By ROB MAADDI
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious protection denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs a Tremendous Bowl three-peat.
It wasn’t even shut.
DeJean received a pick-6 on his twenty second birthday, Sweat tormented Mahomes and the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to safe the franchise’s second Tremendous Bowl championship.
Jalen Hurts threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for a rating on a tush push, and Vic Fangio’s protection was so dominant that the Eagles didn’t want a lot from Saquon Barkley.
The sport-changing operating again completed with 57 yards, breaking Terrell Davis’ document for yards speeding in a season, playoffs included. Hurts threw for 221 yards.
With Donald Trump turning into the primary president in workplace to attend a Tremendous Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas Metropolis in each side, delighting a raucous pro-Philly crowd that celebrated every rating with a well-known rendition of “Fly! Eagles! Fly!”
Even Taylor Swift’s presence couldn’t assist the Chiefs. They misplaced for the primary time in 10 video games this season with the pop famous person in a collection watching boyfriend Travis Kelce, who didn’t catch a move till late within the third quarter.
Not in Kansas Metropolis’s worst nightmares might its followers have imagined such a lackluster efficiency. The Chiefs had received three of the earlier 5 Tremendous Bowls, shedding 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 years in the past.
Mahomes was 8-0 towards Fangio’s defenses earlier than the longtime coordinator and former Broncos head coach outcoached Andy Reid, capping his first season together with his hometown group. Reid fell to 3-3 in Tremendous Bowls, together with a loss with the Eagles.
The Eagles sacked Mahomes six occasions, essentially the most of his profession, together with 2 1/2 by Sweat. They usually did it with out Fangio calling a single blitz.
Barkley, the 2024 AP NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr, solely had 31 yards speeding within the first half when Philly constructed a 24-0 lead.
The Chiefs have been aiming to change into the third group in NFL historical past to win three straight championships and the primary to three-peat within the Tremendous Bowl period.
Hurts practically led the Eagles to victory towards the Chiefs two years in the past in Arizona, however Mahomes led a comeback and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning discipline objective within the closing minute for a 38-35 victory. Mahomes rallied Kansas Metropolis to an time beyond regulation victory over San Francisco final 12 months for the Chiefs’ second straight title.
This time, a revamped Philly protection that includes eight new starters from the 2022 group made certain Mahomes had no probability to tug off his magic.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who mocked followers chanting “Fire Nick!” throughout a victory over Cleveland in October and was known as a “clown” on nationwide tv, ought to lastly silence critics by including a championship ring to a resume that features the fifth-best profitable share in league historical past.
Sirianni was showered with Gatorade with practically three minutes left within the sport whereas backup QB Kenny Pickett took snaps in mop-up obligation.
Barkley helped push Hurts into the tip zone from the 1 to provide Philadelphia a 7-0 lead within the first quarter.
Up 10-0 after Jake Elliott’s 48-yard discipline objective, Sweat and Jalyx Hunt sacked Mahomes on consecutive performs. Mahomes then rolled out and made an errant throw that was picked by DeJean, who returned it 38 yards for a 17-0 lead.
It was Mahomes’ first pick-6 in 21 profession playoff video games and ended a streak of 297 straight passes with out an interception.
All-Professional linebacker Zack Baun picked Mahomes once more late within the second quarter, and Hurts linked with A.J. Brown on a 12-yard TD move for a 24-0 lead.
Hurts threw an ideal 46-yard TD move to DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0 late within the third.
Mahomes fired a 24-yard TD move to Xavier Worthy to keep away from the shutout, however the 2-point conversion failed. He threw two late, largely meaningless TD passes, one to DeAndre Hopkins and one other to Worthy.
After two weeks of discussions about questionable calls that led to public notion that officers favor the Chiefs — a principle NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell known as “ridiculous” — the primary penalty of the sport solely fueled critics.
A 32-yard move from Hurts to Brown to the Chiefs 18 on fourth-and-2 was negated by a penalty for offensive move interference. Brady, now a Fox analyst, and officiating analyst Mike Pereira each disagreed with the decision, though Brown shoved Trent McDuffie’s facemask.
On the following possession, the Eagles benefited from an pointless roughness penalty on McDuffie towards Dallas Goedert following an incomplete move on third-and-5.
Hurts then linked with Jahan Dotson on a 27-yard move to the 1 and scored on the following play.
Hurts’ streak of 217 passes with out a decide ended within the first half when he was intercepted deep in Kansas Metropolis territory, however the Chiefs didn’t capitalize.
The Inexperienced Bay Packers are the one NFL group to win three championships in a row, doing it from 1929-31 and 1965-67.
The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neill, are the final group within the main American skilled leagues to win three straight titles.
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