Eagles Defeat Chiefs 40-22
Well, that was unexpected. I don’t know what made anti-Chiefs fans happier—watching Kansas City get annihilated from the start or the viral shot of a very sad-looking Taylor Swift in the private box. Either way, they probably slept very well that night.
Last week, I mentioned that for the Eagles to win, they needed to pressure Mahomes and force him into bad throws—and boy, did they ever. Usually, when a QB gets sacked, it’s because the defense is blitzing (sending more defenders than there are blockers). But when a team can generate pressure with just their front four defensive linemen, without blitzing, the offense has no chance. That’s why Mahomes was running for his life on nearly every play.
I expect that kind of domination when a bad team is playing, but I did not expect to see the Chiefs’ offensive line get manhandled like that. Before you could even blink, it was 10-0. Then, an errant Mahomes pass led to a beautiful pick-six by rookie Cooper DeJean, making it 17-0. At that point, things started looking very grim. By halftime, the Eagles led 24-0, and based on how the game was unfolding, it was pretty much over.
The Chiefs managed to put some points on the board in the second half, but the final score makes the game seem closer than it actually was. The Eagles dominated from start to finish, sealing a 40-22 victory. It’s a bit of a letdown to end the season with such a lopsided game, but that’s football.
One thing’s for sure—this game set a record as the most-watched Super Bowl in history, with 126 million viewers tuning in. Judging by how the night went, a large portion of them were probably just there to see the Chiefs lose—and they got their wish.
Last week: 0-1
Playoffs overall: 7-2