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LAST UPDATE | 10 Feb
THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ended the Kansas City Chiefs’ bid to win an unprecedented three straight Super Bowls as they ran out 40-22 winners in New Orleans.
The Eagles defence dominated and pressured Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throughout the evening, sacking him a career-high six times and intercepting him twice.
Opposite number Jalen Hurts was named the most valuable player after he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, as well as scoring one himself, as the Eagles avenged their defeat to the Chiefs two years ago.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley broke the NFL season rushing record, including the post-season, beating the record of the Denver Broncos Terrell Davis.
No team had previously won back-to-back titles and returned to the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs rarely looked like completing the treble and a fourth win in six years.
The Eagles were denied a promising field position on the opening possession when AJ Brown was adjudged to have fouled cornerback Trent McDuffie after catching a 30-yard pass from Hurts on fourth down.
They went close again midway through the first quarter, but having been ruled down a yard short they opened the scoring when Hurts was driven over from close range.
Hurts looked to stretch the advantage early in the second quarter, but his attempted pass was intercepted by Bryan Cook.
The Chiefs, dogged by a couple of early penalties and their traditional slow Super Bowl start, struggled to make inroads and their offence spent little time on the field with their first three drives ending in punts.
The Eagles stretched their advantage midway through the second quarter, Jake Elliott added a 48-yard field goal after being moved back five yards by another penalty.
Mahomes’ difficult evening continued as he was sacked for a second time on the first down after the score.
It got worse on the next play, Cooper DeJean intercepting his pass and returning it 38 yards for a touchdown on his 22nd birthday, Elliott adding the extra point to make it 17-0.
Mahomes was sacked again as the Chiefs again failed to respond and were forced to punt.
Worse was to come for the quarterback, linebacker Zack Baun intercepting him deep in Chiefs territory and the Eagles took full advantage with Hurts finding Brown for another touchdown.
More penalties dogged the Chiefs’ final drive of the half as they reached the break 24-0 down – the second-highest half-time deficit in the Super Bowl – after a mere 23 yards of offence.
The second half started in much the same fashion, the Eagles sacking Mahomes again as the Chiefs were once more forced to punt. The Eagles were stopped near the Chiefs line, but Elliott was able to stretch the gap with a field goal.
That lead grew even further after another stalled Chiefs drive, Hurts finding DeVonta Smith from 46 yards for another touchdown.
The Chiefs finally got on the scoreboard just before the end of the third quarter, Mahomes finding Xavier Worthy to get them into Eagles territory and then connecting with the same player from almost on the sideline. The two-point conversion attempt failed.
Another Elliott field goal stretched the gap to 37-6 and he struck again from 50 yards after the Chiefs defence once more sacked Mahomes and recovered the ball.
A seven-yard touchdown catch by DeAndre Hopkins and a 50-yard effort from Xavier Worthy late on, both with two-point conversions, gave the scoreline a less lopsided appearance.
Off the field, Taylor Swift received a very different reception to last year at the Super Bowl as she watched boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles.
The pop superstar, who was cheered loudly when she showed up at the big game in Las Vegas a year ago, was instead booed by the heavily pro-Eagles crowd when shown on the video boards inside the Superdome during a break in the first quarter.
Taylor Swift confused by the boos ☹️ pic.twitter.com/zzstUEmDfp
— RBT (@SamuelBrownRBT) February 9, 2025
Sitting next to rapper Ice Spice, Swift gave a bit of a side-eye and wrinkled her nose when she realised the booing was directed at her.
US president Donald Trump mocked Swift after the singer was booed during the Kansas City Chiefs defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Trump – who became the first sitting US President to attend the Super Bowl in the showpiece in New Orleans – left the game shortly after half-time.
However, he could not resist posting a social media dig at Swift.
“The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!”
Trump had earlier shared a post from a different account mocking Swift, which contrasted Trump’s reception by Super Bowl fans with that of the singer.
Trump was given loud roars of applause when he was shown on the giant screen inside the stadium, saluting while singing the US national anthem.
“Trump gets massive cheers at the Super Bowl while Taylor Swift gets booed – the world is healing!” the post read.
Swift was a prominent celebrity backer of Trump’s US presidential election rival Kamala Harris last year.
Her endorsement prompted Trump to post on Truth Social: “I hate Taylor Swift.”
Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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