Super Bowl LIX was a walk down Bourbon Street for the Philadelphia Eagles.
On Sunday at Caesar’s Superdome, the Eagles humiliated Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, beating them 40–22 to crush their quest for a three-peat. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the game's MVP after passing for a pair of touchdowns and running for another.
For the Chiefs, an attempt at history turned into an almost impossible nightmare. But for the Eagles, it was a dream ending to a season that began with talk about Nick Sirianni’s job security and ended with him taking a Gatorade bath.
Going forward and into the offseason, both teams have questions about their rosters and how to best plan for 2025. But the Eagles do it with a Broad Street smile on their faces, while the Chiefs are left to wonder what happened.
1. Patrick Mahomes, under pressure, played his worst game
Mahomes has endured rough moments. He lost 31–9 in Super Bowl LV while running for his life against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But this was different. The Chiefs got smoked that night in Tampa, but Mahomes played well despite his box score.
On Sunday, he looked every bit as bad as his box score. In the first half, he threw a pick-six to Cooper DeJean and another interception in the red zone, part of a 30-minute showing in which he was 6-of-14 for 33 yards. In that span, he was also sacked three times and hit on seven occasions.
For the Chiefs, it was a brutal loss and an epic disaster to finish their quest for the three-peat. For Mahomes, it will stink up what is otherwise an almost perfect resumè, a game detractors will point to for years when he’s compared to Tom Brady.
It’s one game in what promises to be a legendary career, but it was atrocious.
2. The Eagles realized their full potential on the biggest stage
Philadelphia couldn’t have had a better game plan. They also couldn’t have executed any better from a defensive standpoint.
Coordinator Vic Fangio painted his masterpiece against Mahomes and Andy Reid, holding them under 300 total yards while forcing three turnovers. In the first half, the Chiefs’ offense allowed seven points. It scored zero. It had one first down. It had 23 yards and one first down.
By the time the teams went to halftime and Kendrick Lamar took the stage, the result was all but decided. By almost any measure, it was one of the greatest defensive first halves of football in a Super Bowl.
Offensively, Saquon Barkley was largely and surprisingly bottled up, but Jalen Hurts rose to the moment. Hurts went 17-of-22 for 221 yards and two touchdowns, making throws both under pressure and on critical downs. He did everything his counterpart did not, earning him a vindicating Lombardi Trophy.
3. Eagles’ offseason will hinge on bringing back a few key starters
GM Howie Roseman always has his team in excellent position to contend for the NFC East and the Super Bowl, and the 2025 season should be no different.
The core of the team will return next year, but there are a few important names to watch. For starters, All-Pro middle linebacker Zack Baun, defensive tackle Milton Williams, defensive end Josh Sweat and right guard Mekhi Becton are free agents and should command big raises.
While Jalen Hurts’s cap number climbs to $31 million next season, it’s still a manageable figure compared to other top quarterbacks. Roseman has $18 million in cap space and could make enough moves to essentially bring Baun back on a multi-year deal while adding to the roster through the draft.
4. Kansas City will look different in 2025
The Chiefs are going to have a slew of big-name free agents in a few weeks.
The most important are safety Justin Reid, right guard Trey Smith, defensive lineman Charles Omenihu and inside linebacker Nick Bolton. Others include receivers Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Watson, returner Mecole Hardman, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton and more.
Based on Kansas City’s projected cap space of $11.5 million, it won’t be easy to keep more than a few. The Chiefs are almost certainly going to see more walk than not, with the idea being to replace some veteran talent in the draft.
In that regard, Kansas City general manager Brett Veach is in a good position. The Chiefs have an extra third-round pick from the Tennessee Titans, giving them four top-75 picks come April’s NFL’s draft.
5. Who has the easier path to reach Super Bowl LX?
The Chiefs and Eagles are both going to be bet heavily across the country to get to the Super Bowl next year in Santa Clara. For Philadelphia, it would be its third appearance in five years while Kansas City would somehow be making its sixth appearance in seven years, something never done before.
Here’s how the opponents line up for both…
Eagles
Home: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Bears, Lions, Raiders, Broncos, Rams
Away: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, Chargers, Buccaneers, Bills
Chiefs
Home: Raiders, Broncos, Chargers, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Ravens, Lions
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Super Bowl LIX Rapid Reaction: Big Easy Beatdown, Eagles Style.
