The Philadelphia Eagles won the Lombardi Trophy for the second time, having first won in 2018
They came expecting a gripping contest between the NFL’s two best teams.
But President Trump, Taylor Swift and the rest left New Orleans wondering what had happened to two-time champion Kansas City Chiefs as they were steamrollered by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Inspired by quarterback Jalen Hurts and a bone-crunching defence, the Eagles left the Chiefs’ dreams of an unprecedented ‘three-peat’ in ruins – and served notice on their plans to build their own kingdom at the top of the NFL.
Last season’s Super Bowl was watched by a record 123m as the Chiefs edged the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy.
It was an illustration of their recurring ability to find their best form when it mattered.
After another commanding season, the Chiefs hoped to be the first team to win three in a row – but they wilted in the New Orleans heat.
After a quiet first quarter, the Eagles defence exploded in the second, bullying and battering the Chiefs’ offensive line and panicking the NFL’s most reliable quarterback Patrick Mahomes into a catalogue of uncharacteristic errors.
In that period, the 28-year-old threw two interceptions, one that was immediately returned for a touchdown by a brutal Eagles defence and the other turned into a score by receiver AJ Brown from the resulting play.
It left the scoreless Chiefs well beaten before Kendrick Lamar’s half-time stage had even been assembled.
By the time Worthy finally got the Chiefs on the board, the Eagles had extended their lead through DeVonta Smith and a field goal from Jake Elliott, the kicker later adding two further scores.
The Eagles did not even need a performance from Saquon Barkley, their brilliant running back who only had 57 yards on the ground but still managed to break Terrell Davis’ record for most rushing yards in a season, including the play-offs.
While Mahomes ended up with three late touchdowns, he was tackled for a loss a career-high six times and was intercepted twice as Philadelphia dethroned the king of the NFL – and thoroughly humbled their former head coach Andy Reid.
