On the precipice of history, the Kansas City Chiefs looked to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era, but instead the Philadelphia Eagles made history themselves. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles thrashed the Chiefs in this years Super Bowl 40-22. The game was significantly more lop-sided than the score might suggest: the Eagles were up by as much as 34 points at the end of the third quarter. The game only became marginally closer late in the fourth quarter once the Eagles had put in their backups and their head coach Nick Sirianni had received his gatorade shower.
The Eagles took an early 7-0 lead thanks to a Chiefs penalty and two long passes by quarterback Jalen Hurts. On their next drive, however, Hurts threw a costly interception as they were about to enter the red zone. After a Chiefs punt and an Eagles field goal, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a brutal interception that was returned by rookie Cooper DeJean for a touchdown. Down 17-0, Mahomes threw another interception, this time at their own six, setting up the Eagles for a AJ Brown touchdown reception. Entering the second half down 24-0, the Chiefs offense still struggled, punting and then turning it over on downs. The next play, the Eagles all but ended the game with a 46-yard bomb to Devonta Smith to take a commanding 34-0 lead. Finally, the Chiefs got on the board with a touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, who had an incredible 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the game. The rest of the third quarter and the fourth quarter was essentially garbage time, where the Chiefs made the score a little less egregious and the Eagles let their foot off the gas, eventually pulling their starters.
Green and white confetti rained down in New Orleans after a thorough domination by the Eagles, outclassing the Chiefs through a commanding defensive performance and a highly efficient offense. Compared to Mahomes’ three touchdowns (all of which came when the Chiefs were down by multiple scores) and three turnovers, Jalen Hurts cemented himself as a top quarterback in the league with another incredible Super Bowl performance. Making play after play, he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown. Even as Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was largely limited, his presence allowed the passing offense to thrive, as he made the Chiefs focus their defensive pressure on him.
The Eagle’s defense, however, was the main story of the game. They were able to shut down Kansas City’s aerial attack while the front four was able to get home to the quarterback consistently while blitzing minimally. Recording six sacks, one of the highest totals in Super Bowl history, the defensive line wreaked havoc on the Chiefs’ offensive line and continuously flustered Mahomes, leading to him committing crucial turnovers throughout the game.
Mahomes had arguably his worst game of his career in perhaps the most important game of his career. He looked rattled early, missing relatively easy throws, making several key mistakes (such as his three costly turnovers) and being unable to get the ball out quickly under the pressure of Philadelphia’s front four. Though the Eagle’s ability to get pressure with just four is much to blame for Mahomes’ skittishness, Mahomes had seen a similar amount of pressure against the Tampa Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV years earlier. In that game, although he lost 31-9 and failed to score a touchdown, he was continuously able to escape pressure and still make plays downfield by using his legs and arm talent. However, against the Eagles, he was sacked six times, and his throws were consistently affected by the pass rush.
Leading up to the game, the media continuously discussed Mahomes closing in on Tom Brady’s GOAT status. Many thought if Mahomes could accomplish something Brady never could, three-peating, he would have a strong case to surpass him. His disappointing
performance in the Super Bowl not only dashed that aspiration, but also severely set back any hopes of him passing Brady any time soon. Professional athletes, and quarterbacks in particular, are often judged on their performances in the biggest games. In Mahomes’ Super Bowl career, he is now 3-2, which is an incredible feat, but has a mediocre 10-7 touchdown to interception ratio, and has been blown out in both of his losses–something that never happened to Brady. While Mahomes has had an all-time start to his NFL career, his quest to overtake Brady in the near future has been postponed for the time being.
The dominant performance by the Eagles in all three phases of the game over a favored Chiefs team has highlighted some potential cracks in Kansas City’s dynastic reign and their status as the best team in the league. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, for example, was a non-factor against the Eagles, totaling only four receptions for 39 yards, while generally looking slow. Rumors of his retirement have been circling recently, and his disappointing game only puts Kelce’s future into further question. The Chiefs offensive line looked totally outmatched, unable to block against the four up front. Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid, who is 66 years old, also likely has a limited number of years left in his career. The Chiefs are a well-run organization, who have not only hit in the draft but also in free agent signings, and have one of if not the best quarterback in the league, making their team one of the most attractive for free agents and prospective coaches. But their future is certainly more questionable after being embarrassed by a superior Eagles team.
The Eagles, on the other hand, not only won their second title in the last decade, they also established themselves as the best and most complete team in the league. Going forward, teams around the league who are trying to compete for a Super Bowl must be able to contend with the Eagles’ defensive talent with an equally stout offensive line and offensive weapons of their own. The Eagles franchise has put itself among the most successful franchises of the last ten years, and with the overwhelming amount of talent they have on both sides of the ball, the ascension of Jalen Hurts as a truly great playoff performer, and with the competence and stability of their organization, they will undoubtedly continue to be one of the top contenders of the league for years to come.
