Eagles Super Bowl 59 Defense Dominates Chiefs in Historic Victory
NEW ORLEANS – In one of the greatest defensive showcases in championship history, the Eagles Super Bowl 59 defense, led by their dominant defensive line, overwhelmed the Kansas City Chiefs in a 40-22 victory that will be remembered for generations.
Even the famed 2007 New York Giants, who shocked the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42, may have to cede their place in history. While that Giants team disrupted Tom Brady with relentless pressure, what the Eagles accomplished against Patrick Mahomes was on another level.
The Eagles recorded six sacks—one more than the Giants had in their historic win—and tied for the second most by a team in Super Bowl history. Only four teams have ever reached seven sacks in the big game, with the most recent being the Los Angeles Rams in their win over the Cincinnati Bengals three years ago.
What made the Eagles’ defensive performance even more remarkable was how they rattled Mahomes without sending extra rushers. According to Next Gen Stats, Philadelphia generated a 38.1% pressure rate without blitzing on any of Mahomes’ 42 dropbacks. The relentless pressure resulted in 16 quarterback hits and six sacks—the most Mahomes has taken in a single game.
Per TruMedia, Mahomes recorded the second-worst EPA (expected points added) performance of his career at -19.3, as he struggled under constant duress.
“We all believed in the dream, man,” said veteran defensive end Brandon Graham. “Everybody bought into it.”
Josh Sweat led the charge with 2.5 sacks, followed closely by Milton Williams with two. Jordan Davis contributed one, while rookie Jalyx Hunt added a half-sack.
“They let me go crazy,” Sweat said. “I don’t think I ever got more than two in a game.”
Indeed, Sweat had tallied two sacks in a game six different times in the regular season. But on the biggest stage in the NFL, the Super Bowl, he made the play of his life.
A Pro Bowler in 2021, Sweat’s journey has been one of resilience. Once a top high school recruit, he suffered a torn ACL in his senior year before joining Florida State. Drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 2018, he overcame a serious health scare in 2021—an internal bleeding emergency that forced him to miss a playoff game—to emerge as one of the league’s premier edge rushers.
With the defensive front winning one-on-one matchups, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio stayed in his traditional Cover 4 quarters scheme for most of the game. Philadelphia played zone coverage on all but two dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, deploying Cover 4 at a rate of 59.5%—the third-highest usage in a single game since 2018.
At 66 years old, Fangio is proving to be the NFC’s answer to Kansas City’s defensive mastermind Steve Spagnuolo. With general manager Howie Roseman continually acquiring top talent, the Eagles’ defense is built for sustained success.
“We just compete with each other out there,” Sweat said. “We push each other, and that sets the bar for all of us. We just want bragging rights.”
The Eagles’ pass rush not only sacked Mahomes but also forced critical mistakes. One led to a game-changing pick-six by rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean. Another saw Mahomes under pressure, throwing an errant pass that linebacker Zack Baun intercepted, setting up the offense deep in Chiefs’ territory.
“When you win on a four-man rush and keep cycling guys through, and they’re still winning, you don’t have to blitz,” Baun said. “Great game-planning, great communication—we were all on the same page.”
Davis echoed that sentiment: “Take a look around—we got a lot of dogs out here. People doubted us, but we stayed locked in.”
As the lead grew, the Eagles maintained their intensity. “We didn’t care about the score,” Davis said. “We just wanted to keep playing our game.”
Chiefs center Creed Humphrey admitted that Philadelphia’s defense wasn’t unpredictable—they just outplayed Kansas City.
For many, Barkley’s success in Philadelphia was no surprise. Giants legend and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan saw it coming from afar as he mentored him during his stint in New York.
“We knew it was a really good defense,” Humphrey said. “We knew they had talent everywhere.”
From the Chiefs’ first third-down attempt, Mahomes was under siege. Rookie edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr. flushed him from the pocket, forcing an awkward scramble that nearly resulted in an interception. That set the tone for the night.
Even Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whose brother Jason is a former Eagles All-Pro center, knew what this meant. “We knew exactly what was gonna happen when they got Saquon,” he said. “He’s a generational talent, and Philly had all the right pieces around him.
“They played great from start to finish,” Mahomes said. “The defensive line got after it. The DBs played well, the linebackers played well—it all came together.”
Mahomes acknowledged that he must improve against zone-heavy defenses. “They made me play from the pocket, and that’s something I have to get better at,” he said.
Coming back from a torn triceps that could have ended his season, Graham was in awe of the Eagles’ defensive effort.
“This defense, man, they showed up big time,” Graham said. “Everything we worked for, everything we sacrificed—it all showed up tonight.”
“All of them were too small,” laughed Mailata. “We’ve got big hands!”
In the locker room, the celebration was in full swing. Smith crashed Sweat’s postgame interview, wrapping him in a hug.
“I love you, Sweat! We love you, Sweat!” Smith shouted. “You the best (expletive) edge rusher in the East! You taught me everything I know!”
As Philadelphia parades down Broad Street in celebration, Smith won’t be the only one singing the praises of Sweat and the rest of the Eagles’ dominant defensive front.
