NFL

Super Bowl LIX Fans React To Philadelphia Eagles’ Dominating ‘D’ Denying Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

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By
Jeff Hawkins
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Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

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Sports Editor

Published09 Feb 2025

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Every year, the NFL team that wins the Super Bowl hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy. So why is the Super Bowl trophy named after Lombardi?

On their first opening second-half drive, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes absorbed two sacks and were forced to punt after earning their second first down of Super Bowl LIX. 

The offensive inconsistency Sunday night followed a first half in which the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense constantly harassed Mahomes. The first NFL player to compile three Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards before the age of 30, Mahomes suffered six sacks and two interceptions as the Chiefs’ quest to become the league’s team to capture three consecutive league championships was crushed over the opening 30 minutes at Caesars Superdome. 

The Eagles cruised to a big halftime lead and maintained the momentum, earning a 40-22 victory to put a dent in the Chiefs’ dynasty. 

Since 2018, Mahomes guided the Chiefs to 107 regular-season wins and 17 postseason victories, the most for any NFL team during that span. A seven-year starter, Mahomes made his fifth Super Bowl start. 

He didn’t do much. 

On 20 first-half plays, the Chiefs compiled 23 total yards. Eleven of those yards came on their first snap, a reception by JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

In a rematch from the 2023 league title game, the Eagles allowed a 10-point lead to evaporate to the Chiefs, who have rallied from double-digit deficits in their three Super Bowl wins with Mahomes at the helm. 

Not Sunday. 

X (Twitter) users responded to the Eagles’ defense dominating Mahomes and company … 

Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins enjoyed a special pregame entry … 

Super Bowl scene … 

All memes are not true, right? … 

Well, it took only six plays before an official drew criticism for calling offensive interference on the Eagles’ fourth-down pass, negating AJ Brown’s 32-yard reception … 

Behind the tallest and heaviest offensive line in Super Bowl history, quarterback Jalen Hurts opened the scoring Sunday on a 1-yard “tush push.” The Eagles’ starting OL averaged 6-foot-6, 338 pounds. Compared to Super Bow I, the Green Bay Packers’ front averaged 6-3, 245 pounds … 

The Tush Push is inevitable.Jalen Hurts (+650) cashes in the first TD of #SBLIX H/T BetMGM

— The Athletic (@theathletic.bsky.social) 2025-02-10T00:15:12.244Z

After the Chiefs’ offense compiled just 19 first-quarter yards, defensive back Bryan Cook intercepted a Hurts pass and gave the ball back to Mahomes. Mahomes and the Chiefs remained stalled, going three-and-out … 

Jake Elliott provided the Eagles with a two-score lead on a 48-yard field goal. Initially, it was going to be a 43-yarder, but officials again created controversy. On a pre-snap move, a Chiefs player appeared to flinch and would have presented the Eagles with a first down. Instead, the call went against the Eagles and they were forced to kick it … 

Cooper DeJean, a rookie who turned 22 Sunday, became the second player in NFL title game history to score on his birthday, joining Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren in 1947. Cooper’s 38-yard interception return gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead with 7:03 left in the first half … 

Taking possession with 1:49 left in the second quarter, the Chiefs compiled just 14 offensive yards and tight end Travis Kelce had zero catches on three targets. On the first play of the drive, Mahomes’ struggles continued. He threw his second interception, this one by a diving Zach Baun … 

 Brown’s TD catch provided the Eagles with the second-biggest halftime lead in Super Bowl history, one point behind the Washington Redskins’ 25-point lead over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXII …

AJ Brown gets the TD and it's 24-zip, Eagles

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) 2025-02-10T01:09:27.696Z

On his birthday, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley established an NFL rushing record. Combining the regular season and the playoffs, Barkley amassed 2,504 yards, snapping Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis mark of 2,476 combined rushing yards in 1998. Davis earned a Super Bowl XXXIII ring. Barkley broke the record on the final play of the second half …

The first half went so poorly for the Chiefs, even pop star Taylor Swift earned boos …

Up 27-0 after Elliott’s second-half opening field goal, the Eagles regained possession and most NFL insiders predicted they would run the ball, especially with record-setting Barkley in the backfield. They were wrong. On the first play, Hurts hit Devonta Smith for a 46-yard TD pass …  

Mahomes still has not shut out through three quarters in his NFL career. To preserve the mark, he hit rookie Xavier Worthy for a 24-yard TD pass, snapping the Eagles’ shutout bid … 

 Who said Elliott, who went 4-for-4 Sunday, did not have the Eagles’ trust? …

Hopkins’ father would have been proud. The Chiefs didn’t quit …

Worthy again, but much too little, much too late …

The Eagles compiled six sacks, one off the Super Bowl record, with just a four-man rush. They did not blitz one time …

Final score: Eagles 40, Chiefs 22 …

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Author photo
Jeff Hawkins
Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

Get to know Jeff Hawkins better
Author photo
Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

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