yards on the ground.
Kansas City forced a field goal after they stopped Barkley on a 3rd and long run to end the drive. At 37-6, the Chiefs would need four touchdowns with three two point conversions and an extra point to tie this game, all in under 10 minutes. Unsurprisingly, that did not happen. Yet again, the Eagles got in the backfield by rushing just four defenders. Milton Williams beat Mike Caliendo to knock the ball out of Mahomes’ hands as he winded up for a deep pass. Williams recovered the ball himself to get his offence back on the field. That was his second sack of the game and Philadelphia’s sixth.
Kansas City’s defence continued to defend Barkley well as the clock winded down in the 4th quarter. Had someone read that sentence with no other knowledge in this game, they would think that the Chiefs were either trailing in a close game, or winning it. But that was obviously not the case. Philadelphia had done what many said they couldn’t, dominate without a great game from Barkley. The Eagles kicked another field goal, as they became the ninth team in Super Bowl history to score 40 or more points, and the first team to do it since Super Bowl LII, when Philadelphia won 41-33.
Down 40-6, this was the biggest deficit of Mahomes’ career, in the biggest game of his career. He soon cut that deficit down with a touchdown throw to Hopkins. After a successful two-point attempt this time round, the Chiefs had reduced the score down to 40-14.
With the Eagles just attempting to drain the clock, Mahomes got the ball back one last time. With the game all but over, the Chiefs dialled up a deep pass play as Kansas City’s quarterback finally had a bit of time with the Eagles knowing the game was won. He found Worthy for a 50-yard touchdown, possibly foreshadowing a Chiefs offence that will go back to more explosive plays next season. After another successful two-point attempt from the Chiefs, but an unsuccessful onside kick, the game came to an end.
The Philadelphia Eagles were Super Bowl champions, winning 40-22.
Just like in Super Bowl LV against the Buccaneers, Kansas City’s offensive line couldn’t handle the pass rush. Philadelphia dominated the line of scrimmage more than maybe any team ever in a Super Bowl. They didn’t blitz once but their defence still got six sacks. Josh Sweat had two and a half, Milton Williams had two, Jordan Davis had one, and Jalyx Hunt had a half sack as well. Every player on Philadelphia’s defensive line, even those without a sack, dominated their matchup. That includes Eagles legend Brandon Graham who returned from injury for this game, which is likely his last. Also a part of that group is Jalen Carter, the Eagles’ best player on defence. Carter may not have got to Mahomes but he was a huge part of maybe the best defensive line performance in Super Bowl history.
Philadelphia’s pass rush scheme was not complicated. They rushed four players on every pass play and had success almost every time, whether it was a sack, pressure leading to an interception, or pressure leading to an incompletion. The defensive line of the Eagles simply overpowered the offensive line of the Chiefs. That should not downplay the job of defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. He called one of the best defensive games we have ever seen in a Super Bowl and beat a quarterback who he had previously never beaten.
Chiefs fans will want answers as to why Mahomes has been running for his life in two of the biggest games of his career
Questions need to be asked on Kansas City’s side as to how, in two of their five Super Bowl trips in this dynasty era, their pass protection scheme has been completely outmatched. Whether it is a lack of preparation or a failed scheme, Chiefs fans will want answers as to why Mahomes has been running for his life in two of the biggest games of his career. Andy Reid is one of the best coaches of all time but a lot of that falls on his shoulders.
Of course, the two-time MVP should also take a lot of blame for this loss. Unlike the Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay, Mahomes was awful in this game. He had plays that reminded everyone of his MVP seasons, such as the two touchdown passes to Worthy as well as the flip pass to Kelce on 3rd down, but he was flustered in the pocket from the very start, and had two inexcusable interceptions as well as a fumble.
On Philadelphia’s offence, Jalen Hurts was sensational. He was deservedly awarded Super Bowl MVP, although if any Eagles defender had won it there would have been no complaints. Hurts had 221 passing yards, 72 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and a 119.7 passer rating. Coming into the game, the best game of Hurts’ career was in his Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. That performance was topped in this matchup as the Eagles quarterback proved all his doubters wrong. He was seen as the weak link on this team by so many people, partly due to Philadelphia’s strength everywhere else on the field, but the disrespect seemed a lot for a quarterback who wins so much. That disrespect should go away for a long, long time now as Hurts will look to go back-to-back next season.
This was the Philadelphia Eagles’ second Super Bowl win. They defeated the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, to win it all in the 2017 season. In this game, they defeated another all-time great quarterback to win their second championship. Head coach Nick Sirianni has faced a lot of criticism, with some Eagles fans calling for him to be fired when they were 2-2 early on in the season. He proved everyone wrong, leading his team to one of the most dominant victories in Super Bowl history.
Tom Henigan
Featured image courtesy of Evan Brockett via Unsplash. Image use license found here (Unsplash). No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @philadelphiaeagles via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.?
In article image 2 courtesy of @nfl via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.?
In article image 3 courtesy of @nfloncbs via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.?
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