Caesars Superdome was buzzing ahead of the showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. This match was highly anticipated as both teams looked to seal a victory that would make them Super Bowl champions. The Superdome was filled and ready to host the 59th Super Bowl. In front of 100,000 fans, both teams got ready to face off and hope for a better matchup than their last Super Bowl meeting in 2023.
The game was set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, with the Eagles having won their last matchup against the Chiefs. Although, the Chiefs had won their last important meeting in Super Bowl 57. Both teams aimed to showcase their talent on the sport’s biggest stage, but all eyes were specifically on Philadelphia’s star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was expected to deliver a standout performance.
The Philadelphia Eagles started the game on offense, facing off against 13th ranked defense. After a series of plays that resulted in a tough situation on a key fourth-and-2, Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown for a 28-yard completion. However, a controversial offensive pass interference penalty wiped out the gain and forced the Eagles to punt the ball.
“I feel like this whole season the referees have favored the Chiefs in offensive and deffensive calls. There was a game early on against the Atlanta Falcons were a bad call won them the game. I think it is unfair for them to give them such an advantage considering they are already a good team,” sophomore Ryan Rodriguez said.
On the first drive, the Chiefs were looking extremely confident. Patrick Mahomes was able to connect with wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster for a eight yard air pass. The rest of the offense was able to carry Smith-Schuster for two yards, giving them an early first down. However, the number one ranked eagles defense proved to be strong for Mahomes and the rest of his offense. The next three plays went without gain, forcing the Chiefs to punt as well.
With the ball back on offense, the Eagles began their second possession on their own 31-yard line. Jalen Hurts led a 7-play, 69-yard drive, with significant completions to Dallas Goedert and Jahan Dotson. Although, Dotson’s reception was initially ruled a touchdown, it was overturned after further review and the ball was placed at the one yard line. Hurts was able to execute a successful quarterback sneak, which initiated the scoring for the game and gave the Eagles a lead early on.
“The first for the Eagles had a disappointing end, but this drive made up for it. It was so well played, and you could really see early on that the Eagles were in control of the game. Especially after the Chiefs had their first drive and it was not as good,” sophomore Christian Fiallo said.
The Chiefs, who fell behind early, managed some key plays but could not stop the Eagles offense or get past their defense. The first quarter ended with a 7-0 Eagles lead. The second quarter was the games turning point. After a 48-yard field goal scored by Jake Elliot and a series of punts by the Chiefs, the Eagles began to comfortably play out the game. The Chiefs began a succesful drive, hoping to get some points on the board and change the pace of the game. However, after a tough pass into double coverage, Eagles defender Cooper DeJean intercepted the pass and scored an 38-yard pick six. This play changed the momentum of the game and consequently caused the Chiefs to punt on their next possession, allowing the Eagles to score again. The score at half time was 24-0.
“I thought the Eagles were going to lead at half time but I did not think they were going to be winning by this much. The game at half time was extremely one sided. The Chiefs did not have a good drive and the Eagles were able to make every drive convert to at least three points which at the end of the day wins games,” freshman Bautista Cunningham said.
The second half started with the Eagles firmly in control. Their defense had been strong, and their offense was executing efficiently. Philadelphia wasted no time extending their lead, as Jake Elliott kicked a 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter, making it 27-0. This followed another touchdown on offense. Kansas City, desperate to get on the scoreboard, finally broke through late in the quarter. Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie Xavier Worthy for a 24-yard touchdown, giving the Chiefs their first points of the game. However, their two-point conversion attempt failed, keeping the score at 34-6.
“This pass was perfect. It was the first good play the Chiefs were able to do on offense and it is what they had done against every other team. It seemed like this time they came unprepared for the game,” freshman Luis Hernandez said.
With one quarter left to play, the Eagles continued to control the game, eating up valuable time on the clock. Their running game led by D’Andre Swift, drained the clock and set up another 48-yard field goal by Elliott, extending the lead to 37-6. On the next drive, another field goal was kicked and the scored by the Eagles.
The Chiefs, refusing to go down quietly, made one final attempt for the comeback. Mahomes led a quick drive, finding DeAndre Hopkins for a 7-yard touchdown. This time, the two-point conversion was successful, cutting the lead to 40-14. On their next possession, Mahomes connected with Worthy for a deep 50-yard touchdown, followed by a two-point pass to Hopkins, bringing the final score to 40-22. Even though the momentum was high for the Chiefs at the end, the Eagles were able to solidify their place as Super Bowl Champions.
