Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defence denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Kansas Metropolis a Tremendous Bowl three-peat.
It wasn’t even shut.
DeJean obtained a pick-6 on his twenty second birthday, Sweat tormented Mahomes and the Eagles routed Kansas Metropolis 40-22 on Sunday to safe the franchise’s second Tremendous Bowl championship.
Jalen Hurts threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for a rating on a tush push to earn Tremendous Bowl MVP honors, and Vic Fangio’s defence was so dominant that the Eagles did not want a lot from Saquon Barkley.
The sport-changing operating again completed with 57 yards, breaking Terrell Davis’s file for yards speeding in a season, playoffs included. Hurts threw for 221 yards.
“That is the last word workforce recreation. You may’t be nice with out the greatness of others. Nice efficiency by all people — offence, defence, particular groups,” coach Nick Sirianni stated. “We did not actually ever care what anybody thought of how we received, or their opinions. All we need to do is win.”
With Donald Trump changing into the primary president in workplace to attend a Tremendous Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas Metropolis in each aspect, delighting a raucous pro-Philly crowd that celebrated every rating with a well-recognized rendition of “Fly! Eagles! Fly!”
Even Taylor Swift’s presence could not assist Kansas Metropolis. They misplaced for the primary time in 10 video games this season with the pop celebrity in a collection watching boyfriend Travis Kelce, who did not catch a go till late within the third quarter.
Not in Kansas Metropolis’s worst nightmares may its followers have imagined such a lacklustre efficiency. Kansas Metropolis had received three of the earlier 5 Tremendous Bowls, shedding 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 years in the past.
The Eagles sacked Mahomes six instances, essentially the most of his profession, together with 2 1/2 by Sweat. They usually did it with out Fangio calling a single blitz.
“Defence wins championships,” Hurts stated. “We noticed how they performed at this time. We noticed the distinction they made within the recreation. They gave us alternatives, gave us brief fields. And we’re in a position to do what we do.”
Barkley, the 2024 AP NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr, solely had 31 yards speeding within the first half when Philly constructed a 24-0 lead.
Kansas Metropolis was aiming to grow to be the third workforce in NFL historical past to win three straight championships and the primary to three-peat within the Tremendous Bowl period.
No Mahomes magic this time
Hurts almost led the Eagles to victory towards Kansas Metropolis two years in the past in Arizona, however Mahomes led a comeback and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning area objective within the last minute for a 38-35 victory. Mahomes rallied Kansas Metropolis to an additional time victory over San Francisco final 12 months for Kansas Metropolis’s second straight title.
This time, a revamped Philly defence that includes eight new starters from the 2022 workforce made positive Mahomes had no probability to tug off his magic.
Sirianni, who mocked followers chanting “Hearth Nick!” throughout a victory over Cleveland in October and was referred to as a “clown” on nationwide tv, ought to lastly silence critics by including a championship ring to a resume that features the fifth-best profitable share in league historical past.
Sirianni was showered with Gatorade with almost three minutes left within the recreation whereas backup QB Kenny Pickett took snaps in mop-up obligation.
Barkley helped push Hurts into the tip zone from the 1 to offer Philadelphia a 7-0 lead within the first quarter.
Up 10-0 after Jake Elliott’s 48-yard area objective, Sweat and Jalyx Hunt sacked Mahomes on consecutive performs. Mahomes then rolled out and made an errant throw that was picked by DeJean, who returned it 38 yards for a 17-0 lead.
It was Mahomes’ first pick-6 in 21 profession playoff video games and ended a streak of 297 straight passes with out an interception.
All-Professional linebacker Zack Baun picked Mahomes once more late within the second quarter, and Hurts linked with A.J. Brown on a 12-yard TD go for a 24-0 lead.
Hurts threw an ideal 46-yard TD go to DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0 late within the third.
Mahomes fired a 24-yard TD go to Xavier Worthy to keep away from the shutout, however the 2-point conversion failed. He threw two late, largely meaningless TD passes, one to DeAndre Hopkins and one other to Worthy.
After two weeks of discussions about questionable calls that led to public notion that officers favour Kansas Metropolis — a idea NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell referred to as “ridiculous” — the primary penalty of the sport solely fuelled critics.
On the subsequent possession, the Eagles benefited from an pointless roughness penalty on McDuffie towards Dallas Goedert following an incomplete go on third-and-5.
Hurts then linked with Jahan Dotson on a 27-yard go to the 1 and scored on the subsequent play.
Hurts’ streak of 217 passes with out a choose ended within the first half when he was intercepted deep in Kansas Metropolis territory, however Kansas Metropolis did not capitalize.
The Inexperienced Bay Packers are the one NFL workforce to win three championships in a row, doing it from 1929-31 and 1965-67.
The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neill, are the final workforce within the main American skilled leagues to win three straight titles.
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