Eagles recreated rare to pummel Patrick Mahomes, win Super Bowl 2025
NEW ORLEANS — OK, now there is a definitive blueprint for how to beat the Chiefs in a Super Bowl.
Four years after the Buccaneers’ defensive line obliterated the Chiefs’ offensive line to keep the dynasty from adding a second Lombardi Trophy, the Eagles’ pass rush did the same thing Sunday and turned Patrick Mahomes into a pumpkin.
The Chiefs allowed their superhuman quarterback to take 11 hits and be sacked six times, and a suddenly pedestrian Mahomes responded by throwing two critical interceptions in the decisive first half of what became a 40-22 loss to the Eagles.
The wildest part?
The Eagles didn’t blitz on any of Mahomes’ 42 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats.
Leaving seven in coverage let their front-four cook.
“Both sucked,” Mahomes said on comparing his two Super Bowl losses. “There’s no way around it. Those will be the two losses that motivate me to be even better the rest of my career.”
If any play signified the one-sidedness of the trenches, it happened in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach when Mahomes took his career-high sixth sack.
Backup defensive lineman Milton Williams beat guard Mike Caliendo as Mahomes waited for something to develop downfield.
Williams stripped the ball just as Mahomes was about to throw, and Jalen Carter came crashing through the middle of the line and hit Mahomes in the face.
Should it have been a penalty?
Probably, but a metaphorical punch in the face is exactly what the Chiefs took.
“They didn’t show any different looks, they didn’t show anything un-scouted,” center Creed Humphrey said. “It just came down to them coming out and playing harder.”
The first time that this happened caused the Chiefs to totally revamp their offensive line during the offseason.
None of the starters from the 2021 Super Bowl were in the lineup Sunday, but the results were scarily similar even with big investments protecting Mahomes.
“Their defensive line did a nice job,” head coach Andy Reid.
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The Chiefs were dominated with two $80 million players on the bookends — converted left tackle Joe Thuney and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, an All-Pro center in Humprey and a guard in Trey Smith who could be the most sought-after free agent in the NFL next month.
“Our D-line was collapsing the pocket,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “I was in coverage and guys were eating up front.”
Mahomes didn’t quite run for the 497 yards behind the line of scrimmage that he had to when the Buccaneers’ pressure wrecked a Super Bowl, but he was twisting and turning into blindside hits all night.
There were hardly any signature Mahomes loops that allow him to break free for long scrambles — and when there was it was because of a holding penalty that drew a flag.
The blowout nature of the game also turned the Chiefs into a one-dimensional offense.
The Chiefs finished with 11 carries for 45 yards, but no running back had more than nine rushing yards as most of the “damage” was done by Mahomes as he ran from the pocket for his safety.
