Super Bowl

The blowout was on in Sunday's Super Bowl LIX as soon as the Philadelphia Eagles extended the lead over the Kansas City Chiefs to 17-0 in the second quarter with Cooper DeJean's pick-six, but the cornerback gave credit to his teammates after the win.

"The boys up front are some bad motherf--kers," DeJean said, per Brooks Kubena of The Athletic.

Kansas City scored 16 points in the final three minutes of Philadelphia's 40-22 victory when plenty of Eagles were already celebrating on the sidelines, so the game wasn't even as close as the 18-point deficit indicated.

And that was in large part due to Philadelphia's defense.

In addition to DeJean's pick-six, the NFC representative sacked Patrick Mahomes six times and made life miserable for the star quarterback throughout the contest. Zack Baun's interception deep in Kansas City territory also set up an Eagles touchdown, and the defensive line's ability to create pressure made it all the more difficult for any receivers to get open.

According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles didn't blitz a single time and still generated a 38.1 percent pressure rate.

Not even an offense with an all-time great at quarterback like Mahomes can do much against a defense that is creating pressure like that without sending any additional blitzers. DeJean and the rest of the secondary didn't have to cover the Chiefs' playmakers for long before Mahomes was scrambling or being taken down.

The cornerback had his starring moment with the pick-six, but he knew where the real credit went after the game.

In the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX, there was a lot of talk about Patrick Mahomes' legacy. The 29-year-old was playing in his fifth Super Bowl in six years. With a victory, Mahomes would become the first quarterback ever to win three consecutive Super Bowls. He would have four rings before his 30th birthday.

Some posited that would cement Mahomes as not just an all-time great but the all-time great. That a victory would vault Mahomes past Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL.

Super Bowl LIX was going to be Mahomes' coronation with Brady calling the game, no less.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the ceremony. The Philadelphia Eagles apparently had no interest in Mahomes' legacy, thrashing the Chiefs in a game that was nowhere near as close as the 40-22 final score.

For the second time in five Super Bowls, Mahomes didn't just lose—he was blown out. That Mahomes is great is indisputable. The Chiefs wouldn't trade him straight-up for any other quarterback in the league. They would laugh at the notion.

We can chuckle, too, at the notion that Mahomes has passed the Golden Boy in the annals of awesome under center. He's not there yet. In fact, he just got farther away.

During the pre-game show, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce unsurprisingly said to Rob Gronkowski of Fox Sports that he already believes Mahomes is the greatest ever to lace them up.

"I'm gonna say he is, but I'm biased toward what I see in the building," Kelce said. "I'm gonna say he's the greatest ever, but I know there's a pretty valid argument somewhere else."

Yeah. 10 Super Bowls and seven championships (Including one head-to-head against Mahomes in Super Bowl LV in another blowout) is a pretty valid argument.

It's not entirely Mahomes' fault that Kansas City got mollywhopped. It's not even mostly his fault—the Eagles defensive line completely dominated the line of scrimmage. But just as against the Buccaneers, Mahomes wilted under the onslaught of the Eagles' pressure.

At first glance, Mahomes' numbers don't look that bad—32 attempts, 21 completions, 257 yards, three touchdowns, two picks and a passer rating of 95.4.

But the yardage and touchdown numbers were artificially inflated in garbage time. Both of Mahomes' interceptions were absolute killers—one was returned for a score, and the other was inside the Chiefs' 20 and led to another touchdown.

This game was over by halftime—and those turnovers played as big a part in that as any other factor. Mahomes also lost a fumble that led to a field goal.

As Jeff Howe of The Athletic pointed out, if success in the Super Bowl is the ultimate barometer of quarterback greatness, Mahomes vs. Brady isn't especially close.

This marked the third time in five Super Bowls that Mahomes threw multiple interceptions. In 10 trips to football's biggest game, Brady did it once—in the victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

Brady also threw for 328 yards and four scores in that game.

