The Kansas City Chiefs are arguably the greatest modern NFL dynasty — the best at least since the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots. Ahead of Super Bowl 59, the story was thus centered around the Chiefs. Appearing in its fifth Super Bowl in the past six seasons, Kansas City was chasing history. A three-peat had never been accomplished in the Super Bowl era.
Such was the hype surrounding the Chiefs’ three-peat that instead of putting pressure on their opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, it fueled their fire for revenge.
‘It Was Kind of a Slap to Us’ — Eagles Star on Chiefs’ Three-Peat Talk
After losing to the Chiefs in a nail-biter two years ago, the Eagles turned the tide with a win on Feb. 9 and routed Kansas City in a 40-22 victory. While revenge was always on their minds, they felt disrespected by the Chiefs’ three-peat talk and used it as a motivation to win their second Lombardi trophy.
“That was motivation because it was kind of a slap to us,” Eagles veteran defensive end Brandon Graham told ESPN. “It was like, they ain’t seen us yet. So, we heard that all week. And when the game came, execution was on point and together.”
Another Eagles defensive star, Milton Williams, voiced similar sentiments and termed the reports of the Chiefs’ getting the “Three-Peat” phrase trademarked “B.S.”
“Definitely. They were talking about getting the copyright, and all that B.S. Throw that s— in the trash,” Williams replied when asked if the chatter had fueled his fire to win.
Milton Williams said the Chiefs’ “B.S.” three-peat talk fueled the Eagles’ Super Bowl win: https://t.co/ui0BLksSDs pic.twitter.com/1JZOK6OkLi
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 10, 2025
Philadelphia’s defense had Kansas City’s offense and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes under siege for 60 minutes. As Mahomes was sacked six times and intercepted twice, the Chiefs were confined to just six points through three-quarters of the game. The Eagles’ defense, ranked second by PFSN’s Defense+ metric, was the best unit Kansas City saw in the playoffs.
Philadelphia’s offense was yet again led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was also named the Super Bowl MVP. He completed 17-of-22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a record-setting 72 yards (the event’s most for a quarterback). His poise and precision left little room for Kansas City to mount a comeback, especially with the Eagles’ defense shutting down Mahomes for most of the night.
Mahomes still managed to finish with 257 passing yards and three touchdowns but was plagued by a costly fumble. The Eagles defense forced three total turnovers, including a crucial pick-six in the second quarter that widened the gap and won them their second Super Bowl title since 2017.
Philadelphia had never won a Super Bowl entering the 2017 campaign, and now, with two in eight years, they’ll hope to forge the NFL’s next dynasty. Running back Saquon Barkley believes it’s possible.