The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions!
Thanks to a relentless Eagles defense, the Kansas City Chiefs were completely overwhelmed as star quarterback Patrick Mahomes had no time to throw the ball and was running around for his life. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was the opposite as the dual-threat quarterback completed 17-of-22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, the Eagles are Super Bowl Champions for just the second time in franchise history. As for the Chiefs, their hopes of a Super Bowl three-peat were dashed in what turned out to be a one-sided affair.
Eagles linebacker Cooper DeJean celebrated his 22nd birthday with a pick-6, and the Eagles cruised to a 40-22 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.
Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to earn Super Bowl MVP honors. Vic Fangio’s defense was so dominant that the Eagles didn’t need a standout performance from Saquon Barkley. The star running back ran for 57 yards, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for most rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs.
“This is the ultimate team game. You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody — offense, defense, special teams,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. “We didn’t care about how people thought we should win. All we wanted was to win.”
Hurts, often doubted since his time at Alabama when he was benched for Tua Tagovailoa in a national championship game, silenced critics who persisted even after he finished second in MVP voting behind Mahomes two years ago. Now, he’s hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Sirianni, who had to endure “Fire Nick!” chants during a win over Cleveland in October and was mocked as a “clown” on national TV, also quieted his doubters by securing a championship to go with his impressive coaching record, which includes the fifth-best winning percentage in NFL history.
“Things come right on time. The last time, it wasn’t our time, it wasn’t my time, and sometimes you have to accept that you have to wait your turn,” said Hurts, who nearly led the Eagles to victory over the Chiefs in the 2023 Super Bowl.
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With former President Donald Trump attending his first Super Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas City in all aspects, thrilling a loud and passionate Philly crowd, who celebrated each score with the iconic “Fly! Eagles! Fly!”
Even Taylor Swift’s presence couldn’t turn the tide for the Chiefs. They suffered their first loss in 10 games this season with the pop star in attendance, as her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, went largely silent until late in the third quarter.
This performance was far from what Kansas City fans expected. The Chiefs had won three of the last five Super Bowls, but this was a complete reversal of fortune after their thrilling 38-35 win over the Eagles in 2023 and their overtime victory over San Francisco the year before.
“Defense wins championships,” Hurts said. “We saw how they played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, gave us short fields, and we did what we do.”
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Barkley, the 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, was held to just 31 yards rushing in the first half, as the Eagles built a commanding 24-0 lead.
The Chiefs were aiming to join the ranks of the NFL’s greatest dynasties, attempting to become just the second team in history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. The Green Bay Packers remain the only team to achieve that feat, winning three in a row from 1929-31 and 1965-67.
In the major American professional sports leagues, only the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02), led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, have managed a three-peat since the Packers’ historic run.
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