In 10 Super Bowls, Brady threw just six picks total. Mahomes now has seven in half as many games.

The duo's completion percentage in the Super Bowl is nearly identical. But in almost every other statistical category, Brady's Super Bowl stats are superior. Brady threw for an average of 303.9 yards per Super Bowl—more than Mahomes. His passer rating in the Super Bowl was 97.7—higher than Mahomes. Brady threw 21 touchdowns against those six picks. Mahomes now has 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Frankly, if you looked at Mahomes' per-game stats for the Super Bowl without his name attached to them, he wouldn't be one of the first five quarterbacks you guessed. They have been—OK. Average.

Yes, the 2007 Patriots were one of the greatest offensive juggernauts ever. But you can't say that Brady's skill-position talent in the Super Bowl was better than Mahomes'. Brady just consistently played better in the Super Bowl than Mahomes has to this point.

There's where the caveat comes in—"to this point."

Before ticked-off Chiefs fans storm my Twitter feed, this isn't to say that Brady will always be higher on the Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks than Mahomes. And it's fair to argue that Mahomes has already worked his way among that foursome—at 29.

Mahomes may well play in more than 10 Super Bowls. He may well win more than seven. Earlier this week, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner (who lost to Brady in Super Bowl XXXVI) said on the NFL Network that he expects Mahomes to one day take the crown of GOAT from Brady.

"I'm gonna say yes to this question," Warner said. "The reason I'm gonna say yes is because of the nature of how our game has changed. The way people watch our game is different. What I mean by that is that, right now, at the quarterback position, it's so much about the wow factor, the physical ability, and what this guy can do from a physical standpoint that nobody else can. We've seen Patrick Mahomes do so many things that make us look and say, maybe he's the most physically gifted quarterback our game has ever seen. And I believe that is what will ultimately put him over the top."

But after getting shelled in the Super Bowl for the second time, Mahomes will just have to wait his turn. Brady was never blown out in a Super Bowl and played in more than any player in NFL history—at any position. Won more than any player in NFL history. And when the lights were brightest, Tommy Terrific was at his best.

Against the Eagles Sunday, Mahomes wasn't. And it's fair to wonder if somewhere in the darker corners of his psyche, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. was happy about that.

Because he's still the best quarterback to ever lace them up.

While the Kansas City Chiefs couldn't win a third consecutive Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, Travis Kelce still made history.

With his third reception during the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Kelce surpassed Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the most catches in Super Bowl history (h/t NFL.com's Grant Gordon).

The 10-time Pro Bowl tight end now owns the new record with 35 total receptions in the title game.

Kelce finished with four catches for 39 yards against Philadelphia.

Sunday's matchup marked the 35-year-old's fifth Super Bowl appearance of his career, emerging victorious in three of them.

Kelce was a key part of the Chiefs' prior championship-winning seasons, hauling in 31 receptions for 350 yards and two touchdowns in four Super Bowl starts prior to the defeat at the hands of the Eagles.

He's repeatedly elevated his game in the playoffs, recording 85 receiving yards per game throughout his postseason career entering Sunday's matchup compared to his regular-season career average of 69.4 yards per game.

Kelce's 2024 production fell below his high standards, but he still remained a consistent option for Patrick Mahomes across the middle of the field. He racked up 823 yards, the fifth-most among all tight ends, and found the end zone three times in 16 starts.

Breaking a record held by one of the NFL's greatest players such as Rice is an impressive accomplishment, although it may be a bittersweet honor for Kelce following Kansas City's blowout loss in the Super Bowl.

The Philadelphia Eagles completed one of the most comprehensive Super Bowl victories in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 59.

The fourth quarter, though, was the lowest-scoring period for the Eagles inside the Superdome in New Orleans.

The Kansas City Chiefs outscored the Eagles in the fourth quarter, but it was far too little, too late for Patrick Mahomes and Co. to stage a comeback.

Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins caught touchdown passes from Mahomes to make the final score look a bit more respectable for the Chiefs.

Super Bowl 59 Box Score

Kansas City - 0 0 6 16 - 22

Philadelphia - 7 17 10 6 -40

The Eagles added to their advantage with two Jake Elliott field goals in the fourth quarter.

Elliott knocked in field goals from 48 and 50 yards to open up the lead to 34 points.

Kansas City answered back late in the fourth quarter with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to DeAndre Hopkins.

The Chiefs' offense took one more shot late in the fourth quarter, as Mahomes hit Xavier Worthy down the middle for a 50-yard touchdown catch.

Worthy finished with the most receiving yards in the Super Bowl. He was the only player on either team with more than 70 receiving yards. He had 157 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.

DeVonta Smith was the Eagles' top pass-catcher with 69 yards on four catches. A.J. Brown chipped in 43 receiving yards of his own.

The Eagles won without an incredibly effective game out of Saquon Barkley, who had 57 yards on 25 carries. He did have six catches for 40 yards.

Philadelphia's defense forced three turnovers. one of which was a Cooper DeJean pick six, to open up the advantage and stay in front for the entire game.

DeVonta Smith made history during Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver became the first player drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl with a 46-yard grab in the third quarter.

The score helped the Eagles build a 34-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl 57.

Smith hauled in four receptions for a team-high 69 yards through three quarters on Sunday.

It was an impressive game from the 26-year-old, who was limited in practice with a hamstring injury leading up to the game.

Jalen Hurts was also teammates with Smith on the Crimson Tide for two seasons, but the signal-caller finished his college career at Oklahoma before Philadelphia selected him with a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

In the following year, the Eagles drafted Smith with the No. 10 overall pick following a stellar senior season at Alabama. He became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since 1991.

The Tide have consistently produced NFL talent, as they had the most players of any school on active rosters during Week 1 of the 2024 season (h/t SI.com's Christopher Walsh). It marked the eighth consecutive season that Alabama ranked No. 1.

Smith has remained a key piece of Philadelphia's passing offense throughout his NFL career, forming one of the league's top wide receiver duos alongside A.J. Brown.

While Smith only appeared in 13 regular-season games due to hamstring issues as well as a concussion, he still caught 68 passes for 833 yards to go along with a career-high eight touchdowns.

He wasn't tasked with a large role throughout Philadelphia's playoff run due to the team's imposing rushing attack, but he still operated as a reliable option when called upon. In three postseason starts prior to Sunday's contest, Smith caught all 12 of his targets for 121 yards.

The former Tide also had a historic performance against Kansas City in Super Bowl 59.

The Philadelphia Eagles extended their Super Bowl 59 advantage in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, Patrick Mahomes and Co. finally got on the board at the end of the period on a touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy.

Philadelphia appeared to close the door on the Chiefs with a touchdown pass of its own from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith.

The Eagles head into the fourth quarter with a 34-6 advantage and the ball after KC's late third-quarter score.

Updated Super Bowl 59 Score

Kansas City 0 0 6 - 6

Philadelphia 7 17 10 - 34

The Eagles broke their lead open to 34 points on DeVonta Smith's 46-yard touchdown reception from Hurts.

For the first time in Super Bowl 59, Kansas City found an answer to the Eagles' dominant play with a quick drive down the field.

Xavier Worthy caught a 24-yard pass in the end zone two minutes and six seconds after Smith flew into the end zone.

Worthy had two big catches on Kansas City's first scoring drive, and thanks to those long receptions, he is the game's leading receiver going into the fourth quarter.

Worthy has four catches for 83 yards. Smith is second to Worthy on the game receiving chart with 69 yards from four receptions.

The two biggest offensive stars in the game, Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce, have been contained through three quarters.

Barkley has 18 carries for 47 yards, while Kelce has two catches for 22 yards. Both of Kelce's catches came in the third quarter.