Even after two weeks of predictions and breakdowns of a title showdown between teams that had met two years prior, Super Bowl 59 still managed to produce a stunning result.
The Philadelphia Eagles rebuffed the Kansas City Chiefs’ three-peat bid in decisive fashion, rolling to a 40-22 victory at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans that wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated. The revenge factor was high for the Eagles, who set things right after they fell short against the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57. As the closing chapter to the 2024 season, the game is bound to have significant fallout on the coming months.
Here are the biggest winners and losers of Super Bowl 59:
Winners
Nick Sirianni
A beatdown this thorough and well-executed points back to leadership. Sirianni began the year facing hot-seat speculation after last season’s meltdown, and he ended it with a Lombardi Trophy and the second-most wins (including the playoffs) of any coach through the first four years of his career (54). Asked often in recent weeks about what his team had learned from its Super Bowl 57 loss to the Chiefs as well as last season’s tailspin, Sirianni vowed that the team had grown from the setbacks. The proof came on the field at Caesars Superdome, as the coach seemed to have pressed all the right buttons to have his team ready to dismantle a group that the rest of the league had been unable to shake.
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Howie Roseman
‘You want to know what the secret to good coaching is?’ Sirianni asked on NFL Network’s postgame show. ‘Get good players.’ Roseman has unquestionably done that and then some. After Philadelphia flamed out in spectacular fashion to end last season, the architect of the roster embarked on what will be remembered as one of the most aggressive and transformative offseasons in league history. He netted massive returns on free-agent contracts both big (2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley) and small (NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist Zack Baun), and a draft class highlighted by Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean took the secondary from a weak point to a source of strength. Recall what A.J. Brown said on Opening Night: ‘I think Howie Roseman is the reason we are here tonight.’
Vic Fangio
Long celebrated as one of the game’s preeminent defensive minds, Fangio finally put together what will go down as the crowning achievement of his career. Despite never blitzing Mahomes, the Eagles defense racked up 16 pressures (with a pressure rate of 38.1%, according to Next Gen Stats) and six sacks. Fangio’s approach of denying big plays became a widely imitated tactic for countering Mahomes in recent years, but he was famously 0-8 as a head coach and coordinator against the Chiefs star – until Sunday. Now, he owns a signature Super Bowl performance against one of the game’s all-time greats.
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Jalen Hurts
After outplaying Patrick Mahomes in the initial Super Bowl showdown between the two signal-callers two years ago, Hurts didn’t have to go throw-for-throw with his Chiefs counterpart, as his supporting cast gave him a huge boost. But let’s not undersell what the Eagles quarterback was able to accomplish on the night, as well as the entire season. Hurts improved greatly against the blitz after facing substantial scrutiny for how he handled pressure, so it was fitting that his campaign would be capped by conquering a Steve Spagnuolo defense. He wasn’t necessarily the engine for the victory, but with three total touchdowns, he was a deserving MVP.
Josh Sweat
In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Sweat changed his agent, saying ‘it’s the biggest moment of my life.’ That might have actually come Sunday, when the impending free agent recorded 2 ½ sacks and repeatedly overwhelmed Kansas City’s offensive line as part of a performance that easily could have earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. At just 27, he’s due for a massive pay raise – whether from Philadelphia or another bidder – after signing a one-year, $10 million contract last season. For a player who endured a series of significant health challenges – including a scary neck injury, internal bleeding that the Eagles described as a ‘life-threatening situation’ and a torn ACL and knee dislocation in high school – the long-term security will be well-deserved.
Saquon Barkley’s skill set
On a night when he was held to 57 rushing yards on 25 carries – still good enough to set the single-season record including the playoffs – Barkley managed to make his mark in other phases of the game. The first-team All-Pro added a team-high six catches for 40 yards, and he also stood out with his work picking up blitzes and as a lead blocker for Hurts on a few runs.
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Fox
A blowout of this proportion might typically be poison for ratings. Here’s betting that’s not the case for Sunday’s game, as many viewers who have grown weary of the Chiefs surely were interested in indulging in some schadenfreude. While this was a lopsided affair, the stunning downfall of a team that repeatedly prevailed in close calls kept the audience engaged and the entertainment factor high.
