By David Weinberg
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts slumped on the floor in the locker room at the Caesars Superdome last Sunday, puffing on a victory cigar while cradling his Super Bowl MVP trophy.
He had just helped the Birds win the fifth NFL championship and second Super Bowl title in franchise history, accounting for three touchdowns in a 40-22 romp over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
The Eagles had a slew of worthy candidates for the MVP award. Virtually the entire team was responsible for holding Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, coach Andy Reid and company one “peat” short of a three-peat.
“This is the ultimate team game.” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody: offense, defense and special teams.”
The Eagles’ defense was the main reason jubilant fans will be trying to shimmy up greased poles this week. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit capped an outstanding season with perhaps their best effort, given the opponent
Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean celebrated his 22nd birthday – I’ve got t-shirts older than him – with a 38-yard pick six that was also his first career interception. He became just the second player to score a TD in a championship game on his birthday, joining Eagles running back Steve Van Buren, who accomplished the feat in 1947.
Edge rusher Josh Sweat spent almost as much time in the Chiefs’ backfield as Mahomes. He registered 2.5 of the Eagles’ six sacks – the most times Mahomes has hit the turf in his career. Defensive tackle Milton Williams added two sacks.
Linebacker Zack Baun capped his outstanding season with an interception to go with a team-high seven tackles.
Mahomes wound up throwing for 257 yards and three touchdowns, but most of the yardage and all of the TD passes occurred after Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. The Eagles’ defense was lights out in the first half as the Birds stormed to a 24-0 lead and led 34-0 at one point.
“(The talk about a three-peat) definitely motivated us,” Williams said. “They were talking about getting a copyright (to three-peat) and all that B.S. Now you can throw that (stuff) in the trash.”
The Eagles offense also excelled, even with running back Saquon Barkley being a non-factor. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo centered his game plan around stopping Barkley, who was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for a franchise-record 2,005 yards in the regular season.
Barkley was limited to 57 yards on 25 carries (2.3 yards per carry), but Hurts and the rest of the offense stepped up.
Hurts silenced his critics with a terrific effort. He shook off an early interception to complete 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns to wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, respectively, while also rushing for a team-high 72 yards and a TD.
Although the effort wasn’t as magical as Nick Foles’ amazing game in Super Bowl LII – Foles threw for 373 yards and three TDs to go with his “Philly Special” TD catch – it was certainly enough to cement Hurts’ legacy.
“The criticism just blows my mind because I think he’s special,” Sirianni said. “He’s won so many games and works his butt off. … He had an unbelievable game today when we needed him to.”
Sunday’s win marked the Eagles’ second championship in eight years and was their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons. It was so dominant, so completely overwhelming that there are those who rank this season’s team among the best in franchise history.
There are others that deserve consideration, such as the Van Buren-led team that won back-to back NFL championships – there was no Super Bowl until 1967 – in 1948-49 after losing in the final in 1947. In 1960, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and two-way standout Chuck Bednarik went 10-2, then won the championship.
The Eagles had an impressive run under coach Andy Reid, quarterback Donovan McNabb and safety Brian Dawkins about 20 years ago. They reached four straight NFC Championship games from 2001-04 and again in 2008, though only got to one Super Bowl in 2004 and lost to the Patriots.
The 2017 version holds a very special place in the hearts of longtime fans.. Foles, coach Doug Pederson and company gave the city its first title in 57 years when they beat the Pats 41-33. That set off a wild, joyous celebration that included center Jason Kelce dressing up as a Mummer and delivering an epic speech at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
This one may not evoke the same emotion, but certainly deserves a place near the top of the team’s all time rankings.
And it may not be the end of excellence. The team is stocked with young talent and appears in good position to be a contender for the foreseeable future.
Who knows, maybe there will be a three-peat after all?
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points.
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