If you have any form of technology, you probably know that the Kansas City Chiefs recently got steamrolled by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, with a final score of 40-22. Wait! Don’t click away just yet, non-football fans. This can be a quick and engaging learning opportunity. And yes, I promise some Taylor Swift/pop culture references will be made — just keep reading.
The first points of the game went to the Eagles, who wasted no time, scoring on just the second drive of the game. It came when Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ star quarterback, found wide receiver Jahan Dotson and threw for 27 yards, exploiting the AFC champions’ defense. At first, this catch was called a touchdown, but it was overturned at the one-yard line. No worries, the classic “tush push” prevailed, giving the Eagles their first six points. Yes, the “tush push,” also called the “brotherly shove,” if you prefer, is exactly what it sounds like. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley explained his role in the play to “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, cracking him up.
Now, back to business: In the second quarter, following a field goal, Cooper DeJean, one of two Eagles players celebrating a birthday, was definitely feelin’ 22 after making a fearless pick-six. See what I did there? The Eagles scored again, extending their lead to 17-0. You may be asking, what on earth is a pick-six? Simply put, a pick-six is when a defender intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown. So, a great play for the defense, but a pretty bad one for the offense and QB. This play changes the momentum of the game and allows for points to be scored without a team’s offensive players even being on the field. This marked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ fifth career pick-six since 2017, so it’s a rare sight, but certainly impressive for the Eagles.
The Eagles’ defense was on fire; in the first half, the Eagles’ d-line held the Chiefs to only one first down and 23 total yards. According to Fox Sports, the only team with fewer yards in the first half of a Super Bowl was the 1985 Patriots. Yikes! Sorry, Pats fans.
It was pretty clear that the Eagles had dominated that first half, and Chiefs fans were hoping for the momentum to switch after an exhilarating Kendrick Lamar half-time performance. Spoiler alert: it did not.
Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith’s ridiculous 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter sucked the life out of the Chiefs, resulting in a 34-0 lead. By then, hope was dwindling for Kansas City. For those conspiracy theorists who claimed that the NFL is rigged and had planned a win for the Chiefs (like me), there were crickets. I’m just happy I didn’t place any bets!
Kansas City’s big-time tight end, more commonly known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, completed his first pass of the game with 3:27 left in the third quarter. This was definitely not the performance he was hoping for. No Grammy win for Taylor, and now no Super Bowl ring for Travis; sounds like a rough week for the pair.
The first points on the board for Kansas City came with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. A cross-body throw downfield to 21-year-old wide receiver Xavier Worthy ignited a flicker of hope. However, their failed two-point conversion attempt right after was another punch in the gut for the team.
Approaching the fourth quarter, it became too late for a comeback. An Eagles 48-yard field goal in the fourth expanded the score to an appalling 37-6. There was no room left for error for Mahomes…and there was a lot more error to come.
A Mahomes strip-sack in the fourth led to a turnover as the Eagles’ defense recovered the ball, thanks to defensive tackle Milton Williams. Another 3 points came from that, bringing the score to 40-6. I wouldn’t blame Kansas City fans for shutting off the TV at this point.
Two more late Chiefs touchdowns, each with two-point conversions, added 16 to the board, but it was just not enough. The Vince Lombardi trophy belonged to The Philadelphia Eagles.
The pressured Mahomes finished 21-for-32, with 257 passing yards totaling three touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble.
Mahomes normally flies around the d-line with impressive speed, but those who tuned in did not see that Mahomes on Sunday night. The Eagles’ defense made him look mortal, shutting him down time and time again. He was sacked six times, the most the QB has taken in any game of his career, regular season or playoffs.
On the flip side, Jalen Hurts played phenomenally. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, going 17-for-22 with 221 passing yards. He had two touchdowns, one interception and rushed for 72 yards.
On the biggest stage, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs choked. Maybe it was just a bad night for Mahomes. Maybe the Eagles were just the better team. Or maybe, it was because of this Eagles fan who performed witchcraft in the stands. Regardless, as the clock ran out, it rained green, black and white confetti in New Orleans. Hurts and the Eagles slammed the door shut on the Chiefs’ chance for a historical three-peat dream.
See? That wasn’t so boring, non-football fans. Right…?