Why Eagles defense, with Charlotte’s Jordan Davis netting a sack, dominated the Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio couldn’t have dreamed of Sunday night going any smoother.

Six sacks of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes — the most in his NFL career – fueled the Eagles’ 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome.

Fangio has his whole defense to thank — everyone contributed to put the Eagles in the driver seat early on and they never looked back.

In the rematch of Super Bowl LVII where the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35, Philadelphia struck first on the board in the first quarter thanks to a Hurts tush push one-yard carry. Kansas City gained a little momentum at the start of the second by picking off Hurts but their offense couldn’t capitalize.

With under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter, linebackers Josh Sweat and Jalyx Hunt sacked Mahomes for the first time on Sunday night. The team’s preparation for such a performance started well before game day.

“I’ve never seen this team this ready for a game,” Eagles linebacker Zack Baun said. “We were so well prepared that it was easy for us to feel confident and just go out and execute.”

With seven minutes left in the second quarter, Mahomes threw a pick-six to cornerback Cooper DeJean, on his 22nd birthday nonetheless, to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 17.

“To be able to do it with this group of guys, come in, and from day one,” DeJean said. “All of us rookies, they brought us in and taught us everything they know how to be on here on the biggest stage, we get to hold that Lombardi Trophy.”

The Eagles defensive line, the tallest and heaviest in Super Bowl history, consistently collapsed the pocket, leaving Mahomes scrambling for a quick lateral pitch or sliding to the ground.

Charlotte’s Jordan Davis contributed a sack from his defensive end position for the Eagles.

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie notched five tackles on Sunday but it wasn’t nearly enough to match the Eagles defense. Kansas City only managed to gain 14 yards in the first half.

“First time losing the postseason so definitely stings,” McDuffie said. “But I think Travis and Chris Jones said it the best, use it as fuel. Use it as a way to keep grinding the off season and come back stronger.”

After Mahomes threw his second interception of the night, wide receiver AJ Brown scored another touchdown to give the Eagles a 24-0 halftime lead, the second largest half-time lead in Super Bowl history.

Philadelphia continued to put points up, extending their lead to 34 in the third quarter, thanks largely in part to a 46-yard touchdown from wide receiver DeVonta Smith. The Chiefs finally found the end zone with less than a minute left in the third quarter as Mahomes connected with wide receiver Xavier Worthy on a 24 yard pass.

Even as Kansas City attempted to make a comeback, the Eagles remained relentless. Their defense forced turnovers at crucial moments, adding to a staggering +27 turnover margin since their Week 5 bye.

“Their defensive line did a nice job,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Again that happens [when] these games get magnified.”

Lane Johnson anchored the offensive line throughout the night and was thankful for the powerful showing by the Eagles defense.

“Other than us being on the field a lot, it was, man, it was crazy,” Johnson said. “I knew we’re going to get some pressure, but I know they were extremely motivated.They made it really easy for us. The whole thing going into halftime was to refocus. We were up a couple years ago, the result wasn’t the same, so that was definitely the backbone.”

Philadelphia started the 2024 regular season 2-2 but now head coach Nick Sirianni has written himself into the record book as the first coach in Super Bowl history to make the playoffs in each of his first four seasons.

By the time the confetti fell, Philadelphia had cemented itself as the most dominant team in the NFL this season, led by a defense that refused to be denied.

“Not surprised, we knew what we had in our defense,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “We have faith in the culture of our locker room so we weren’t surprised about how they played.”

With their second Super Bowl title in six seasons, the Eagles have once again risen to the top of the league — this time, behind a defense that etched its place in the history books.

Anna Laible and Maya Waid are students with UNC Media Hub, a program with the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reporting from the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Laible hosts the Speak Up Sports Podcast. Follow her journey covering her first Super Bowl on her Instagram (@anna_laible).