Well, another year, another Chiefs vict— WAIT! No. This can’t be right! Check the score again. Yep, it’s real. For the first time in what feels like forever, The Kansas City Chiefs have lost a Super Bowl.
Since beating the Eagles in the Super Bowl two years ago, the Chiefs have waltzed their way back to two more Super Bowls, winning last year against the San Francisco 49ers and returning again this season with the opportunity to three-peat for the first time in NFL history. Unfortunately for them, the Philadelphia Eagles, seeking revenge for their loss two years ago, had a little something to say about that.
In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, a lot of the discourse was about the legacy of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and how his resume stacks up against that of current-GOAT Tom Brady. In his seven seasons as a starter, Mahomes has made seven AFC Championship games and five Super Bowls, winning three of them. With a three-peat, Mahomes would be, in the eyes of many fans, the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.
With all the attention on Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Eagles became a bit underrated. Throughout the season, the Eagles were one of the most balanced and skilled teams in the league. Their offense is pristine from top to bottom, with an excellent offensive line, top-tier wideouts in A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, and the Offensive Player of the Year in running back Saquon Barkley. Their defense, led by defensive mastermind Vic Fangio, was the best in the league. Despite going 14-3 in the regular season and dominating the NFC playoffs, the Eagles went into the game as underdogs, with many pundits and analysts claiming that they—specifically Hurts—did not have what it takes to beat Mahomes and the Chiefs. It did not take long for all of the Eagles’ doubters to be proven definitively wrong.
That’s not to say that the Chiefs were overrated—not at all. The two-time defending champions had the best record in the league at 15-2, winning close game after close game to the point where it felt like the only way they could lose was through a blowout—something that they had not suffered in years.
Thankfully for the Eagles, the game was never close at all.
The game started slow, each team feeling the other one out. A deep ball by Hurts set up an easy quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line to open up the scoring, and then a field goal from Jake Elliott in the second quarter extended the Eagles’ lead to 10 points. So far, this was nothing new; Mahomes had been down by 10 points in each of his three Super Bowl wins, coming back every single time.
However, everything changed when Mahomes threw an interception to Eagles’ defensive back Cooper DeJean (celebrating 22nd birthday!), who returned the pick for a touchdown. Down 17, the Chiefs offense looked unusually flustered, taking sack after sack and being unable to move the ball. After another awful interception by Mahomes inside his own red zone, followed immediately by an A.J. Brown touchdown, the game seemed over. It was 24-0 at halftime.
In all the years of the Chiefs’ dynasty, they had never had such a meltdown, making this game an absolute shock. Adding to the surprise was the fact that the Chiefs’ defense, led by Steve Spagnuolo, had actually done an excellent job of defending the Eagles’ main weapon, Saquon Barkley, who was a non-factor throughout the half. For once, it was the Chiefs offense that was failing them. And against all odds, it was Hurts, thought by many to be the Eagles’ weak link, who was capitalizing on their failure.
I cannot continue without mentioning this year’s halftime show, headlined by 22-time Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar. The show opened with actor Samuel L. Jackson introducing the show as “Uncle Sam” and serving as the narrator throughout the performance. Lamar performed hits such as “Humble,” as well as songs from his latest album “GNX,” like “Squabble Up.” He ended the show with his diss track “Not Like Us,” which was written during his widely publicized rap beef with Drake. Tennis legend Serena Williams, an ex-girlfriend of Drake’s, made a surprise appearance during the song, after which the lights went out to reveal the words “Game Over” written in the stands. Well played, Kendrick, well played.
At halftime, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked what he had to change. His answer? “Everything.” I must confess: coming out of halftime, I had flashbacks to the 2017 Super Bowl, when Tom Brady led a 25-point comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, winning his fifth championship with the New England Patriots. It seemed only natural that his successor would follow in his footsteps, making a 24-point comeback in the Super Bowl to win the first three-peat in history.
Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, this was not to be. The Eagles continued to dominate both sides of the ball, extending their lead to 27-0 with another field goal and then sealing the win with a 46-yard dime from Hurts to Devonta Smith to put them up 34-0. It turns out that it was Hurts, not Mahomes, who would have his career-defining moment.
At 40-6 with four minutes left in the game, Eagles fans were already celebrating, and Gatorade was being prepared to dunk on head coach Nick Sirianni. After a couple of garbage-time touchdowns from the Chiefs, the game ended 40-22, and Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP.
So, where do we go from here?
Jalen Hurts, with two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl MVP at only 26 years old, has solidified his place as one of the top five quarterbacks in the league alongside Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow. His story is one for the history books. From being benched as the starter for Alabama in the 2017 college national championship game to defeating Mahomes in the Super Bowl, he has always defied the odds and proven himself in high-pressure situations. “He got benched in a f*cking national championship, and now he’s gonna be Super Bowl MVP,” said Lily Saal (Form VI). “Oh, how I love it!”
Mahomes, on the other hand, while still undoubtedly the best quarterback in the NFL and one of the two best of all time, seems less and less likely to surpass the legacy of Tom Brady. Even if he were to match Brady’s seven Super Bowls, he would still have to reckon with his loss to Brady in the 2020 Super Bowl, as well as two blowout losses on the biggest stage. Of course, one thing we’ve learned from the past few years is to never doubt this Chiefs team—they are one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports and will surely be back next season with another chance to win the championship. You can’t win ‘em all!
Congratulations to the Eagles and their fans!
