Cooper DeJean scored a touchdown after an interception, Zack Baun made a pick in his former professional home, and the Eagles dominated Patrick Mahomes so completely that by the time Kendrick Lamar performed “Game Over” at halftime, it was clear the Super Bowl was already decided.
The Eagles’ defense, led by 66-year-old defensive coach Vic Fangio, never let down this season, and they were at their best in the Super Bowl.
The defense was at its peak against a struggling Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, crushing them 40-22 to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
DeJean, Baun, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams led a championship defense that overwhelmed the Chiefs, sacking Mahomes six times, the most ever against the two-time MVP.
“Credit to the Eagles, man. They played better than us from start to finish,” Mahomes said.
In the first half, the Chiefs seemed lost, only gaining 23 total yards and just one first down. Mahomes completed only 6 of 14 passes for 33 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions—one of which was returned for a touchdown by DeJean, and another by Baun, which led to another Eagles touchdown.
The Chiefs were shut down by the Eagles, who didn’t blitz once during the game, relying on their four-man rush. Baun praised the game plan and the team’s communication, saying, “When you’re winning with the four-man rush and you can just cycle guys through and they’re still winning, you don’t have to blitz.”
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, was sacked three times and held scoreless in the first half, marking just the third time in his NFL career he’d been shut out for a half, as the Eagles took a 24-0 lead.
Chiefs center Creed Humphrey admitted, “They didn’t show any, you know, different looks. They didn’t show anything unscouted. It just came down to, you know, them coming out playing harder.”
The Eagles didn’t worry about Saquon Barkley, who only gained 31 yards in the first half. DeJean’s 38-yard interception return for a touchdown gave them a 17-0 lead, and they didn’t need to blitz to dominate the game.
Cooper DeJean runs into the end zone after a touchdownFangio, who had a 0-8 record against Mahomes as a head coach in Denver and a defensive coordinator in Miami, was credited for turning a weak defense from 2023 into a dominant unit. Fangio said, “You go in with a plan, but he’s so good you know you’re going to have to adjust. We just adjusted with coverages.”
Fangio coached two rookie starters in the secondary, Quinyon Mitchell and 22-year-old DeJean, and helped turn Baun into an All-Pro linebacker. Baun had been a special teams player with limited defensive time in New Orleans, but Fangio helped him reach new heights.
“I mean, the beauty of it is like that Vic just gives us a call, we don’t question it,” Sweat said. “He puts us in a position to make plays. I don’t know how he does it.”
Baun’s signing was largely overlooked compared to other big offseason moves, like the addition of Saquon Barkley, who became a Super Bowl champion, and linebacker Bryce Huff, a $51 million failure who didn’t play in the game.
The Eagles also thrived without veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, who made his return from a torn triceps to play in the Super Bowl. Graham said he wasn’t sure yet whether he would retire.
Any defensive player, whether it was Sweat, DeJean, Williams, or the whole unit, could have been named Super Bowl MVP.
The Eagles will have no problem celebrating their championship with a parade down Broad Street in Philly this week.
