By Brandon Simmons
In Super Bowl LVII, the Philadelphia Eagles got beat by the Kansas City Chiefs, but in Super Bowl LIX. They got their revenge. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22 in a game that wasn’t even as close to what the score indicates. The Philadelphia Eagles defense wreaked havoc generating 6 sacks and 2 picks, which included a pick 6. Offensively, the Philly was just as good. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts – who won Super Bowl MVP – threw for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns, each one going to Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Chiefs’ stat line may look a little more polished than what they put out on the field. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns but had 2 interceptions. Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy had 8 catches for 157 yards.
The Kansas City Chiefs looked nothing like their previous Super Bowl trips. Through 3 quarters, this team was shut out in the 1st half and didn’t score until late in the 3rd quarter. The biggest detriment to their success was the offensive line. Mahomes was sacked 6 times in this game, failing to connect to build connections with his playmakers, including Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who had 0 catches in the first half. In addition to the passing game, the running game was even worse. Mahomes was the only Chiefs player with a rushing attempt that finished the game with double digit rushing yards; everyone else was single digit total, with Chiefs running back Kreem Hunt leading the group with 9 yards.
However, the Philadelphia Eagles showed up to this game to play and did just that, mainly with their defense. It started when the team jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Then Eagles defensive linemen Jalyx Hunt and Josh Sweat got back to back sacks, which was followed up by a pick 6 from rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean. The following possession, Philly defensive end Milton Williams got a sack on a 3rd down that forced a 3 and out. On the next defensive possession, Eagles linebacker Zach Baun gets a pick, with the help of Sweat who drove an offensive lineman into Mahomes and affected his throw. Sweat was also part of back to back sacks at the top of the 3rd quarter with Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
The Philadelphia Eagles won this game with what got them here this postseason and that is through the defense. This Eagles defense has been performing exceptionally and really put on a show tonight. They held one of the best QB’s in the league in check, so much so to the point that it almost looked like a shutout. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has a reputation for being a strong defensive mind but this might be one of his best efforts. He was able to get 6 sacks without even blitzing. That is a crazy accomplishment, especially when it’s against a QB such as Mahomes, who is approaching the all time great stratosphere. With the Eagles defense, the offense didn’t have to worry too much about anything. Philly running back Saquon Barkley was relatively quiet and was the second leading rusher behind Hurts. The Philadelphia Eagles were the better team and proved that in a major demonstrative way with their defense.
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