The Philadelphia Eagles prevailed at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, in New Orleans, by a score of 40 to 22, denying the Kansas City Chiefs an unprecedented three-peat championship victory. The game was a highly anticipated rematch after the Eagles and Chiefs faced each other in Super Bowl LVII in 2023, which the Chiefs narrowly won, 38 to 35.
The Chiefs struggled to get any kind of traction against a dominant Eagles defense in the first half, allowing Philly to score 24 unanswered points while quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a pair of interceptions and at one point suffered two consecutive sacks. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts drove to the end zone for the first score of the game, while cornerback Cooper DeJean returned an interception for another touchdown, and wide receiver A.J. Brown also hit paydirt before halftime.
Following a spectacular halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar (featuring Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and Serena Williams), the Chiefs continued to look sluggish, notching a touchdown in response to 10 points from the Eagles in the third quarter. They managed two more late touchdowns in the fourth quarter, though it was not enough to overcome the Eagles’ sustained offensive attack. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, boyfriend of Taylor Swift, did find a silver lining, surpassing hall of famer wide receiver Jerry Rice for the most Super Bowl receptions of all time. Meanwhile, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley broke the single-season rushing record — on his 28th birthday, no less.
President Donald Trump, the first sitting president to attend the big game, had picked the Chiefs to win.
Hurts was awarded the honor of Super Bowl MVP as he claimed his first ring at the age of 26. The win marked the Eagles’ second Super Bowl win, and fifth NFL championship overall, including the three they won in the pre-Super Bowl era. The last time the Birds won the big game was Super Bowl LII in 2018, when they beat the New England Patriots, 41 to 33.
The Eagles’ victory in tonight’s game bears some similarities to that championship against the Patriots. In both instances, the Eagles defeated arguably the NFL’s most dominant team. At the time, the Patriots had won five Super Bowls, while this year the Eagles stopped the Chiefs from winning their fifth championship (and fourth since 2020). And, as in this year’s game, Super Bowl LII was a rematch for the Eagles, with the Patriots having bested the birds way back in 2005 at Super Bowl XXXIX (when, coincidentally, current Chiefs coach Andy Reid was leading the Eagles).
The Eagles’ route to the Super Bowl this year meant coming first in the NFC East and securing the second overall seed in the conference with a 14-3 record. Their playoff run found them beating the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Rams, and, finally, their division rivals, the Washington Commanders.
The Chiefs’ route to Super Bowl LIX came after an impressive regular season where they won 15 games and lost two to secure the top seed in the AFC, as well as a first-week bye. In the playoffs, they beat the Houston Texans and then, for the fourth time in five years, the Buffalo Bills (though the game was not without some controversial calls from the referees).
Yet the Birds prevailed in the Big Easy, taking their revenge against a team that has been known to mount incredible playoff comebacks, including in the playoffs and the Super Bowl. This time, it was Kansas City’s turn to go home and lick their wounds.
From Rolling Stone US
