ROAD TO SUPER BOWL LIX
The Chiefs will meet the Eagles in New Orleans
For the second time in three years, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will jockey for football's ultimate prize: the Vince Lombardi Trophy, handed to the winner of the Super Bowl. This installment, the 59th Super Bowl in NFL history, will either see the Chiefs become the first-ever "three-peat" champion in the modern era, or the Eagles claim their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Neither Philadelphia nor Kansas City would be here without their star quarterbacks. This is the most important position on the field; both the Chiefs and the Eagles have identified, drafted, and developed elite players under center. Philly's Jalen Hurts and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes have grown under high-level coaching and have been tested in battle over the past several seasons in advance of their next meeting, inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Hurts and Mahomes have met three times between the NFL's regular season and playoffs. Mahomes has a 2-1 record against Hurts, including a thrilling 38-35 comeback win in Super Bowl LVII at the end of the 2022 season. In those three meetings, Mahomes has thrown for 637 yards and 10 touchdowns against two interceptions with a 69 percent completion rate; Hurts has a 68 percent completion rate in three games against Mahomes' Chiefs, with three touchdown es to one interception.
Where Hurts has a slight advantage over Mahomes is on the ground, especially when the Eagles perform their famed "tush push" play in short-yardage situations. Hurts, 26, rushed for 70 yards and three touchdowns against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, with an additional 76 yards and two rushing touchdowns in those two regular season meetings. Mahomes has not had quite as much success against the Eagles' run defense; the 29-year-old has never scored a rushing touchdown against Philly, though he has accrued 108 rushing yards from 17 attempts.
Playing behind the Eagles' elite offensive line, Hurts shook over the turnover troubles that plagued him throughout 2023 and delivered a bounceback season for the NFC champions. In the regular season, Hurts put up a career-high 68.7 percent completion rate and ed for 32 total touchdowns as the Eagles grabbed the NFC's #2 seed; the two-time Pro Bowl selection led three fourth-quarter comebacks and posted his fourth successive season with at least 10 rushing touchdowns.
In three postseason games this January, Hurts has thrown for three touchdowns with zero interceptions and added four further scores on the ground; in the NFC title game, Hurts threw for 246 yards and grabbed four total touchdowns as the Eagles blew out the Washington Commanders, 55-23, to seal age to New Orleans.
In Kansas City, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a share of the NFL's best record and continued his streak of winning the AFC West division title in each of his seasons as a starter. After struggling in the opening weeks of 2024, Mahomes also set a new personal best in completion percentage (67.5) while tossing 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The three-time Super Bowl champion was not always at his dazzling best in the regular season, but he led five fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives, adding further to his legend of seeming invincibility when the stakes are at their highest.
To that last point, Mahomes has turned the ball over only once in two playoff games -- against the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's AFC title game, he accrued three total touchdowns (one ing/two rushing) as Kansas City came back to win, 32-29, and advance to the Super Bowl for a third consecutive season.
The Eagles and the Chiefs first met more than 50 years ago
Super Bowl LIX is almost here -- and after months of waiting, NFL fans finally know the two teams that will battle it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the right to be called "Super Bowl champions".
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs are back on football's biggest stage after they defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC title game to return to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row. The Chiefs are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, but the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles -- led by Saquon Barkley and an explosive running game -- stand in the way, and they are hoping to exact revenge for their loss to Kansas City on this stage in February 2023.
For two teams that met only three times before the year 2000, the Eagles and the Chiefs sure have made more than a little history together. NFL fans will their meeting in Super Bowl LVII at the conclusion of the 2022 season, but the Chiefs have played the Eagles 11 times in all entering their Super Bowl rematch in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
Kansas City has six wins to Philadelphia's five across those 11 meetings, but the Eagles got the last laugh over the Chiefs in their most recent meeting. In Week 11 of the 2023 season, quarterback Jalen Hurts led Philadelphia back from a 17-7 deficit to win, 21-17, at Arrowhead Stadium. Hurts rushed for two touchdowns in the second half of that game as the Eagles defense shut out the Chiefs offense in the final two quarters. Before this game, Philly's previous win over Kansas City took place in 2009, when Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was the Eagles' head coach, while their last win at Arrowhead occurred in 2005.
