It was a dominating performance by the Philadelphia Eagles throughout the entirety of the game, from kickoff until time expired. Both sides of the ball suffocated the Kansas City Chiefs, and there were no answers that could’ve been made on the losing side. Coming into the game, the two-time defending champs had a lot at stake, trying to become the first team to ever “three-peat,” but Philly wasn’t having any of that.
There definitely could have been some extra motivation for the Eagles coming into the game because of the loss they took in the 2022 Super Bowl against Kansas City. The rematch that happened on Sunday had many different narratives beforehand, and the Eagles wanted to make sure that they rewrote history the second time around. After the game a few days ago, Philadelphia has now won two championships in franchise history, the first one coming in 2018 against the Patriots with Nick Foles leading the way at quarterback. Especially with the excitement that occurred in the offseason when Saquon Barkley left the Giants to sign with the Eagles, they were destined for a great year, as the Offensive Player of the Year had over 2,000 rushing yards this season.
The Eagles found success this year in the run game, led by Barkley, but none of that would be possible without the tremendous offensive line. Even after losing the veteran Jason Kelce last season, they still found a way to dominate. All five starters—center Cam Jurgens, guards Landon Dickerson and Mekhi Becton, as well as tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson—received AP All-Pro votes. This says a lot about this group of guys because they are big, physical, and highly talented. The passing game was also well executed by quarterback Jalen Hurts, with receivers DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and tight end Dallas Goedert making plays.
For the Chiefs, on the other hand, they ended the regular season with a 15-2 record and were able to find ways to win all season. They managed to go 12-0 in one-score games, even pulling off a few last-minute wins with blocked field goals, game-ending interceptions, and fumble recoveries carried by their defense. Patrick Mahomes had one of his worst seasons this year, so Kansas City had to find different ways to win. The play-calling was phenomenal, and coach Andy Reid did what he does best—getting the job done no matter what it took. The margin of victory may not have been as dominant for Kansas City this year compared to previous seasons, but they managed to find success. However, they faced a tall task in stopping running back Saquon Barkley.
All season long, there were many controversial calls made in favor of the Chiefs, frustrating fans across the country. Many believed the officiating helped Kansas City in their quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl, something never done before. Blatant calls against opposing teams fueled frustration among fans.
Bills fan Cayden Stroh (12) believes the Chiefs were frauds this year and were assisted by many calls in their favor. “While the Chiefs are an incredibly gifted team and no doubt deserve to be in the playoffs, there were still a number of calls that weighed heavily in their favor,” Stroh said. “It almost appeared as if there were no faults committed by the opposing team, and vice versa.” Stroh expressed his frustration with officiating, especially after the AFC Championship a few weeks ago when the Bills lost to Kansas City due to several questionable calls.
Sunday’s game did not have much good coming from the Chiefs’ side. In the first half, they had a total of 23 yards, which is astronomically low for a Super Bowl contender. Patrick Mahomes was completely off his game, which proved to be the difference for them. After the Eagles scored in the first quarter on a tush push run by Jalen Hurts, rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean intercepted one of Mahomes’ passes and returned it for a pick-six on his birthday, giving Philly a 17-0 early lead. Right before halftime, Mahomes made another awful throw right to Zack Baun deep in their own territory. The Eagles capitalized once again with an A.J. Brown 12-yard touchdown. Trailing 24-0 at halftime, the Chiefs had a lot of ground to make up after a very quiet half for Travis Kelce and the KC offense. The top-four defense in the league had no answers for the Eagles, who continued to dominate on the ground and through the air.
The halftime show was performed by Kendrick Lamar, and reactions were mixed. Many fans loved it, while others were less impressed. Lamar brought out Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, and SZA during the performance. He and SZA performed a few of their collaborations after Lamar played a few of his own songs.
A fan of the show, Fia Powers-O’Keefe (11), shared her thoughts. “I really liked it,” Powers-O’Keefe said. “I thought it was really well organized, and I’m excited for his upcoming concert I’m going to. I think SZA helped make it ten times better also.”
As the ongoing tension between Lamar and Drake has been making headlines, there was a lot of curiosity about what would happen at this show. Lamar’s five-time Grammy-winning song “Not Like Us” was a huge moment, as he used the performance to take a shot at Drake. During the song, Lamar brought out Drake’s ex, Serena Williams, who danced and crip-walked while he performed, which had fans going crazy.
Braden Smee (12) also shared his opinions on the halftime show. “I didn’t think it fit well for all different age groups,” Smee said. “But I, for one, am a K-Dot fan, so I understood all the messages and symbolism he used while performing. I thought some of the songs were hype, but the mics should’ve been louder.”
As the second half of the game began, the same narrative continued—complete Eagles domination. Philly kept scoring, and their defense was relentless. Mahomes had no breathing room in the pocket, forcing him into bad passes. Philly read every play to perfection, covering all areas of the field. The Eagles added one more long touchdown, a 46-yard pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith late in the third quarter, but that was all they needed. The Chiefs finally found the end zone on a 24-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who was their lone bright spot. He finished the game with eight receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns, his second coming in the last two minutes of the game from 50 yards out. The Chiefs also added a garbage-time touchdown to veteran DeAndre Hopkins, but the deficit was too much to overcome. The Eagles’ defense continued to overpower Kansas City’s offense, including another turnover via a strip sack on Mahomes. The Chiefs’ run game struggled all night, finishing with just 49 yards on the ground, and star tight end Travis Kelce ended with only four catches for 39 yards in the 40-22 blowout loss.
The Eagles were undoubtedly the better team in this game, showcasing their talent at every position and proving to America that they were worthy of the Lombardi Trophy. Both teams had game plans, but Philly executed theirs to perfection. “The Chiefs had a game plan to stop Saquon Barkley, which they actually did pretty well,” said Smee. “However, Jalen Hurts was able to take over the game using his mobility and his receiving weapons, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.”
Stroh also shared his thoughts on the game, stating, “It was one of the most boring Super Bowls to watch. Just complete domination—there’s no excitement in that.” The Eagles’ pass rush was in full swing, securing six sacks, the most Kansas City allowed in a game all season. The Chiefs’ early offensive struggles and lack of a run game played a major role in their loss.
It will be interesting to see how Kansas City bounces back next year after this disappointing finish and whether they can return to the big game. As for the Eagles, they appear to be a Super Bowl contender moving forward due to their depth at every position and their well-rounded roster.