Tremendous Bowl LIX Takeaways: Eagles defence shines in beautiful beatdown of Chiefs

Grease up the sunshine poles on Broad Road, it is time to social gathering in Philadelphia.

In one of the surprising Tremendous Bowl outcomes in historical past, the Philadelphia Eagles walloped the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 40-22 in Tremendous Bowl LIX and stopped the primary three-peat in NFL historical past in its tracks.

It is the second Tremendous Bowl championship in Eagles franchise historical past and their second towards one of many biggest quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.

Philadelphia and Nick Foles shocked Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2018, however what they did Sunday night time was much more spectacular.

The Eagles got here into the Tremendous Bowl with the extra proficient roster top-to-bottom, there was no questioning that. However as we have seen so many instances earlier than, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, and that often was sufficient to beat any type of expertise hole.

Mahomes had one of many worst video games in his profession, and the Eagles utterly dominated all three phases in a recreation that was by no means even shut.

“Credit score to the Eagles, man. They performed higher than us from begin to end,” Mahomes mentioned after the sport.

It is some candy payback for the Eagles, because the Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat started by beating Philadelphia two years in the past in Tremendous Bowl LVII.

However after an absolute beatdown on the bayou, it is now the Eagles’ flip to spend a summer time with the Lombardi Trophy in tow.

Listed below are some takeaways from the Eagles’ dismantling of the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LIX.

Eagles’ entrance 4 dominates

It isn’t hyperbole to say what the Philadelphia defence did on Sunday was one of many biggest Tremendous Bowl performances by a single unit in NFL historical past.

The Eagles’ defence compelled Mahomes into three turnovers (one for a TD), sacked him six instances and made the three-time Tremendous Bowl champ look downright uncomfortable proper from the opening snap.

It was all eerily much like the final time the Chiefs misplaced within the Tremendous Bowl to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tremendous Bowl LV.

Within the first half of the sport that noticed the Eagles dash out to a 24-0 lead and by no means look again, Mahomes was pressured on 47.9 per cent of his cross makes an attempt whereas solely finishing 42.9 per cent of his passes, per Subsequent Gen Stats. Mahomes additionally completed with the second-worst anticipated factors added per dropback in his complete profession, which in all probability would’ve been his worst if not for a number of garbage-time TDs late within the second half.

What makes the efficiency by the Eagles D much more spectacular, is that they did all of it with out sending a single blitz all night time.

The Eagles’ proficient group of cross rushers was persistently within the backfield regardless of solely speeding 4. It is solely the fourth time a crew has not blitzed as soon as within the Subsequent Gen Stats period.

“While you’re profitable with the four-man rush and you may simply cycle guys by means of they usually’re nonetheless profitable, you don’t need to blitz,” Eagles LB Zack Baun mentioned after the win. “Nice recreation plan, nice communication. We have been all on the identical web page all recreation.”

Even the nice Andy Reid, who’s extensively revered for his capacity to make savvy in-game changes, had no reply for Vic Fangio’s defence on Sunday.

“Defence wins championships,” Eagles QB Jalen Hurts advised Fox‘s Erin Andrews on the sector instantly after the win.

The Eagles have been higher in each single manner that mattered Sunday, however it was their defensive position that paved the best way.

Hurts reveals up when it issues most

It is time to put respect on Jalen Hurts’ title.

In spite of everything, we aren’t that far faraway from this Eagles crew being the centre of drama surrounding their passing assault.

Largely as a result of greatness of Saquon Barkley, who set the single-season speeding document for yards in a single season (regular-season and post-season mixed) on Sunday, Hurts’ stats this 12 months by no means wowed anybody.

There have been even stories of drama within the Eagles’ locker room due to a scarcity of aerial risk.

My how foolish that each one appears to be like now.

Successful fixes all the pieces, and Hurts led his crew to the most important win of all of them.