That 2023 regular season game was a slice of "revenge" for Super Bowl LVII, contested at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Eagles jumped out to a 24-14 halftime lead while Mahomes battled through a high ankle sprain and the possibility of losing his second Super Bowl in three seasons. However, Mahomes led a touchdown drive to begin the third quarter, and he threw two more touchdown es in the fourth quarter as the Philly offense sputtered; with eight seconds to go in regulation, Harrison Butker nailed a 27-yard field goal to deliver the Chiefs their third Super Bowl title in a 38-35 thriller. The Eagles and Chiefs first played one another in 1972, two years after the NFL and the AFL (American Football League) completed a merger. The Chiefs lost that regular season game at Arrowhead and only played the Eagles twice more before the 2001 season: a 24-17 home win in 1992, and a 24-21 road win in 1998. In all, Philly has outscored Kansas City by only two points, 275-273, across their 11 meetings, which signals that Super Bowl LIX will be another close game with an unforgettable finish.
ROAD TO SUPER BOWL LIX
The Eagles and Chiefs were battle-tested during this year's playoffs before getting to the big game
The stage is set for Super Bowl LIX as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to battle it out at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The matchup marks a highly anticipated rematch of Super Bowl LVII, with both teams aiming to solidify their places in NFL history. For Kansas City, the goal is to complete a historic three-peat, while Philadelphia seeks redemption for their loss two years ago.
The Eagles demonstrated their strength all season long, culminating in an NFC Championship victory that showcased their offensive and defensive prowess. Philadelphia dismantled the Washington Commanders in a dominant 55-23 win, setting a record for the most points scored in an NFC Championship Game. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley were the stars of the show, each contributing three rushing touchdowns. The Eagles capitalized on four turnovers by Washington, leaving no room for doubt about their superiority.
The Commanders, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, managed to keep the game close through three quarters. However, a costly Austin Ekeler fumble and late scores by Philadelphia sealed their fate. The victory was the Eagles' fifth NFC Championship in franchise history and the fourth under the leadership of owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Earlier in the playoffs, the Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round and edged past the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round. Their 10-game winning streak at Lincoln Financial Field has been a cornerstone of their success this season.
On the AFC side, the Kansas City Chiefs secured their third consecutive Super Bowl berth and their fifth in the past six years with a hard-fought 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Patrick Mahomes once again proved why he's one of the league's most decorated quarterbacks, orchestrating two fourth-quarter touchdown drives that sealed the Chiefs' victory.
The game against Buffalo was a tense affair, with the Bills holding a slim lead entering the final quarter. However, critical mistakes in short-yardage situations allowed the Chiefs to take control. Mahomes' heroics included a scrambling touchdown and a crucial to Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs' defense also stepped up, stopping Buffalo's final drive with a fourth-down incompletion to Dalton Kincaid.
Kansas City's playoff run began with a solid 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round. Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, and the rest of the Chiefs' roster have proven time and again why they're a force to be reckoned with.
The Super Bowl matchup promises to be one for the ages. The Chiefs aim to solidify their dynasty with an unprecedented third consecutive championship, while the Eagles look to make history by avenging their previous loss. Both teams bring a wealth of talent and momentum to the game, setting the stage for a thrilling battle on February 9.
As the NFL season reaches its climax, fans can expect an intense showdown between two of the league's most accomplished teams. Will the Chiefs cement their legacy as one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history, or will the Eagles rise to reclaim their place at the top? The answer lies on the field in New Orleans.
WINNERS
Kansas City has opened as a slight favorite against Philadelphia
After a thrilling regular season and heightened drama in the conference playoffs, the Super Bowl LIX matchup is set -- and it will be a familiar showdown taking place in the NFL's annual championship game, two Sundays from now. The AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs are seeking to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. Not since 2002 has any team in one of the United States' four major sporting leagues (the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) won its league's championship for three seasons in a row, a streak that many believe Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are set to end...
...unless Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have anything to say about it. The Eagles have reached the Super Bowl for the second time in three years (and the third time in eight years). Philadelphia is out to avenge its loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII, in which Mahomes led the Chiefs back from a 10-point halftime deficit to win, 38-35, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. With so much at stake, what can past Super Bowl results tell us about which team will emerge victorious this time around?
Super Bowl LIX marks the 11th time the NFL has hosted its showpiece game in New Orleans, at the Caesars Superdome in the city's central business district. The previous 10 meetings have been split evenly between AFC and NFC teams, meaning one of the Eagles or the Chiefs will tilt that split back in one conference's favor.
