Super Bowl 59, the biggest display in American sports, again delivered a thrilling showdown between two star-studded teams as they battled for glory in the New Orleans Superdome. The Superdome was packed with fans and 126 million viewers watching the game from home, making it the most watched Super Bowl in NFL history.
In the first half, we saw Jalen Hurts shine under pressure with his star running back Saquon Barkley getting shut down and only averaging 2.3 yards a rush. On the other hand, Patrick Mahomes looked like a shell of himself in the first half. He threw two costly interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown by rookie standout Cooper DeJean.
While many are criticizing Patrick Mahomes’ performance, could the real reason for the Chiefs’ offensive collapse be the relentless pressure from the Eagles’ defense? The Eagles pass rush attained six sacks led by Josh Sweat, who had 2.5 sacks.
Aaron Williams ‘26, an avid football fan, claimed, “It felt like Mahomes was running away from pass rushers the entire game. With the Chiefs’ run game being ineffective, I think the Eagles defense was set on pressuring Mahomes from the snap.”
In addition, Travis Kelce, also known as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend by many, was ineffective with a costly drop to force a Chiefs punt. This led to a Jalen Hurts rushing touchdown to start the scoring. The Eagles held a commanding 24-0 lead over the Chiefs at halftime, leaving fans disoriented and eager for Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance.
Everyone was waiting to see what songs Kendrick Lamar would feature in his performance and if he would try to put the feud between him and Rapper Drake to sleep. Kendrick showcased Samuel L. Jackson as “Uncle Sam” and featured other stars including Mustard, Serena Williams, and SZA. Fans were pleasantly surprised by Kendrick’s performance of “Not Like Us” even after all of the threats of a lawsuit from Drake.
Entering the second half, were we about to see a Tom Brady-esque comeback from Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? Instead, we saw the Eagles dominate the rest of the game, and Jalen Hurts threw a 46-yard touchdown to Devonta Smith, putting the icing on the cake.
Confetti rained down as the Eagles completed a commanding win 40-22 over the reigning two-time Super Bowl champions. The victory marked the Eagles’ second Super Bowl win in eight years, cementing their place among the league’s elite teams. With all of the Eagles’ new additions, they will look to repeat their success and bring more accolades to Philadelphia.
Dylan Waimrin ’26, a passionate Chiefs hater, said, “It was great to see the downfall of the Chiefs’ three-peat.”
As Jalen Hurts hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, Eagles fans celebrated a historic night they will never forget, while the Chiefs were left searching for flags and answers in a humiliating defeat.
