What went wrong in Chiefs' stunning blowout loss to Eagles in Super Bowl LIX

Jesse Newell, The Kansas City Star on Feb 9, 2025

Published in Football

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NEW ORLEANS — The three-peat dream is over.

And the Kansas City Chiefs — after coming so close to an unprecedented feat — will forever be etched in history as coming one game short.

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated both lines, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one of the worst games of his career in the Eagles’ 40-22 victory on Sunday night at Caesars Superdome.

The start was catastrophic for the Chiefs as they fell behind 24-0 at halftime — with shades of their Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they struggled to block anyone.

Kansas City’s makeshift O-line — with guard Joe Thuney playing left tackle and backup Mike Caliendo at left guard — failed repeatedly to hold back Philadelphia’s front four on its pass attempts.

That domino effect brought out the worst in Mahomes, who repeatedly shuffled in the pocket and made uncharacteristic poor decisions.

The most significant blow was in the second quarter, as Mahomes tried to squeeze a pass through tight coverage into DeAndre Hopkins. Instead, Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean stepped in front for an interception, returning it 38 yards for a pick-six.

It wasn’t Mahomes’ last mistake of the half. Later, backed up inside the 10, Mahomes threw another pick to Eagles linebacker Zack Baun when he didn’t see him roaming the middle of the field.

The Eagles also capitalized on that one, with receiver A.J. Brown’s touchdown catch resulting in a 24-0 deficit.

Kansas City’s first-half offensive numbers were atrocious. The Chiefs had 20 plays for 23 yards, mustering just 1.2 yards per play. Meanwhile, Mahomes had the two turnovers after eight consecutive games without throwing an interception.

Mahomes’ 33 first-half passing yards, according to Pro Football Network, was the lowest mark of his career. His previous worst was 41 yards against Tennessee in Week 7 of the 2021 season.

NFL Next Gen Stats also showed that Chiefs offensive linemen Thuney, Caliendo and Jawaan Taylor allowed four pressures each before halftime. That’s with Philadelphia blitzing no times in the first 30 minutes.

Kansas City fell behind 40-6 before adding on two scores in garbage time. It was so lopsided in the fourth quarter that Eagles fans — who had the majority of fans in attendance — trolled the Chiefs with a mock “Tomahawk chop” cry that echoed across the walls of the Superdome.

One of the Chiefs’ only early highlights was from the defense. On a third-down blitz, safety Bryan Cook chased down an underthrown ball from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for a second-quarter interception.

Mahomes finished 21 for 32 for 257 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble.

In their first Super Bowl appearances, receivers Xavier Worthy and Hopkins had the Chiefs’ second-half touchdowns. Worthy had two scores, finishing with eight catches for 157 yards.

Many celebrities attended the game, including President Donald Trump, singer Taylor Swift (girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce), Beatles icon Paul McCartney, and actors Kevin Costner and Paul Rudd.

The Chiefs finished with a 17-3 record while reaching their fifth Super Bowl in six seasons. They also became the first team in NFL history to return to a Super Bowl after winning consecutive championships.