Birthday boys
When it comes to birthdays, better to trade in cards and cakes for trophies and rings. DeJean celebrated turning 22 by hauling in a pick-six, his first career interception. He also became the first player in Super Bowl history to score a touchdown or intercept a pass in the game on his birthday. And while Barkley didn’t have a prolific outing from a statistical standpoint, the win was no doubt a sweet present for a player who had grown tired of toiling on losing teams during his run with the New York Giants. Said the first-team All-Pro after the game: ‘It’s a great way to turn 28.’
Jake Elliott
After missing a career-high eight field-goal attempts in the regular season and three extra-point attempts in the playoffs, Elliott rediscovered his sturdy form on the Super Bowl stage. He converted all four of his field-goal attempts and four extra-point attempts to score 16 points, setting a new Super Bowl high for kickers. His nine career field goals are tied with Chiefs counterpart Harrison Butker for the most in the game, and he now has the most attempts of any kicker without a miss.
Kendrick Lamar
If Caesars Superdome were able to measure approval rating in real time, no figure who touched the field would have come close to the Super Bowl halftime performer. Lamar’s set was downright electric and pushed the envelope as far as anyone on this stage could. Good luck to whoever tries to follow up next year in Santa Clara.
Losers
Patrick Mahomes
Asked last week if there was a game he replayed in his mind most often, Mahomes replied that the Buccaneers’ beatdown of the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 was the clear choice. It’s a good bet that he now has a new answer. Whether he was off target or trying to avoid the Eagles’ relentless pressure, the three-time Super Bowl MVP looked out of sorts from the outset Sunday night. Unable to crack Fangio’s Cover 4 shells, he completed just six of 14 passes for 33 yards with two interceptions in the first half. That essentially sunk Kansas City, which only showed a spark late in the fourth quarter, when Mahomes heaved a 50-yard touchdown to Xavier Worthy. There’s no tarnishing what’s already an outstanding résumé, but amid a stretch when Mahomes was repeatedly compared to Tom Brady, it was almost too fitting that he had another experience in which an unyielding front four derailed his title hopes.
Travis Kelce
He passed Jerry Rice for the most career receptions in Super Bowl history (35), but there’s no chance that’s how he or anyone else will remember his performance on the night. For the first time in his career, Kelce was held without a first-half catch in a postseason game, and his four catches for 39 yards were rendered meaningless by the massive hole the Chiefs found themselves in after halftime. Questions about his future will linger, but after he signaled all week that he intended to continue playing, this would be quite the sour note for one of the game’s all-time greats to end his career on if he changes his mind.
Taylor Swift
Want another reminder about how much of a break from the typical reality Sunday night was? Swift was resoundingly booed at Caesars Superdome. How many stadiums has that happened in the last two years? And it goes without saying that taking in one of the greater letdowns of Kelce’s career couldn’t have been much fun. Just another reminder that it’s impossible to stay undefeated forever.
Chiefs’ offensive line
The last time Mahomes faced this much pressure, Kansas City responded by overhauling its protection plan up front. Repeating that effort won’t be easy, as the Chiefs currently only have $11 million in spending space for 2025, according to OverTheCap.com. That could be a harbinger for more troubles, as offensive guard Trey Smith is bound to have suitors willing to reset the market at his position. And after scraping by moving left guard Joe Thuney out to safeguard Mahomes’ blind side, the AFC champs need to identify a long-term solution at left tackle.
Fox
If you’re going to debut a new scorebug at the Super Bowl, you better be confident it will be met with approval. Instead, the confusing look sparked incredulity from viewers. At least the network has plenty of time to retool it before trotting it out again. Meanwhile, Tom Brady frequently seemed unable to measure up to the moment in the capper to his first year as a broadcaster.
NFL schedule-makers
As the reigning champs, the Eagles are set to get the honor of kickoff the 2025 campaign at home. While they should still command plenty of attention, it’s clear that no team can measure up to the Chiefs as a draw for a national audience. A Super Bowl rematch isn’t in the cards to open Week 1, as that showdown is set to take place at Arrowhead Stadium. There are some promising divisional matchups with the Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders for an NFC title game re-do or the Dallas Cowboys, who will be kicking off a new era under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer. But there’s no slam dunk sell like the Chiefs.
Drake
Do we really need to explain this one?
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