The Philadelphia Eagles have done it. They are Super Bowl champs for the second time in seven years. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22 and the scoreboard doesn’t do justice to how dominant this Eagles team was. This team just found ways to win this year. It didn’t matter if it was the passing game, the rushing attack, or the defense; the Eagles just won football games. Seeing this team lose two years ago and watching them face the same team that ruined a magical season, to watch them get their revenge, made this Super Bowl, that much sweeter. I have now witnessed two Super Bowl wins in my lifetime and I am so glad that I am a fan of this team. Now let’s dive into some observations from last night’s victory.

Jalen Hurts is a Winner

If you have read my observations over the past season, you know that I am one of the most pro-Hurts people out there. This game showed the world who Jalen Hurts is. It’s a shame that the Super Bowl two years ago was forgotten because the Eagles couldn’t close that game out, but this is who he is. All year long Hurts preached that he didn’t care about stats or praise, he just wanted to win. Since 2022, Jalen Hurts is 43-12, He just wins football games. Last night, he was 17/22 or 221 yards with 2 TDs, and 1 INT, add on 11 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown, you can see why he was named the Super Bowl MVP. It just seems like Jalen Hurts is made for big games, he seems to stand out and make big-time plays in these games. That pass to DeVonta Smith for the touchdown was a beauty. As a person, Hurts has been through a ton of adversity. In college, he was benched in the National Championship game, won as a backup, transferred to Oklahoma, and became a Heisman finalist. In the NFL, he was drafted and there were a ton of people unhappy with the Eagles’ selection, he lost in the Super Bowl, was the face of criticism all year, and now he is on the top of that mountain. You could almost sense the pain he felt throughout the years as he was holding back tears during the interviews post-game. I am so proud of the kid, if you are going to talk about Jalen Hurts, you have to address him as Super Bowl Champion and MVP Jalen Hurts.

Let’s not forget about Nick Sirianni

When the Eagles hired Nick Sirianni, it seemed like he was hired because nobody wanted to coach the Eagles. I didn’t expect anything out of Sirianni. Fast forward to February 9th, 2025 and he is a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Like Hurts, Sirianni has been the face of a ton of criticism. Many people have pointed towards his antics on the sideline, or how emotional he gets, but I think he’s just one of us. There have been times (really only after the playoff disaster last year) when I have lost faith in Coach Sirianni, but all he does is win. He is one of the most disrespected coaches in the NFL and why? Because he doesn’t call plays? He shows more emotion than other coaches? He has built a culture in that Eagles locker room, the players love playing for him. He uses High School coaching tactics to build a culture and he has grown men buying into his message. That’s not a shot at him, it’s just hard to build cultures like the one he’s built in the NFL. He is one of 3 coaches with a .700 career win percentage and a Super Bowl Championship. The other two? John Madden and Vince Lombardi. He is in elite company and he belongs there. He is a top coach in the NFL and he won’t get the credit he deserves. You can’t be great without the greatness of others, thank you, Coach Sirianni.

Saquon is in the History Books

Saquon Barkley is the NFL single season rushing leader as he passed Terrell Davis’ previous total. What a season it was for Saquon. After he was signed to the Eagles, I was surprised that Howie Roseman went out and signed a big name running back. Now, looking back at the season he had, Roseman made a great decision. This was the most exciting years I have ever witnessed and a big part of that came from the amazing plays Saquon had this year. From the backwards hurdle, to all of the 60+ yard runs, it has been a magical year for Saquon. He didn’t have a great statistical game in the Super Bowl, but he was effective as a pass catcher. I will have to give credit to the Chiefs, they did everything they had to do to stop Saquon, but it allowed everything else to open up for the offense.

The WRs had a quiet, but Productive Day

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 7 rec for 112 yards and 2 TDs, while those numbers may not stick out, they both made plays win the offense needed them the most. A.J. Brown started off the game with a great catch on 4th down that eventually got called back. The rest is history. Brown got in the endzone on a drag route where he was wide open and DeVonta Smith had a 46 yard TD catch that I could watch over and over again. Smith seems to always shows up in big games, and as I was scrolling through X i saw this interesting post:

DeVonta Smith has now scored a TD in the following games (via @_NickKelly):

▪️ Super Bowl
▪️ National Championship
▪️ SEC Championship
▪️ Rose Bowl
▪️ Orange Bowl
▪️ Iron Bowl

Smitty’s trophy cabinet at age 26:

▪️ 1 Super Bowl
▪️ 2 CFP National Championships
▪️ CFP… pic.twitter.com/xnHRHapsi8

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 10, 2025

Brown and Smith are the best duo in the NFL and I don’t think it’s close. They complement each other and Hurts obviously has a lot of trust in them. Jahan Dotson even got involved on the action, he had 2 catches for 42 yards and was just one yard away from a touchdown on the second drive of the game. I think Dotson will be much better in year 2, and I’m excited to watch this unit for years to come.

