Jalen Hurts ran for a pair of touchdowns, including a go-ahead tush-push score in the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia Eagles rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 in a Super Bowl rematch on Monday night.
The Eagles (9-1) insisted all week that they were not out for revenge for their 38-35 loss in February, but Nick Sirianni’s team exacted a bit of it anyway. They shut out Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs (7-3) in the second half while defeating former coach Andy Reid for the first time in five games since he was fired by Philadelphia and landed in Kansas City.
“We didn’t play good offensively, our defense definitely had us strong in that game,” said Hurts after the game. “In this league, at this time of year, you just want to find ways to win … we’re far from the finished product.”
Eagles center Jason Kelce also got the best of little brother Travis Kelce for the first time. The Chiefs tight end could have used some luck from Taylor Swift, who is currently on tour in South America – he fumbled the ball away in the red zone in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City was trying to extend a 17-14 lead.
The Chiefs still had a chance with less than two minutes to go, converting on fourth down and then getting help from a roughing-the-passer penalty. But a perfectly placed ball from Mahomes went right through the hands of Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a would-be 51-yard touchdown, and the Eagles stopped Kansas City on fourth down to put the game away after another drop, this time by Justin Watson. The Chiefs had a season-high five drops on Monday, three on their final drive.
Hurts threw for just 150 yards with a pick, but he made crucial plays in the second half. He also got some help from D’Andre Swift, who ran for 76 yards and a score, and DeVonta Smith, who caught six balls for 99 yards.
It was only the ninth time that two teams that played in the Super Bowl met in the regular season the following year, and the champion had won the previous four matchups. The last to lose was Dallas against Buffalo during the 1993 season.
Mahomes was held to 177 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception in the end zone. Isiah Pacheco added 89 yards rushing for the Chiefs, who couldn’t overcome their two red-zone turnovers and a plethora of penalties.
The Chiefs took a 17-7 lead into the halftime break on Monday night. It was knotted 7-7 after Hurts and Mahomes traded first-quarter touchdown throws, and it was still tied when Mahomes hit Kelce on third down for the go-ahead TD with 1:45 left in the first-half. And when the Eagles got the ball back, sacks by Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis made them give it right back with 44 seconds remaining. Plenty of time for Mahomes to get the Chiefs within range for Harrison Butker to add a 43-yard field goal.
But for all the praise the Chiefs get for their prolific offense, they’ve been abysmal in the second half this season, scoring a league-low 53 points entering Monday night. And after two quick punts to start the half, Philadelphia finally capitalized on the good field position, marching downfield before Hurts finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.
The Chiefs kept beating themselves – and the Eagles kept taking advantage.
Along with penalties that derailed their first two drives of the second half, Kelce fumbled the ball away at the Philadelphia eight-yard line early in the fourth quarter. And when the Chiefs got the ball back and had to punt a few minutes later, Watson was unable to down the ball at the Philadelphia one-yard line, resulting in a touchback that gave Hurts and Co. some breathing room.
They proceeded to go 80 yards the other way, and Hurts’ sneak gave Philadelphia a 21-17 lead with 6:20 left. It was a lead they would not relinquish.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
