Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
The Philadelphia Eagles slammed the door on any possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs making history on Sunday in Super Bowl LIX.
Seeking an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had no answer for Philadelphia’s suffocating defense, as the Eagles manhandled the Chiefs 40-22 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
It was the largest margin of victory for a team in the big game since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl 55.
With the win, the Eagles joined the New England Patriots and the Chiefs as the only NFL franchises with multiple Super Bowl wins in the past 15 years. Philadelphia won its first Super Bowl seven years ago, a 41-33 victory over New England in Super Bowl 52.
The Eagles jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead — tied for the second-largest halftime deficit in Super Bowl history — and never looked back. The Chiefs are the second team in Super Bowl history to give up more points (24) than yards gained (23) in the first half.
Mahomes was under siege most of the night. He was sacked six times — the most a defense has ever had against him — and was picked off twice, once by linebacker Zack Baun and another returned 38 yards for a score by rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean on his 22nd birthday.
Cooper DeJean intercepts Patrick Mahomes and returns for TD, extending Eagles lead vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX | NFL Highlights
Philadelphia edge rusher Josh Sweat finished with six combined tackles and 2.5 sacks. According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles generated immense pressure with just a four-man pass rush. Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t send a blitz one time the entire game.
Heading into Sunday’s contest, Fangio was 0-8 against Mahomes as a head coach and defensive coordinator, but he got his first victory against the Kansas City quarterback at the most important moment.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished 17-of-22 for 221 yards, with a 12-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown and an interception. Hurts also rushed for 72 yards, the most by a QB in Super Bowl history. Hurts joined Joe Namath and Joe Montana as the only starting quarterbacks to win both a national championship and a Super Bowl.
The dagger delivered by Hurts was a 46-yard, pinpoint pass to DeVonta Smith for a 34-0 lead with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
Jalen Hurts connects with DeVonta Smith for a 46-yard TD, extending Eagles’ lead vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX | NFL Highlights
The Chiefs didn’t show up in the first half on offense, with just three rushing attempts for three yards. Mahomes threw for just 33 passing yards in the first half.
However, Kansas City’s defense was effective, keeping Saquon Barkley from taking over the game. Barkley finished with just 57 yards, but he did set the combined NFL single-season rushing record (including postseason) on the last play of the first half.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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