NEW ORLEANS – The Philadelphia Eagles not only prevented history in Sunday’s Super Bowl 59, they might’ve altered it.
In dominating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22, Philly averted what would have been the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat. But did the Eagles also rip the guts out of a dynasty?
Never before had an established NFL empire crumbled so spectacularly on Super Sunday the way Chiefs Kingdom did.
The 1960s Green Bay Packers, 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, 1980s San Francisco 49ers and 1990s Dallas Cowboys never lost a Super Bowl, those juggernauts a combined 14-0 in their heydays (which includes the Niners’ Super Bowl 29 win following the 1994 season). The 21st-century New England Patriots lost three of their nine Super Bowl appearances, but those defeats were by a combined 15 points in three classic matchups (two narrow defeats to the New York Giants and another to the Eagles).
The Chiefs were embarrassed 31-9 four years ago by Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that was before Kansas City had officially waded into dynastic story (and K.C. was dealing with major injuries, particularly along its offensive line, during that loss in Tampa).
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But the 2024 Chiefs crumbled like a house of cards.
And there were no excuses. No significant injuries to speak of. No impact from the refs (K.C. even benefiting from a less-than-definitive pass interference against the Eagles’ A.J. Brown to kill Philadelphia’s opening possession). Nothing but ideal playing conditions on an optimal field and under cover in the Caesars Superdome.
There were no Chiefs points until the very end of the third quarter. Weren’t many yards, first downs or much time with the ball, either. But there were a pair of Patrick Mahomes picks – he now has nine INTs in five Super Bowl starts – one a pick-six to rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean. A team that managed to effectively go 17-1 this season prior to Sunday – just throw out that Week 18 loss to the Denver Broncos when Kansas City’s key players took the day off – with a slew of nip-and-tuck victories finally fell off its high wire with nary a safety net down below.
This doesn’t mean the Chiefs lose their dynasty card. That hay’s been in the barn since last year. And they are the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls and then manage to return for a third crack the following season.
But it is worth wondering how Kansas City recovers.
“You don’t ever get over them,” Brady, who has first-hand knowledge, said of demoralizing losses during Fox’s broadcast Sunday.
Moving forward, it’s unclear how much longer tight end Travis Kelce will continue to play – and he wasn’t a factor at all Sunday – but it is apparent that he’s slowing down and might soon have to cede significant snaps to Noah Gray. Per OverTheCap, the Chiefs only have about $11 million to spend on free agents next month – not much to import new bodies, much less retain the likes of core players such as safety Justin Reid, linebacker Nick Bolton and guard Trey Smith. (And boy does this team need a different answer at left tackle.) And, as AFC champs, K.C. will effectively be drafting near the end of every round.
Did we witness the death of a dynasty Sunday? Mahomes is only 29, and this roster has evolved significantly since Kansas City ended its 50-year Super Bowl drought five years ago – which means head coach Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach certainly know how to retool on the fly.
But from emotional and personnel perspectives – to say nothing of several rising powers in the AFC to contend with – the reanimation of the Chiefs could take a while.
If it happens at all.
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