As the dust settled a week later, the Philadelphia Eagles gave NFL fans something they hadn’t seen in quite some time: utter domination in the Super Bowl. While it may have caught viewers off-guard, the Eagles seemed confident in taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
With the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 59 beatdown being analyzed all week, let’s look at what Eagles RB Saquon Barkley and the captains told the rest of Philadelphia’s roster leading up to the big game.
‘They Haven’t Seen a Team Like Us’ – Saquon Barkley Doubles Down in Eagles Team Meeting
With all the noise surrounding the Chiefs’ chances of securing the first three-peat in NFL history, fans and analysts seemed to overlook just how talented the 2024 Eagles’ roster was. However, one offseason newcomer couldn’t let Philadelphia forget who they were and how hard they worked.
Saquon the night before the Super Bowl: “As I watch the film, my confidence grows more and more.. These guys can’t f**k with us. I don’t care how many times they’ve been here, I don’t care how many times they’ve won it. They haven’t seen a team like us.” pic.twitter.com/zdbTeIh1f3
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) February 16, 2025
In the final team meeting before Super Bowl 59, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and the captains gave their final thoughts to the team within 24 hours of kickoff. There were many rousing words and recollections of just how much the team has sacrificed to make it back to the biggest stage in the NFL, but none more resounding than Barkley’s message.
The 2024 Offensive Player of the Year explained to the room, “As I watch the film, my confidence grows more and more. These guys can’t f**k with us. I don’t care how many times they’ve been here. I don’t care how many times they’ve won it. They haven’t seen a team like us.”
While Barkley wasn’t as productive in the Super Bowl as he was in the rest of the postseason, it was evident the Chiefs’ defensive gameplan revolved around shutting down the first-team All-Pro RB and forcing QB Jalen Hurts to beat them. Hurts obliged, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns while adding 72 yards and another score on the ground.
While the offense put its foot on the accelerator, the Eagles’ defense gave the Chiefs’ offense fits, creating plenty of pressure despite not sending a blitz all night. The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times through a four-man rush and forced three turnovers. While the Chiefs have a knack for lurking around in games, going down 34-0 with three minutes and 20 seconds left in the third quarter was practically the nail in the coffin.
A behind the scenes look at how the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX 🎥@LincolnFncl | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/e71pBs3SWM
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 16, 2025
Additionally, the Eagles’ 24-0 lead at halftime was tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the second-largest lead in Super Bowl history, only bested by Washington, who held a 25-point lead over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 22.
Seeing Kansas City make NFL history would have been incredible. However, with the game nearly a pick ’em at kickoff, maybe the rose-colored glasses were on a bit too tight in favor of the Chiefs with how mismatched these rosters truly were. In the offseason, Philadelphia will have some tough decisions to keep this juggernaut together, but there’s plenty of talent to see another impressive run in 2025.