However, the past two Super Bowls in New Orleans --- XXXVI (36) in 2002 and XLVII (47) in 2013 -- have not only been decided by a combined six points; they have been won by AFC teams. Not since 2017 has one conference won three successive Super Bowls; the Denver Broncos or the New England Patriots, both AFC representatives, won the three Super Bowls contested between the 2014 and 2016 seasons. The last NFC team to win a Super Bowl based in New Orleans were the Green Bay Packers, who defeated the Patriots to conclude the 1996 NFL season.
The Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls each, meaning both franchises are tied for the NFL record. If the Chiefs win in two weeks' time, Kansas City will become only the fifth organization to win the Super Bowl at least five times; only the Patriots (with 11 appearances) and the Steelers (eight appearances) will have played in more Super Bowls than the Chiefs when the ball is kicked off on Feb. 9.
The Eagles won Super Bowl LII following the 2017 season, their only modern-era NFL championship to date. Philly has played in a New Orleans-based Super Bowl before, but that game -- Super Bowl XV following the 1980 season -- was a loss, a 27-10 humbling against the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. That history may add more fuel to the Chiefs' fire, as Kansas City's three-peat hopes now hinge on securing just one more win.
THE DYNASTY OF THE CHIEFS
The Chiefs will be playing in their third consecutive Super Bowl in New Orleans
The Kansas City Chiefs have once again secured their place on football's grandest stage, earning a hard-fought 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills to claim another AFC Championship. With this win, the Chiefs are closer than ever to solidifying themselves as one of the most remarkable dynasties in NFL history. A victory in this Super Bowl wouldn't just be a championship-it would be a statement, as they stand on the brink of achieving the elusive three-peat. If Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs pull it off, they would become the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, carving out a legacy that would rival, if not sur, the greatest dynasties in all professional sports. It's a feat that no team-not even those helmed by legends like Tom Brady or Bill Belichick-has managed to achieve in the Super Bowl era. Comparisons to past dynasties across sports highlight the magnitude of what the Chiefs could accomplish. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, dominated the early 2000s, steamrolling to three consecutive NBA titles. Their success was powered by an almost unfair combination of star power and physical dominance. Similarly, the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998 to 2000, using their financial muscle to field a roster unmatched in depth and talent.
But what sets the Chiefs apart is the modern NFL's commitment to parity. Unlike the Yankees or the Lakers, Kansas City operates under a hard salary cap, a parity-focused draft, and free agency rules that give weaker teams a chance to rebuild quickly. Despite these obstacles, the Chiefs, under head coach Andy Reid and guided by Mahomes' brilliance, have consistently reigned at the top.
Other NFL dynasties have come close to what Kansas City is chasing but fell short of the ultimate achievement. The Dallas Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 1990s but couldn't capture three in a row. The Green Bay Packers claimed three consecutive championships in the 1960s, but only two of those were Super Bowls, as the modern era was just beginning.
In hockey, teams like the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadiens dominated their respective eras. However, their achievements came in leagues with far fewer teams and significantly less competition. The Chiefs' dominance comes in a league where every rule and system is designed to prevent it.
Even the New England Patriots, who set the gold standard for NFL dynasties with six championships over two decades, couldn't complete a three-peat. They made three straight Super Bowls from 2016 to 2018 but stumbled in the middle year against the Philadelphia Eagles-the same team now standing in Kansas City's path.
STADIUM
The Superdome will host a major football game for the second time in 2025.
The stage is set for the ultimate showdown in football. Following their epic victories in the conference championship games, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will do battle in just two weeks time to determine who will sit on the NFL throne, at least for one season. Every offseason, teams dream of reaching the Super Bowl, but it always comes down to just one team from each conference. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest spectacles in any sport. A game of such magnitude needs the right setting, so the NFL gives venues a big head start in order to prepare for the event years in advance. In 2025, the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans will be where the Chiefs and Eagles fight for football supremacy. The Superdome is the home of the New Orleans Saints, and has been since 1975. It has also been the venue for the Sugar Bowl in college football every season since that same year. While iconic in its own right, the Superdome became synonymous with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when it was used as a shelter for victims of the deadly natural disaster. The Saints were forced to play all their game on the road due to damages done by the hurricane to the stadium. Eventually, the dome re-opened in 2006 and featured one of the greatest moments in league history: Steve Gleason's blocked punt for a touchdown in the team's first home game since the disaster.
