NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) — Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat, and the fierce Philadelphia Eagles defense prevented Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs from achieving a Super Bowl three-peat.
It wasn’t even close.
DeJean recorded a pick-six on his 22nd birthday, Sweat harassed Mahomes, and the Eagles crushed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl title in club history.
Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score on a “tush push,” and Vic Fangio’s defense was so dominant that the Eagles barely needed much from Saquon Barkley.
The back who had been turning games with his dominant performances finished with 57 rushing yards, and he broke Terrell Davis’s single-season rushing record, including the playoffs. Hurts threw for 221 yards.
With Donald Trump becoming the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas City in every facet, delighting a loudly pro-Philadelphia crowd that celebrated each score with a familiar chant of “Fly! Eagles! Fly!”
Not even Taylor Swift’s presence could help the Chiefs. They suffered their first loss in ten games this season with the pop star in a suite watching her boyfriend Travis Kelce, who did not catch a pass until well into the third quarter.
Not even Kansas City’s worst nightmares could have imagined a performance so mediocre. The Chiefs had won three of the last five Super Bowls, losing 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four years earlier.
Mahomes had an 8-0 record against Fangio’s defenses before the veteran coordinator and former Broncos head coach outsmarted Andy Reid, capping his first season with his hometown club. Reid dropped to 3-3 in Super Bowls, including a loss with the Eagles.
The Eagles pressured Mahomes six times, the most in his career, including two and a half by Sweat. And they did it without Fangio calling a single blitz.
Barkley, the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year for 2024, had only 31 rushing yards in the first half as Philadelphia built a 24-0 edge.
The Chiefs had hoped to become the third team in NFL history to win three straight championships and the first to do so in the Super Bowl era.
Hurts nearly guided the Eagles to victory over the Chiefs two years ago in Arizona, but Mahomes led a comeback and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal in the final minute for a 38-35 win. Mahomes led Kansas City to an overtime victory over San Francisco last year for the Chiefs’ second straight title.
This time, a retooled Philadelphia defense, with eight new starters from the 2022 squad, made sure Mahomes didn’t get a chance to work his magic.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who mocked fans singing “Fire Nick!” during a win over Cleveland in October and was called a “clown” on national television, should finally silence the critics by adding a championship ring to a résumé that includes the fifth-best winning percentage in league history.
Sirianni was doused with Gatorade with just under three minutes left in the game as backup quarterback Kenny Pickett took the reins in the final plays.
Super Bowl Champions
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 2025 — Philadelphia (NFC) 40, Kansas City (AFC) 22
2024 — Kansas City (AFC) 25, San Francisco (NFC) 22, overtime
2023 — Kansas City (AFC) 38, Philadelphia (NFC) 35
2022 — Los Angeles Rams (NFC) 23, Cincinnati (AFC) 20
2021 — Tampa Bay (NFC) 31, Kansas City (AFC) 9
2020 — Kansas City (AFC) 31, San Francisco (NFC) 20
2019 — New England (AFC) 13, Los Angeles Rams (NFC) 3
2018 — Philadelphia (NFC) 41, New England (AFC) 33
2017 — New England (AFC) 34, Atlanta (NFC) 28, OT
2016 — Denver (AFC) 24, Carolina (NFC) 10
2015 — New England (AFC) 28, Seattle (NFC) 24
2014 — Seattle (NFC) 43, Denver (AFC) 8
2013 — Baltimore (AFC) 34, San Francisco (NFC) 31
2012 — New York Giants (NFC) 21, New England (AFC) 17
2011 — Green Bay (NFC) 31, Pittsburgh (AFC) 25
2010 — New Orleans (NFC) 31, Indianapolis (AFC) 17
2009 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 27, Arizona (NFC) 23
2008 — New York Giants (NFC) 17, New England (AFC) 14
2007 — Indianapolis (AFC) 29, Chicago (NFC) 17
2006 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Seattle (NFC) 10
2005 — New England (AFC) 24, Philadelphia (NFC) 21
2004 — New England (AFC) 32, Carolina (NFC) 29
2003 — Tampa Bay (NFC) 48, Oakland (AFC) 21
2002 — New England (AFC) 20, St. Louis (NFC) 17
2001 — Baltimore Ravens (AFC) 34, N.Y. Giants (NFC) 7
2000 — St. Louis Rams (NFC) 23, Tennessee (AFC) 16
1999 — Denver (AFC) 34, Atlanta (NFC) 19
1998 — Denver (AFC) 31, Green Bay (NFC) 24
1997 — Green Bay (NFC) 35, New England (AFC) 21
1996 — Dallas (NFC) 27, Pittsburgh (AFC) 17
1995 — San Francisco (NFC) 49, San Diego (AFC) 26
1994 — Dallas (NFC) 30, Buffalo (AFC) 13
1993 — Dallas (NFC) 52, Buffalo (AFC) 17
1992 — Washington (NFC) 37, Buffalo (AFC) 24
1991 — N.Y. Giants (NFC) 20, Buffalo (AFC) 19
1990 — San Francisco (NFC) 55, Denver (AFC) 10
1989 — San Francisco (NFC) 20, Cincinnati (AFC) 16
1988 — Washington (NFC) 42, Denver (AFC) 10
1987 — N.Y. Giants (NFC) 39, Denver (AFC) 20
1986 — Chicago (NFC) 46, New England (AFC) 10
1985 — San Francisco (NFC) 38, Miami (AFC) 16
1984 — Los Angeles Raiders (AFC) 38, Washington (NFC) 9
1983 — Washington (NFC) 27, Miami (AFC) 17
1982 — San Francisco (NFC) 26, Cincinnati (AFC) 21
1981 — Oakland (AFC) 27, Philadelphia (NFC) 10
1980 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 31, L.A. Rams (NFC) 19
1979 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 35, Dallas (NFC) 31
1978 — Dallas (NFC) 27, Denver (AFC) 10
1977 — Oakland (AFC) 32, Minnesota (NFC) 14
1976 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Dallas (NFC) 17
1975 — Pittsburgh (AFC) 16, Minnesota (NFC) 6
1974 — Miami (AFC) 24, Minnesota (NFC) 7
1973 — Miami (AFC) 14, Washington (NFC) 7
1972 — Dallas (NFC) 24, Miami (AFC) 3
1971 — Baltimore Colts (AFC) 16, Dallas (NFC) 13
1970 — Kansas City (AFL) 23, Minnesota (NFL) 7
1969 — N.Y. Jets (AFL) 16, Baltimore Colts (NFL) 7
1968 — Green Bay (NFL) 33, Oakland (AFL) 14
1967 — Green Bay (NFL) 35, Kansas City (AFL) 10
