The Eagles flattened the Kansas City Chiefs in a legacy-altering defeat for Kansas City and legacy legacy-defining win for Philadelphia.
What an absolutely joyous night Sunday was. The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles may have very well solidified themselves as the greatest team in this city’s history. To blow out anyone in the Super Bowl is a massive accomplishment, but to do it against a dynasty is a whole different ball game. The Philadelphia Eagles punked the Kansas City Chiefs out of a Super Bowl. Over the last 30 years, only four teams managed to win the Super Bowl by 18 or more points. The Eagles just became the 5th team to do that, doing it against a team that was trying to win their third Super Bowl in a row and 4th in six years.
A Historic Beatdown
They beat the asses of the Chiefs 40-22, and honestly, it was even more of a blowout than that. The Chiefs were looking for the exits midway through the 2nd quarter. This felt like when an elite college team takes on an FBS team. Since the Eagles bye week, they were 16-1 with a +238 point differential. 9 of those wins were by double digits including 5 by 20+ points. The only loss was in Washington when Jalen missed the majority of the game with a concussion. The Chiefs dynasty ended up just being a footnote in a truly remarkable and dominant Eagles season.
The Eagles’ first half may be remembered as the most impressive half of football ever played in the Super Bowl. They systematically imposed their will on the Chiefs and at halftime, the Chiefs wanted to do anything other than play another half of football. The “GOAT” Patrick Mahomes mentally collapsed. At the half, the Eagles were up 24-0, the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid Chiefs had 23 TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE. The Eagles never blitzed and got pressure on 50% of all dropbacks. The Eagles’ DVOA in the first half was -163%. For reference, the 1985 Bears and their “Best Defense Ever” had a -137%.
Vic Fangio’s Defensive Masterclass
What Vic Fangio and the Eagles defense did to Patrick Mahomes cannot be understated. Mahomes played by far the worst game of his career and it was because the Eagles defense played one the best games of all time. They did not fear him at all. They instilled a ton of fear in him. No sequence better surmised that than the lead-up to the DeJean pick-six that, looking back on it, sealed the game. Chiefs get the ball: first down sack, second down sack, third down a scared Mahomes scrambles, pick six. They beat the brakes off Mahomes.
He looked depleted and sad for the majority of the game as they repeatedly got pressure on what felt like every dropback; and were able to sack Mahomes 6 times. The most he had ever been sacked in his career. None better than the final Milton Williams strip sack where Jalen Carter absolutely pummeled Patrick Mahomes in the face. The constant pressure got to Mahomes and he began to fold, making countless bad decisions and coughing up 3 turnovers. Mahomes just became another victim to the best defense in football, but it was even more than that—this was utter dominance on a very rare scale.
The Chiefs Were No Match
The Chiefs weren’t even a challenge. They were the only team in 2024 to not make it to their opponent’s side of the field on their first 9 drives this season. They did not even make it past midfield until there was 2:30 left in the 3RD QUARTER. This game was 34-0 for a large majority of the game as the Chiefs finally got points on the board with a TD late in the 3rd quarter. The Chiefs were down 40-6 in the fourth quarter when the Eagles called off the dogs. Mahomes first TD pass wasn’t until there were 34 seconds left in the 3rd and by the time he threw his 3rd, Gatorade had already been dumped on Nick Siriani. While it would have been fun to continue to level Mahomes, putting the 2nd/3rd stringers in with over seven minutes left in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl might have been the biggest flex we have ever seen on this stage. Kenny Pickett led multiple drives for God’s sake.
To jump to the other side of the ball, offensively they cooked as well. The Chiefs made it clear that they would not let Saquon beat them and to their credit, they did do that. On 31 touches of the ball Saquon only had 97 yards and was specifically stuffed on the ground only averaging 2.28 yards a carry. Unfortunately, for the Chiefs, they did not have an answer for one Jalen Hurts and the passing game. Jalen carved them up. Despite throwing a pick, Jalen went 17/22 for 293 total yards and 3TDs, including the dagger to end all daggers with the 46-yard bomb to Devonta Smith that pushed the lead to 34-0 with 2:40 left in the 3rd Quarter.
Hurts and the Offense Deliver
Jalen’s running was incredible as he broke his own rushing record with dagger run after dagger run. By advanced metrics Jalen had one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time, just like last time, earning him Super Bowl 59 MVP. Using the stat EPA, Hurts now has the 3rd and 4th best performances in the Super Bowl of all time. Just like the defensive side, they took whatever they wanted. Only two quarterbacks in NFL history have led multiple teams to 35+ point performances in the Super Bowl: Joe Montana and Jalen Hurts. This Eagles team is one of only four teams in NFL history to win both the Conference Championship and the Super Bowl by 18+ points, joining the likes of the 1984 and 1989 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears. Their 145 points scored in the playoffs is the most in league history.
The Eagles stepped up in a gigantic way. So much so that I have seen multiple articles from other fan bases’ reporters, like the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams, trying to talk up how impressive their losses to the Eagles were. That is how good this Eagles team was. 14-3 in the regular season that would have been 16-1 without a dropped pass and Jalen injury. They then went 4-0 on one of the most impressive playoff runs in NFL history. Three out of the four playoff games were won by double digits with the NFC title game being won by 32 and Super Bowl being won by 18.
A New Era for the Eagles
They delivered one of the most stress-free playoffs we have ever seen outside of the 2008 Phillies and their 3 gentleman sweeps on the way to the World Series title or the 1983 Sixers going 12-1 on the way to the title. This was easily the best Eagles team we have ever seen, but the 2024 Eagles have entered the chat as one of the best football teams to ever step on the field. Every 10 minutes another stat emerges to reinforce this. This team was beyond special. They very well might be one of a kind. This franchise has entered a new era. Long gone are the “No Rings” jokes as the Eagles have now been to 3 Super Bowls in the last 8 years and won 2 of them. Also with how young this team is it is fair to say they could be a problem for years to come.
The Chiefs’ Legacy Takes a Hit
On the other side of the football field, this loss for the Chiefs permanently scars their legacy. For starters, Mahomes is long gone from the GOAT conversation, Brady and Montana never imploded on national TV and quit in their toughest moment. Mahomes wanted no part of that game midway through the second quarter. He played the worst game of his life by far in front of the largest viewing audience imaginable in the biggest game, Brady and Montana would never. His 11.4 QBR is one of the worst of all time, only compared with his other Super Bowl blowout loss. The Chiefs got whooped so badly that it casts a weird cloud over their previous Super Bowl Appearances.
Mahomes’ 3 wins include wins against mediocre QBs like Jimmy Garappolo and Brock Purdy. His win against the Eagles in 2022 is suspect now too as Jalen Hurts has massively outplayed him in both games. The field conditions during Super Bowl 57 were so bad they neutralized the Eagles’ best weapon, their pass rush, which you saw what that looked like under proper conditions on Sunday. Even then it took a flimsy pass interference call for the Chiefs to win. In their 5 Super Bowl appearances, the Mahomes Chiefs have a -23 point differential. Mahomes and the Chiefs now have 2 humiliating losses in the Super Bowl against Brady’s Bucs and this Eagles team. This game feels much worse though. The Superhuman Patrick Mahomes now feels like he was shot with kryptonite bullets. While they should be back, this type of loss could change the course of the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward.
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