The Philadelphia Eagles spoiled the potential Chiefs three-peat with a dominant show on the most important of phases to assert Superbowl LIX. The 40-22 scoreline doesn’t replicate the rampant nature of the Eagles in New Orleans on Sunday night time. It took two late fourth-quarter touchdowns from Mahomes to save lots of his crew from full embarrassment. However the story had already been written. And Eagles head coach Nick Sirriani had already obtained the standard Gatorade bathe, previous to the two-minute warning, which highlights the Eagles’ absolute dominance from the onset.
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It was an eye-opening spectacle for a large number of causes, primarily the way in which through which Andy Reid’s Chiefs had been blown away in each side of the sport, all hope of a 3rd consecutive championship destroyed. Arguably, the competition was over even earlier than Kendrick Lamar’s headline-grabbing halftime present. With the NFL world coming to phrases with what unfolded within the end result of the game’s 2024/25 season, it’s time to replicate and deconstruct simply how this recreation panned out, and a few wider ramifications for all concerned as we enter the lengthy offseason.
Let’s give the Eagles credit score the place it is because of begin off with. Jalen Hurts was unquestionably topped Superbowl MVP after he set a brand new document for many speeding yards by a quarterback within the massive recreation with 72 yards. He added a reliable and stress-free 221 passing yards and three whole touchdowns with solely 5 incompletions to spherical off his spectacular efficiency.
For those who had mentioned earlier than the sport that Barkley would rush for lower than 60 yards, most would have predicted a Chiefs victory. They stopped the run exceptionally nicely, holding the Eagles star to simply 57 on the bottom at 2.3 yards per try. His longest achieve was 10 yards, and but KC misplaced by 18.
Maybe the Chiefs spent an excessive amount of time prepping for the specter of Barkley and never sufficient in different areas. In spite of everything, you want efficacy in offence, defence and particular groups to win a hoop. Barkley, nonetheless, did nonetheless do sufficient to surpass Terrell Davis for many speeding yards in a single season together with the playoffs with 2504 yards. The plain asterisk being that there are extra video games within the fashionable NFL season however a extensively spectacular feat nonetheless.
Relating to the Superbowl as an anomaly, and Barkley’s season as a complete, it’s stark to see a crew that depends so closely on their RB1, one thing we’ve not seen within the NFL for many years with the trendy components being so pass-dominant. Following Barkley catalysing a league-wide renaissance on the place, will probably be intriguing to digress whether or not this might be a mannequin to comply with transferring ahead or only a mere outlier within the pattern.
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Philadelphia led 24-0 at halftime, the second greatest lead in SB historical past, solely behind the 35-10 benefit that the then Washington Redskins took into the half towards the Denver Broncos in Superbowl XXII. To bestow the whole supremacy of the Eagles, they outgained their opponents 179-23 in whole yards within the first half. The Birds had 62 speeding yards to Kansas’ three. Sure, three! And the almighty Chiefs had one first down, sure, one, in comparison with Philly’s 13. It was 34 zip to the Eagles earlier than the Chiefs even crossed midfield. It was a shock to the tens of millions of hardcore followers watching on, who had seen Mahomes be so environment friendly and so unrelenting for therefore lengthy.
Now, Mahomes was extraordinarily flustered in relation to his normal manufacturing ranges and simply all-around magician-esque brilliance. However his O-line did not become familiar with the ferociousness of the opposing D-line of the Eagles. Astoundingly, Vic Fangio blitzed zero instances all recreation, but they hit Mahomes eleven instances and sacked him six instances. The three-time Superbowl MVP’s three turnovers, two interceptions and a misplaced fumble had been essentially the most by the Chiefs within the playoffs since he turned the starter.
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Furthermore, their continued incapability to cease the Eagles’ go rush coincided with Mahomes holding onto the ball for longer. Traditionally, Mahomes, and the Chiefs offence for that matter, virtually at all times play higher when Mahomes removes the ball faster or scrambles.
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By means of three quarters on Sunday, Mahomes was, on common, holding the ball for 3.65 seconds after the snap, which is longer than he has achieved in all however one profession begin. That point-to-throw metric shrunk to three.30 seconds by the tip of the sport however means Kansas Metropolis at the moment are 6-12 when Mahomes has a median time-to-throw of three.23 seconds or longer. Because of rubbish time reconciliation when the competition was already over, the Chiefs decreased the general deficit within the field rating and the general rating.
After going 3-11 on third down, and having simply 12 first downs your complete recreation (the tenth fewest by a SB crew), Kansas Metropolis’s capitulation ended with them changing into the ninth back-to-back champs to fall wanting the elusive three-peat. It was the fourth playoff lack of Mahomes glittering seven-year profession up to now, however ostensibly his worst efficiency as usually the man you may depend on essentially the most when the event issues essentially the most.
Whereas your complete blame can’t be positioned on Mahomes’ shoulders, his no-show within the season finale definitely quietened the discuss of evaluating him to Tom Brady, who himself was within the sales space calling the sport for FOX.
FOX had the privilege of being the principle broadcaster for Superbowl LIX in New Orleans, and it was Brady’s first within the sales space in his maiden season as a color analyst. Nearly all of the discourse on Brady’s efficiency all season lengthy has been comparatively polarising. Together with his minority stake within the Raiders, it limits him on what he can and can’t say, which followers understandably discover irritating. He’s additionally not allowed in pre-production conferences with the groups attributable to his Las Vegas involvements which additional reduces his probability to discover a distinctive speaking level or perspective from the groups who’re taking part in the video games he’s calling.
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FOX are paying the seven-time champ $375 million to be part of their community. Nicely, Brady has an extended technique to go if he’s to win over the followers along with his commentary. The overall takes from Sunday of Brady’s calls had been that he mentioned a whole lot of what was occurring however not a whole lot of how or why. It serves to recommend that the perfect gamers within the recreation will not be at all times the perfect broadcasters.
Greg Olsen was ushered out of the principle analyst position at FOX with Brady’s arrival, despite the fact that Olsen has obtained a whole lot of optimistic regard from the media, followers and gamers. As a spectator, we don’t should be informed what’s going on, we will see it with our personal eyes, we want Brady to elicit evaluation that derives from his in-game experiences from his lengthy profession.
There may be clearly time for Brady to progress and be taught the commerce, with Fox undoubtedly backing him, however with how a lot they invested, there’s seemingly a magnitude of stress on him and FOX to not flop. FOX’s subsequent Superbowl name might be in 2029, so Brady has 4 years to good his craft and get one other go within the massive recreation.
After all, the general public opinion will differ from the printed’s opinion because the latter might be extra optimistic about their man, however Brady didn’t add sufficient perception to the sport, contemplating his illustrious profession below centre for the Patriots. This poses the query, would Olsen have been higher? We gained’t know the reply, we are going to simply have to invest. However the actuality is that the post-retirement sales space/proprietor model of Tom Brady is right here to remain.
Ultimately, the play on the sector is what issues most, and the Eagles definitely delivered that for his or her second Lombardi Trophy in eight seasons. With all of the criticism they’d obtained from across the league prior to now couple of seasons, this certain will silence the haters, and rightly so.
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The 18-point margin of victory is the primary Superbowl to be gained by a number of scores since Tampa Bay’s win over Kansas Metropolis 4 years in the past. Cooper Dejena’s pick-six on his twenty second birthday as a rookie nook epitomised the tenacity and playstyle of Fangio’s stellar defence. A real humiliation of among the finest NFL groups we’ve seen in latest historical past. All this discuss of dynasties and comparisons to the as soon as esteemed Patriots, however the Philadelphia Eagles tore up the script and created their very own.
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