Sunday night in New Orleans was a poetic ending for the 2024 National Football League (NFL) season, as the Philadelphia Eagles finally avenged their loss in Super Bowl LVII to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, defeating them in Super Bowl LIX 40-22.

     For some NFL fans, this game felt like a saving grace, since many have tired of the Chiefs’ winning streak, emerging victorious from the Super Bowl the previous two seasons. The Chiefs’ dynasty has drawn out hatred, just like the Patriots’ dynasty did when it was spearheaded by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. 

     Fans loved Mahomes when he won his first Super Bowl in 2020, labeling him a hero, but they now perceive him as a villain. Mahomes has said in previous interviews that he’s embraced the villain role. During a press conference before Sunday’s game, he said, “If winning football games makes you a villain, we’re going to keep going out there and doing it.”

     While this game was far from an all-time classic, it was still thrilling to watch. What this game showed was pure dominance, with Philadelphia keeping their foot on the gas pedal for a full 60 minutes.

     But how did the Eagles pull off what was technically an upset? Philadelphia was a 1.5-point underdog entering this game. 

     It’s pretty simple: record six sacks, intercept two passes, score a pick-six, force a fumble, and drop 40 points on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. The Chiefs were dismantled on both sides of the ball, and no adjustments that head coach Andy Reid tried to make worked.

     Philadelphia still put up 40 points despite star running back Saquon Barkley being held to just 57 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jalen Hurts performed better on the ground, setting a record for the most rushing yards by a QB in a Super Bowl with 72 yards. 

     Hurts also threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors. Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore created a game plan in an attempt to open up the passing game, knowing Kansas City would defend against the run, and it worked. Wide receivers DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown both caught touchdowns and Hurts scored a “tush push” touchdown in the first quarter.

     While the Eagles displayed a stellar performance on offense, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit proved why they’re the number one defense in the NFL.

     Fangio was consistently able to get pressure on Mahomes with a four-man pass rush, but he never blitzed him. Not once in this game did Fangio call a blitz, yet his defense still recorded six sacks and three turnovers. 

     The craziest part about this Eagles team is that it was just one season ago that Eagles fans wanted head coach Nick Sirianni fired, which was understandable: while they started 10-1, they finished 11-6. After their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round, fans were trying to run Sirianni out of town, but one year later we see Sirianni lead his team to their second Super Bowl title. 

     Eagles fans have wanted general manager Howie Roseman gone for a while too, as he would be known for selecting wide receiver Jalen Reagor over Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson in 2020, one of the worst draft decisions in NFL history. However, his many great picks since 2020, which include defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, helped him assemble one of the NFL’s best rosters of all time, and that doesn’t even include Barkley. Barkley had the best season for a running back in NFL history, winning Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors.

     In a way, this victory feels like an incredible comeback story. The Eagles appeared completely burned to the ground at the end of 2023, only to rise from the ashes and win it all the following year. It sounds cliché, but seeing how this team returned to glory will forever be a story of how a team of birds-turned-phoenixes became legends.