Oh, did we point out he was additionally named Tremendous Bowl LIX MVP for his efficiency on Sunday? Hurts completed the sport 17-of-22 for 221 yards and two touchdowns whereas additionally main the crew in speeding with 72 yards and a rating — probably the most speeding yards by a QB within the Tremendous Bowl in NFL historical past.

Possibly the one factor the Chiefs can hold their hat on is that they have been one way or the other in a position to comprise Barkley on Sunday. The Eagles MVP candidate completed with simply 57 yards speeding on 25 makes an attempt.

However with Kansas Metropolis keying on Barkley, there have been holes for Hurts to benefit from, and he did simply that.

Nobody will keep in mind the truth that the Eagles had the Twenty ninth-ranked passing offence this season.

The one factor that might be remembered is the banner that is going to be raised at Lincoln Monetary Discipline in September, and that factor will hold eternally.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman vindicated

The Eagles’ loss to the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl two years in the past hit all of them exhausting.

Hurts made an image of the pink and yellow confetti on his cellphone background for the previous two years to make use of as motivation.

However the loss may not have hit anybody tougher than Eagles normal supervisor Howie Roseman.

Roseman went on document and mentioned that the Chiefs have “been in his head” ever for the reason that loss.

He was motivated to construct a crew that might “beat one of the best,” and now it is his squad that’s the new league commonplace

After a disappointing finish to final season, Roseman went to work within the low season.

The signing of Barkley was arguably one of the best transfer of your complete summer time. He introduced within the veteran linebacker Baun, who turned himself right into a Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate beneath Fangio. He put an exclamation level within the Tremendous Bowl, main the crew in tackles, and had an interception Sunday.

Roseman additionally nailed the draft, bringing in proficient rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the latter who saved the primary interception of his profession for a pick-six of Mahomes on the most important stage.

You possibly can’t win Tremendous Bowl MVP in case you do not step on the sector, however in case you might, Roseman would’ve actually deserved some consideration.

Chiefs get a dose of their very own medication

By means of their three Tremendous Bowl victories in 5 years, what made this Chiefs crew so particular was their capacity to all the time save their greatest for the most important moments.

They did not make massive errors, and all the time took benefit of errors from the opposing squads.

However on Sunday, it was the exact opposite story.

It was Mahomes who made the back-breaking errors. It was the Chiefs who took the drive-killing penalties.

And sure, the Eagles deserve a ton of credit score for the way they performed on each side of the ball to make that occur.

However it was in all probability probably the most uncharacteristically sloppy recreation from the Chiefs that we have seen in years, possibly ever.

Does it make it sting rather less that they’ll nonetheless say they gained two of the final three? Mahomes would not appear to suppose so.

“It is the worst feeling on this planet,” Mahomes mentioned after the loss. “…(The Tremendous Bowl losses) damage greater than the wins really feel good.”

The place do Chiefs go from right here?

It was a humbling night time for the Chiefs.

However no matter how you are feeling about Mahomes, we have discovered time and time once more it is fallacious to ever assume he is ever down and out.

Nevertheless, not like the final two years, the Chiefs now head into the low season with a ton of query marks.

Legendary tight finish Travis Kelce was largely stored in test on Sunday and completed with simply 4 catches for 39 yards. Kelce mentioned earlier than the Tremendous Bowl that he had no plans to retire, however might a beatdown like Sunday change his thoughts?

“He’ll get to spend a while along with his household and make that call on his personal,” Mahomes mentioned when requested about the way forward for his future Corridor of Fame TE.

In some excellent news for the Chiefs, they get their No. 1 WR again subsequent season when Rashee Rice returns from a season-ending knee damage he suffered in Week 4.

However getting to at least one Tremendous Bowl is difficult sufficient, and the Chiefs will now look to change into simply the second crew in historical past to make it to 4 straight.

Will being on the precipice of historical past and falling quick be the final time we see the Chiefs within the massive recreation?

Not if Mahomes has something to say about it.

“I let y’all down in the present day. I’ll all the time proceed to work and attempt to be taught and be higher for it,” Mahomes posted on his private X account. “…We might be again.”