The Defensive line was the MVP

What an absolute performance from the defensive line, everyone and I mean everyone played a role in this victory. Josh Sweat had 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits. Honestly, I think there was a case for Sweat to win Super Bowl MVP, he was everywhere and it was surprising. He had looked like he slowed down towards the end of the season, and he just turned it on for the Super Bowl, if this is the end for Sweat on the Eagles, I’m glad I got to do one last Sweat celebration. Milton Williams was fantastic too, 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, and a QB hit. Let’s not forget about his strip sack and fumble recovery. Williams has been a stud this year and many fans predicted this. He had always flashed when given playing time in previous years and this was his breakout year. I’m so glad he got to show out on the NFL’s biggest stage. Jordan Davis got a sack, Moro Ojomo had a TFL, Jalyx Hunt played outstanding, he had .5 sacks. Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter each had 2 QB hits, and last but not least, Brandon Graham had a tackle. Graham had a torn triceps and battled through it, I’m glad that the old man will be able to ride off into the sunset as a Super Bowl Champion.

The LBs 

That’s the header. Zack Baun was looked at as another LB Howie Roseman signed just to fill a roster spot in hopes that he could be serviceable. He is now looked at as probably the most complete LB in the NFL. He was absolutely amazing this year. Baun had a great game in the Super Bowl too, he had a team-high 7 tackles, a PBU, a QB hit, and a huge INT while the Chiefs were backed up into their own redzone. He was just an edge rusher and special teamer in New Orleans and how great is it, that he walks into that stadium and plays like he did last night. The Eagles saw something in Baun that other teams didn’t, the Eagles need to bring back Baun at all costs. Oren Burks had 5 tackles and guess what? He got his revenge. Last year, he let Travis Kelce dominate him, this year he is walking away from that matchup as a Super Bowl Champion.

Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell are the Future

Cooper DeJean picked a great time to get his first NFL INT. It was his birthday and the Super Bowl, and that’s not even the best part. DeJean returned the pick for a touchdown. Quinyon Mitchell didn’t have a pick, but I just love the confidence he has in himself, no matter what happens in the previous play, drive, or game, he never lets his confidence fade. The Eagles somehow drafted both of these guys in the draft last year. Howie Roseman has done a phenomenal job building up this secondary after years of sub-par cornerback play. The guy that started that turn around, was Slay. I’m not sure what the future holds for Slay, but he loves it in Philly. The mentor role he was able to play this year for DeJean and Mitchell is something he takes pride in. He wants to play one more year, but if he wants it to be in Philly there might have to be some changes to his contract. Slay is awesome and he deserves this one. You know who I’m really happy for? James Bradberry. Bradberry gets himself a ring and there was never any word of him complaining or causing trouble because the Eagles essentially hid him from the public with a lower body injury. I’m just so happy for these guys.

Welcome Back Jake Elliott

If you think about it, Jake Elliott went 7/7 on FGs including a 50 yarder and 4/4 on XP attempts. The Eagles had 3 false starts on special teams and Elliott had to rekick each time. He just continued to make them. At times in the season, it looked like his confidence went away and he was no long the player he once was. You have to wonder, how much this game will improve his confidence going forward. There were talks about maybe moving on from Elliott after this season, I’m not so sure that’s the best choice now.

Vic Fangio Gets the Last Laugh

All week long, the story line was: Patrick Mahomes is 8-0 against Fangio. Well, life happens fast and Fangio’s defense destroyed Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. The best part about this whole game is that, the Eagles didn’t blitz, they won with a 4 man rush. When Fangio left the Dolphins, the players were almost celebrating because Fangio left. They complained his coaching style doesn’t work(he coached them hard), well a year later Vic Fangio finally gets his first ever Super Bowl victory. He turned a bottom 5 defense into the best defense in the NFL. Eagles fans won’t have to worry about Fangio going anywhere, he will be here until he wants to retire, in fact, I would bet he’s already studying film.

This season has been magical, at times it didn’t feel that way, but the Eagles finished the season with the Lombardi trophy. There were so many redemption stories going for this team, and the team is just easy to love. This team feels much different than the team from 2018, this feels sustainable, like they can be in the hunt for years to come. This is a young talented team and you have to thank Howie Roseman and Mr. Lurie for the way they build teams. Last night was just the beginning for this team. I’m thankful for this season, now on to the off-season. GO BIRDS.