Jalen Hurts’ three touchdowns and 221 passing yards led the Eagles to victory and Hurts to an MVP award.
The Philadelphia Eagles secured their second Super Bowl title with a dominant 40-22 victory, “dismantling” the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night.
Fans took to Broad Street, climbing street light poles, bus stops, stopping traffic, and requiring the fire department to put out a small fire near 12th and Market streets. Celebratory fireworks were also set off by fans close to Philadelphia City Hall. While Philadelphia gets a bad rap for hooliganism, only a few instances of minor vandalism occurred and were quickly dispersed by police.
The Eagles dictated the game’s pace from the outset, establishing a 24-0 lead by halftime. Quarterback Jalen Hurts delivered an exceptional performance, amassing 221 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and one rushing touchdown, earning him the Super Bowl MVP honors.
The Eagles’ defense was dominant, effectively neutralizing Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s squad sacked Mahomes a total of 6 times, without ever running a blitz package.
Among the defensive highlights is rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean intercepting a pass from Mahomes, returning it for a touchdown on DeJean’s 22nd birthday. Linebacker Zach Baun, a top free agent signing last offseason, iced the first half with less than two minutes to halftime with an interception, leading to a Hurts-to-AJ Brown touchdown three plays later.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was largely a non-factor in the game, with only 4 catches and 39 yards.
While star running back Saquon Barkley was a key factor in the Eagles’ impressive season, the Chiefs’ defense was able to neutralize him, limiting Barkley to only 57 yards. However, Barkley set the record for running yards in a season including playoffs. He also laid down several crucial blocks giving Hurts time to complete passes that would eventually set up points on the board.
The Birds’ star wide receivers shined, with Davonta Smith and AJ Brown both securing touchdown passes from Hurts. Hurts, for his part, becomes just the third quarterback in history to win both college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
This victory avenges the Eagles’ narrow loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII two years prior, preventing Kansas City from achieving an unprecedented third consecutive championship. That “three-peat” talk fueled the fire of Eagles defensive players according to veteran Brandon Graham, who is likely to retire after the Super Bowl win. While the final score was 40-22, the Chiefs scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with time dwindling and the Eagles’ backup defense on the field.
