Well there we have it, the Lombardi Trophy is heading to Philadelphia for the second time.
Plenty gave the Eagles a shot in this game but few would have expected such a dominant performance against the dynastic Chiefs who could not complete the three-peat.
While many felt like the reigning champions made it this far on smoke and mirrors, seeing them completely overmatched was a massive surprise.
Let’s recap our five big takeaways from the biggest sporting event to come out of the USA.
1 – Eagles Talent Wins Out
During the two week build up for this game, the overarching narrative was pretty clear: Philadelphia had far more talent than Kansas City, but you could not count out the reigning champions because of the dominant duo of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Well this is one of those times where intangibles could not defeat the overwhelming force on the other side of the ball as the Eagles dominated the game from the opening snap.
It was a statement performance from the Eagles defensive line as they harassed and harangued Mahomes in a way few teams have done since Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LV.
Their relentless pass rush had their way with the Chiefs defensive line and Mahomes was under siege every time he dropped back to pass.
The few times Philadelphia’s secondary was called on, they made sure they stayed in full control of the game with some key plays including this pick-six from Cooper DeJean.
And this fourth down stop from as Mahomes tried to keep the slim hopes of a comeback alive.
So with the defence leading the way, the offence just had to take advantage of their opportunities.
2 – Hurts Responds To The Challenge
After a historic season and a phenomenal postseason run, Kansas City was understandably wary of the damage that Saquon Barkley could do if they let him run free.
So with that in mind, their gameplan was to limit Barkley’s production and challenge Jalen Hurts to make enough plays to beat them.
A brave strategy against the guy who threw for 304 yards, a touchdown and ran for another 70 yards and three touchdowns in the Super Bowl two years ago.
Hurts was not able to match those numbers in New Orleans but that was mostly because he didn’t have to.
221 passing yards, a pair of touchdowns and another 72 on the ground with the infamous Tush Push play providing the opening touchdown of the game.
While Hurts wasn’t perfect, he did have one ugly interception that his defence was able to overcome, he was easily the better of the two quarterbacks on the field.
On the back of his defence making a huge fourth down stop, Hurts made his best throw of the day to Devonta Smith to properly end the game.
When asked to be the difference maker in this game, Hurts delivered yet again on the biggest stage.
It’s hard to dislike the guy given his back story through his college days and needing to convince everyone he deserved to start for the Eagles.
Now he’s a champion.
3 – The Mahomes GOAT Talk Can Go On Pause For Now
When talking about the greatest quarterbacks of all time, you are splitting hairs trying to differentiate the best of the best.
Through seven seasons Patrick Mahomes had earned his place in the conversation and had he completed the hat-trick of titles in this game, he would have been right there with Tom Brady at the top of the pile.
But a second ugly performance on the biggest stage is going to be a pock mark on his resume and cause a (temporary) halt to his ascendency.
While he was not helped by the lack of protection from his offensive line, you could tell he was off his game early with some bad throws that the Eagles dutifully punished him for.
It was a nightmare first half for Mahomes, under siege and seemingly with no answers on the day as he found himself in a massive hole come halftime.
The stat line going into the locker room says it all.
The third quarter wasn’t any better for Mahomes as the Chiefs continued to struggle with and without the ball.
While he did get a couple of empty touchdown passes late in the game to boost the stat line, they came well after the competitive portion of the game was done.
One was after Kenny Pickett was getting ready to play for the Eagles.
So while Mahomes will undoubtedly go down as one of the NFL’s all time players, his pursuit of Tom Brady at the top of the mountain will have to wait.
At least for another 12 months until they are back in the big game in San Francisco next season.
4 – Questions Abound For Other Key Chiefs
Getting back to the Super Bowl could become a much tougher proposition for the Chiefs over the coming seasons however.
Because we know Mahomes will be back in action come September, but what some of the other key guys on the team?
Let’s start with head coach Andy Reid who is a really likeable guy and probably three years away from breaking the NFL record for most wins.
But at age 66, the guy might not have too many more seasons left in the tank and there is no question he has been a pivotal figure in Mahomes’ success.
Not to mention his go to guy on the offence, Travis Kelce had a rough game with a couple of early drops before some late catches.
But his demeanour throughout the game and walking off the field suggests the 34 year old might have played his last game.
Even if it’s not his last game, Kelce is now at a point where he has to be managed throughout the season to be fresh for the NFL playoffs so it’s not like he will be able to play as big of a role in 2025.
Defensively there are some strong players coming into their prime and they will have to take on even more responsibility next season.
But the question will be what that offence looks like in a year or two as they undergo an evolution on the roster and on the coaching staff.
5 – Looking Ahead To 2025
Just as the 2024 season is coming to a close and before the confetti is swept off the Superdome turf, we are already looking ahead to season 2025.
It is shaping up to be a big offseason for many teams as they try to knock the Eagles off their perch.
Let’s start in the AFC with the New York Jets, because they don’t normally feature in the news on Super Bowl day, but they made sure they did with this Aaron Rodgers announcement.
New coach Aaron Glenn will have a lot of work to do getting that team back to a competitive level.
Elsewhere, we are left to wonder if any team can get by the Chiefs, with the Bills, Bengals and Ravens looming as the primary contenders, while the Texans cannot be discounted.
Over in the NFC the Eagles are going to face plenty of competition from their division rivals Washington as Jayden Daniels tries to avoid a second season slump.
Detroit’s long wait for a Super Bowl appearance let alone win will hit another hurdle with both coordinators leaving for head coaching jobs and who knows what will happen in the NFC West or South.
It’s 207 days until the next meaningful NFL game takes place and there will be plenty of stories to keep us engaged over the offseason for sure.