The Philadelphia Eagles just reminded the NFL who’s boss. Seven years after hoisting their first Vince Lombardi Trophy, they stormed back to the top of the league in dominant fashion. Jalen Hurts put on an MVP-worthy show, and the Eagles’ defense delivered a relentless beatdown, smothering, smashing, and suffocating Patrick Mahomes into one of the worst performances of his career. When the dust settled, Philadelphia had steamrolled the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday night in New Orleans—though the score makes it seem closer than it really was.
Super Bowl LIX was a Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs Grudge Match
Super Bowl LIX was round two of an epic grudge match between these two teams, their second showdown in three years. The Eagles still had fresh scars from their gut-wrenching 38-35 loss in Arizona, when a hobbled Mahomes orchestrated a masterclass comeback to wipe away Hurts’ career-best game. This time, there was no heartbreak—just pure dominance.
Hurts threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 72 more, and punched in a third score on a signature Tush Push. Maybe not as flashy as his last Super Bowl, but plenty effective. But the real showstoppers? Philadelphia’s defense. Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean celebrated his 22nd birthday with a pick-six. Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Jalyx Hunt combined for six sacks, turning the Chiefs’ O-line into a turnstile. Even with Saquon Barkley having an uncharacteristically quiet night, the Eagles buried Kansas City before halftime.
“We had a special group this year, we were able to learn from the past,” Hurts said postgame. “Defense wins championships. We saw how [our defense] played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, gave us short fields. And we’re able to do what we do.”
A year after one of the wildest midseason collapses in NFL history, Nick Sirianni’s squad was rebuilt for this moment. Physicality. A relentless ground attack. A suffocating defense. That formula didn’t just beat the Chiefs—it ended their dynasty dreams. Kansas City was on the cusp of an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win, something no team had even been 60 minutes away from before. But on Sunday, they looked exhausted, outmatched, and uncharacteristically sloppy. Whether the weight of history was too much or Vic Fangio’s defense was just that lethal, the result was the same. By the time Kendrick Lamar hit the halftime stage, this game was all but over.
“This is the ultimate team game. You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody – offense, defense, special teams,” Sirianni said. “We didn’t really ever care what anyone thought about how we won, or their opinions. All we want to do is win.”
Philly Managed to Neutralize Travis Kelce
The blueprint was simple: pound the rock with Barkley, keep Hurts in his comfort zone, and neutralize Travis Kelce. Check, check, and check. Barkley’s 25 carries for 57 yards might not have been explosive, but they kept the Chiefs’ defense honest. Hurts ran Kellen Moore’s offense with surgical precision. And Kelce? By the time he caught his first pass, the Eagles had built a 31-point lead late in the third quarter.
Philadelphia struck first with a 48-yard Jake Elliott field goal. Then came the onslaught. Sweat and Hunt sacked Mahomes on back-to-back plays, finally bringing him down after five and a half quarters of Super Bowl gameplay. Moments later, Mahomes misfired on a rollout, and DeJean made him pay—snagging the pass and taking it 38 yards to the house for a 17-0 lead. By the time Zack Baun made a diving interception late in the second quarter, and Hurts found AJ Brown in the end zone for a 24-0 cushion, the writing was on the wall. And when Hurts launched a perfect 46-yard bomb to DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0 in the third? Game over.
This wasn’t just revenge—it was a defensive masterpiece. The 2022 Eagles defense led the NFL in sacks but couldn’t get to Mahomes when it mattered. This time, they left no doubt. Fangio’s unit, with eight new starters from that Super Bowl team, harassed Mahomes all night. They sacked him six times—the most he’s ever taken in a game. The plan? Copy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ blueprint from Super Bowl LV: rush four, drop the rest into coverage, and let Mahomes squirm. It worked to perfection.
Philadelphia Eagles Now Five-Time Champions
Mahomes has made a career out of erasing double-digit deficits, but not this time. When the Chiefs’ opening drive of the second half stalled and Elliott tacked on another field goal for a 37-0 lead, even the most superstitious Eagles fans could breathe easy.
“Today was a rough day all around. Nothing went right. I didn’t coach well. Proud of our guys for fighting. We will learn from this,” Andy Reid admitted. “Too many turnovers, too many penalties. Against a good football team, can’t do that.”
By the time Mahomes connected with DeAndre Hopkins and Xavier Worthy for garbage-time touchdowns, cutting it to 44-20, Chiefs fans were already filing out. Eagles fans, though? They were soaking in the moment, their “E-A-G-L-E-S” chants echoing through the stadium.
With this win, the Philadelphia Eagles are officially five-time NFL champions—1948, 1949, 1960, 2017, and now, 2025. And if Sunday was any indication, they’re just getting started.
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