Chiefs’ three-peat hopes crumbled behind offensive line struggles

• The Chiefs’ downfall: In a dominant 40-22 victory, the Eagles overwhelmed Kansas City’s struggling offensive line, pressuring Patrick Mahomes on 40.5% of his dropbacks and disrupting the Chiefs’ offense all night. 

• Impossible to overcome: Mahomes was pressured on 50.0% of his dropbacks outside of garbage time, marking the third-highest pressure rate he has faced in a game under those conditions.

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

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The Kansas City Chiefs entered Super Bowl 59 with one glaring weakness, which the Philadelphia Eagles quickly exploited.

In a dominant 40-22 victory, the Eagles overwhelmed Kansas City’s struggling offensive line, pressuring Patrick Mahomes on 40.5% of his dropbacks and disrupting the Chiefs’ offense all night. Left tackle Joe Thuney (60.1), left guard Mike Caliendo (30.1), right guard Trey Smith (49.2) and right tackle Jawaan Taylor (57.3) all earned pass-blocking grades below 61.0, leaving Mahomes under constant duress.

In the end, the Chiefs’ biggest concern became their downfall.

The Eagles swarming pass-rush dominates

A dominant defensive performance by Philadelphia paved the way for the franchise’s second championship. The Eagles’ relentless pass rush overwhelmed Patrick Mahomes for all 60 minutes, sacking him six times—the most he has ever taken in a single game.

The Chiefs signal-caller was pressured on 50.0% of his dropbacks outside of garbage time, marking the third-highest pressure rate he has faced in a game under those conditions.

Season	Week	Opp.	Pressure %
2020	Super Bowl 55	@ Buccaneers	59.5%
2018	14	vs. Ravens	52.6%
2024	Super Bowl 59	@ Eagles	50.0%
2018	Conference Championship	vs. Patriots	50.0%
2023	4	@ Jets	48.6%

Constant pressure forced Mahomes into mistakes

Mahomes struggled under constant duress, posting a 59.3 passing grade under pressure while completing just four of nine attempts for 48 yards. His biggest gain—a 24-yard toss to Xavier Worthy late in the third quarter—came well after the game had been decided.

Pressure not only disrupted Mahomes but also led to costly turnovers. His first-half interception to Zack Baun from inside Kansas City’s own 10-yard line set up an Eagles touchdown, helping Philadelphia build a commanding 24-0 lead. That play was set in motion by Josh Sweat, who drove Joe Thuney straight into Mahomes’ lap, forcing an errant throw.

Zack Baun interception! #FlyEaglesFly

📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/7LPFimMuP8

— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025

The Eagles’ constant barrage of pressure left Mahomes uneasy in the pocket, at which point he didn’t do himself many favors, committing self-inflicted pressures and unforced errors.

The Eagles’ reliance on their front four paid off

Philadelphia leaned on its front four to generate pressure all season, allowing extra resources to be allocated to coverage—and they stuck to that formula in Super Bowl 59. The Eagles didn’t send more than four rushers on a single play, yet their pass rush dominated.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio deployed a heavy dose of stunts to create free rush lanes, dialing them up on nearly 24% of Kansas City’s passing downs. The strategy paid off, producing seven pressures and two sacks while keeping Mahomes off balance. The Chiefs’ quarterback struggled to manage the chaos, throwing both of his interceptions on plays where the Eagles ran a stunt.

Eagles’ pass rush in the Super Bowl

Passing plays	42
Blitzes	0
Stunts	10
Stunt %	23.8%
Sacks	6
Sack %	14.3%
Sack conversion %	41.2%
Hits	4
Total pressures	17
Pressure rate	40.5%
Pressures in under 2.5 seconds	13
Quick pressure %	31.0%

Big-Money Pass Rushers

Josh Sweat and Milton Williams stood out as game-changers for the Eagles’ pass rush. The soon-to-be free agents made themselves a lot of money with their performances, combining for 12 pressures and five sacks.

Williams, in particular, was dominant, earning a game-high 91.0 PFF pass-rush grade. His biggest moment came late in the game when he delivered a strip sack on Mahomes, sealing Philadelphia’s championship victory and putting the final nail in the Chiefs’ coffin.