Super Bowl 59 turned into a bloodbath for Kansas City. They never found their groove, and it led to an epic 40-22 route that had to be supremely satisfying for Philadelphia Eagles fans who have not forgotten the ignominious end to Super Bowl 57, where a late defensive holding on Eagles defensive back James Bradberry set up the Chiefs to kick the game-winning field goal and seal the game.
Not this year. That game was avenged.
The Eagles’ defense, a highlight of the disappointing 2023 season that led to the team collapsing after the bye week, was retooled by new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. They stomped on the Chiefs all night, sacking star Chiefs quarterback Mahomes a career-high six times, holding the team to 38 total offensive yards heading into the second half. Oh, and did I mention that the Eagles lead 24-0? This game was reminiscent of Super Bowl 48, where Seattle’s Legion of Boom, the number one ranked defense that year, held the top-ranked offense, Denver Broncos, to under ten points in the 43-8 blowout at the Meadowlands.
wtf pic.twitter.com/bldyu53Erm
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) February 10, 2025
In the first half, the Eagles defense allowed:
🦅 23 total yards
🦅 1 first down
🦅 0 points📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/ot5R1ycSu7— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
COOPER DEJEAN PICK TO THE HOUSE!
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/y4Q4bGTHE2— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Eagles defense is dominating. Milton Williams with the sack! 😤
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/nWVrtpJFwz— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Zack Baun interception! #FlyEaglesFly
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/7LPFimMuP8— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Fifth sack by the Eagles!
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/p5JPnx3ujR— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Milton Williams with the strip sack! Philly defense is playing lights out. #FlyEaglesFly
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/G54a6qiOqx— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Eagles sack Mahomes on back to back plays!
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/Uun9bviMwL— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
The Chiefs could never get set, frazzled by the Eagles defensive line with a 47-52 percent pressure rate without blitzing. Philadelphia has prided itself on maintaining stout offensive and defensive lines for a quarter-century, knowing that games, especially the big ones, are won on the line of scrimmage. It’s the kind of line that can make a generational talent, Saquon Barkley, go off, which he did by reaching the 2,000 rushing yard club.
The Chiefs avoided what could have been a historic loss by being shut out, with Mahomes finding wideouts Xavier Worthy (twice) and DeAndre Hopkins in the endzone. Still, these were empty-calorie touchdowns—the game was already over.
The Chiefs are performing as well as Kamala Harris in the swing states.
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) February 10, 2025
Super Bowl 59 was a 40-22 blowout, which again confirmed an adage in sports: defense wins championships. After a rough four weeks, Philadelphia’s defense under Fangio came alive. They were the 2nd ranked overall defense, the number one passing defense, and second in scoring defense. The Chiefs weren’t a bad defense either, sitting fourth overall, fourth in scoring, eighth against the run, but 18th in passing. They shut down Barkley, who only had 57 yards on 25 carries, but that was about it. Hurts did enough from the air to seal the game. There were no 100-yard days for Philadelphia’s equally talented wide receiver corps, but you don’t really need that when the defense is elite.
Philly 40 burger in the Super Bowl 🍔
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/3qaXjBuWoF— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
EAGLES HAVENT BLITZED ONCE
MAHOMES HAS A CAREER HIGH 5 SACKS
INSANE 😱😱
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) February 10, 2025
***
Last Note: As a die-hard New York Giants fan, I hate the Eagles. I also don’t care much for the Chiefs, but with these defensive stats, which only got better and were maintained after week four of this season, you cannot be shocked at this game. The Chiefs were 15-2, but it was the luckiest season probably of all time. Luck runs out quickly against a legitimate defense, and Kansas crashed into the wall tonight.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the luckiest team in the history of football 😐 pic.twitter.com/D60MccF8ae
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 30, 2024
As for Saquon, yeah, it sucked to see him go. But I’ve been a Giants fan for a long time. He won’t be the first or last Giants player who was beloved to walk away from 1925 Giants Drive. It sucked when Michael Strahan retired, when Osi Umenyiora left, along with Justin Tuck, Kevin Boss, and Jason Pierre-Paul. These things happen. Barkley likely would have had another 1,000-yard season if he’d stayed in New York. He’s done so plenty of times with worse talent on the offensive line, but he never would have won a ring or made history, and you cannot hamstring talent like that. It is generational.
Been quite the season for @saquon 👏 #SBLIX pic.twitter.com/mCfwSlkk56
— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
That being said, Philly will burn tonight. In KC, let me repeat those infamous words by the late Pat Summerall: “There will be no three-peat.”
