The dynasty killers strike again. Seven years after defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles took down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for their second title in franchise history. Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts was awarded Super Bowl MVP after scoring a combined three touchdowns along with 293 total yards.
Mahomes and the Chiefs entered Sunday seeking the first ever “three-peat” in the Super Bowl era of the NFL. Despite the loss, they still remain the first team to have an opportunity for a three-peat by making it to the Super Bowl after two consecutive wins.
Although Hurts won MVP for the game, it was the Eagles’ defensive line who made the largest impact. They managed to sack Mahomes six times, induce 11 QB hits and force three turnovers. Josh Sweat recorded two-and-a-half sacks, while Milton Williams recorded two and forced a Mahomes fumble.
It was a stellar defensive effort for the Eagles, led by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Eagles blitzed Mahomes for zero snaps, but were able to generate pressure the entire night by rushing four defenders and leaving the three-time Super Bowl champion with no time to throw.
Offensively, the Eagles had no trouble moving the ball down the field against the Steve Spagnuolo defense that had held other teams in check all year. Eagles receivers AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson and Dallas Goedert each recorded multiple catches for over 13 yards per reception.
The offensive line for Philadelphia, which has been a staple of the Eagles’ success for the last decade, protected Hurts as well as they had all season. Hurts was only sacked twice and hit just three times by Kansas City, and was able to escape the pocket and run for 72 yards. The only player the Chiefs could hold in check was star running back Saquon Barkley, who previously had a historic run before being held to just 57 yards on 25 attempts in Super Bowl LIX.
For Kansas City, the issues on offense were evident from the first drive of the game. The Eagles front seven eliminated any chance of productive gains, not allowing the Chiefs to reach 100 yards of total offense until the second half. As a team, Kansas City only ran the ball 11 times for 49 yards throughout the entire duration of the game.
Through the air, Mahomes was able to garner 257 yards and three touchdowns, including 157 yards and two touchdowns to rookie Xavier Worthy. However, a majority of these yards came when the Chiefs were already down by four or more scores.
For Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, this Super Bowl win represents the first of his young career. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl two years ago, but fell to Andy Reid and this same Chiefs team. Sunday was the first time in NFL history that a coach who lost a Super Bowl to a particular coach went on to beat that same coach in a later Super Bowl.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @philadelphiaeagles, Instagram