Since 2011, the capacity for the dome has been 73,208, although it's expandable to 76,468. Seven Super Bowls have been hosted at the Superdome, with the most recent being in 2013.
· XII, 1978: Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10
· XV, 1981: Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10
· XX, 1986: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
· XXIV, 1990: San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
· XXXI, 1997: Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
· XXXVI, 2002: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
· XLVII, 2013: Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
Only the Eagles have played in a Super Bowl in the Superdome, but that was back in 1981. They will be hoping to score more than 10 points this time around.
VINCE LOMBARDI
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become the first NFL team to win it three times in a row Before every NFL season, every single team has aspirations of making it to the Super Bowl, no matter how implausible it may seem at the time. That's the goal for every team and player. They grow up fantasizing about lifting the Lombardi Trophy, although only a select few get to do it over the span of their careers.
The trophy awarded to the best team in the sport after the final whistle blows has become iconic due to its design. Its name has also become colloquial, although many may not even know how it got its name. Football diehards surely do, though.
Known more so as just the "Lombardi Trophy", its full name is the "Vince Lombardi Trophy". It's named after Vince Lombardi, who is highly regarded as one of the best coaches and football executives in the sport's history. It wasn't named after him until 1970.
Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls ever played (I and II), as the team's head coach and general manager. That came after he hadled them to five NFL Championships in seven years before the Super Bowl became the final game of the season.
The trophy features a simple design of a football perched on top of a three-sided design. It was created by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966, in conjunction with Tiffany and Co. vice president Oscar Riedner. Riedner had made a sketch of the trophy on a cocktail napkin, and the rest was history.
Tiffany and Co. continue to produce the trophy every year. A new one is made for every season, and the winning franchise gets to keep it. Each player gets a small replica trophy as well.
The franchises with the most Lombardi Trophies in their possession are the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. Both have six trophies, while the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys are right behind with five.
While the trophy has not been fully dropped or broken, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski actually dented the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy by using it as a baseball bat
Some legendary quarterbacks have also had mishaps with the trophy. Patrick Mahomes almost gave the Chiefs' trophy away to a fan during a championship parade.
Tom Brady also threw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' trophy from one boat to another in an extremely risky maneuever back in 2021. Gronkowski was involved in that one as well.
SUPER BOWL LIX HALFTIME SHOW
It wouldn't be a Super Bowl without a show-stopping performance during halftime
Super Bowl LIX is nearing, as we are now down to the final two teams: the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Given the rich history of both franchises and the amount of high-profile stars on both sides, the NFL will want to put on a show for this edition of The Big Game. Thankfully, they have the right venue for it: the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
While the game itself is the most important aspect of the Super Bowl, it wouldn't be a spectacle without other contributing factors. Mainly, a lot of people tune in for the halftime show, which has at times become bigger than the actual game. That won't be true given the Chiefs and Eagles are in this year's game, but they have the potential to get upstaged by the headliner.
Kendrick Lamar, the legendary rapper who continues to hone his craft and one-up himself as he gets older, will be the headliner for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. He will have some help, too, as SZA has been confirmed as a special guest. SZA is a part of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), the same label as Lamar.
This won't be the first time Lamar will perform at a halftime show. He was part of an epic group of headliners for the Super Bowl LVI halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Considered one of the best shows ever, Lamar was ed on stage by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. That show was the first to be centered around rap artists, marking a monumental moment for the genre.
Lamar will continue that and follow up two R&B performances over the past two years, delivered by Rihanna in 2023 and Usher in 2024. Fans want to know if Lamar will play any of his diss songs about Drake, which would truly shut everything down, but may be too risky, even for him.
Many wanted Lil Wayne to perform at Super Bowl LIX due to his ties to New Orleans, his hometown. Perhaps Lamar will bring out the iconic rapper and truly give fans a show to .
Lil Wayne himself said he would "kill that s**t" if given the opportunity. He publicly campaigned to be the headliner, and it certainly would have been epic for the city of New Orleans.His insistence on performing could lead to a cameo appearance, but nothing is certain.
EDITORS:
Tristán Ashfar - Jeremy Beren - Matías Wodner
DESIGN:
Emilio Alcalde - Raúl Escudero - Martina Gil - MARCANIT
SEO:
Damien Santiago - Gonzalo Mendo
DOCUMENTATION:
David Pecker
PHOTO:
MARCA