February 11th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
Well, the Three-Peat wasn’t meant to be. From the beginning of the game, until the end, the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, one of the most impressive displays in recent Super Bowl memory. The Eagles victory was only the third victory in the last twenty years by more than 16 points.
There are many different ways to explain the dominance the Eagles displayed, but the final score was closer than the game ever was. Two Chiefs touchdowns in the last three minutes of the game, when they were already down 40-6, hardly caused a stir on the Eagles sideline. Backups finished the game while the starters soaked in the moment.
So what led to the domination for the Eagles?
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Time of Possession
All game long, the Eagles dominated the time of possession. Controlling the clock on offense was a key to success all season long. They won the time of possession battle in twelve of the seventeen games this season, and the Super Bowl was no different. The Eagles held the ball for 36:58 during the game, but not through their normal means. They only average 3.0 yards per rushing attempt, well below their season average. But the time spent on offense gave their time plenty of time to rest and recharge, which led to another area of domination.
Zero Blitzes, Six Sacks
One of the most absurd stats of the game was that the Eagles called their first blitz on the very final drive of the game. All game long, the Eagles defensive line was able to harass Patrick Mahomes to the tune of six sacks. Not only was this the most Mahomes has been sacked all season, it was the most he has been sacked in a single game in his career. He could never get comfortable in the pocket, and it led to errant passes even when he had time.
Pressure Leads To Turnovers
When Mahomes was worried about the pass rush, he was not able to dissect the secondary with his usual precision. Rather, the secondary picked him off twice, including the first ever pick-six for Mahomes in the playoffs. On top of interceptions, they also forced one strip-sack on a brutal third quarter hit where multiple defenders got their shot at Mahomes. Overall, this was only the second time this season that the Chiefs had three turnovers.
Eliminating Chiefs Playmakers
All game long, the Eagles eliminated Chiefs playmakers. The Chiefs were forced to be one-dimensional all game long, and it showed up in the box score. Running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for more than 1,000 yards during the regular season, but could only muster 16 against the Eagles on six rushes. Travis Kelce was held to zero catches in the first half - the first time that’s happened in his playoff career - and only four catches total. While two late scores gave the receivers a stat boost, it was far too little, far too late.
What’s next for the Eagles?
The Eagles success has attracted teams to Nick Sirianni's coaching staff, and this year was no different. It looks like offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will be hired by the New Orleans Saints as their new head coach, giving the Eagles their fourth offensive coordinator in the last four years. But Siriani isn’t going anywhere, and the Eagles look set up to compete for a while longer.