Three-Peat Defeat: The Weight of History Crushed the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX
Sophie Sturiale - Starting Line Sports
Before the start of Super Bowl LIX, it was safe to say that most people shared the same mindset—a Philadelphia Eagles win would be great, but the Kansas City Chiefs would likely bring home the trophy once again.
The odds were stacked against the Eagles with the Chiefs' impressive 15-2 record and near-flawless season. However, by the end of the Super Bowl, the Eagles came out victorious with a dominant 40-22 win. One looming factor may have contributed to the Chiefs' downfall—the immense pressure of making history by becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
There’s no denying that this game was a disaster for the Chiefs. During the regular season, the Chiefs’ rushing attack averaged 105.3 yards per game. However, in the Super Bowl, they only managed to gain 49 rushing yards on 11 attempts (Pro Football Reference, 2025).
Their defense also had a tough game. During the regular season, the Chiefs' defense allowed an average of 19.2 points per game, whereas in the Super Bowl, the Eagles managed to score 40 points against their defensive line (Pro Football Reference, 2025).
Of course, the Eagles had an incredible game and completely deserved the win based on their performance. However, it raises the question: how did the mighty Chiefs crumble so quickly?
“Today was a rough day. We really didn’t play well in any of the phases. Didn’t coach good enough. They did a nice job,” Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid admitted (Reid, 2025, as cited in CNN, 2025).
It is difficult to pinpoint one specific area where things went wrong in this game—everyone seemed to have their own thoughts on what happened and what led to this astonishing upset.
“We haven’t played that bad all year—just couldn’t find that spark, couldn’t find that momentum,” tight end Travis Kelce explained (Kelce, 2025, as cited in Today, 2025).
Heading into the Super Bowl, any team would feel the pressure and nerves. However, if the past two years have shown anything, it is that the Chiefs typically overcome those nerves and use them to drive themselves to victory. Was the pressure of making NFL history too much for Kansas City? Their nerves may have taken over, leading to this devastating loss.
With this upset and ongoing speculation about a potential retirement for star player Kelce, it seems unlikely that any team will achieve three consecutive Super Bowl wins in the foreseeable future. A dominant performance by the Eagles and the overwhelming pressure on the Chiefs ultimately led to the downfall of the team that many were labeling the NFL’s next dynasty.
References
CNN. (2025, February 10). Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl loss. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/10/sport/kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-loss-spt/index.html
Pro Football Reference. (2025). Kansas City Chiefs team stats. Retrieved from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/kan/2024.htm
Today. (2025, February 10). Travis Kelce reacts to Super Bowl LIX loss. Retrieved from https://www.today.com/news/sports/travis-kelce-super-bowl-2025-kansas-city-chiefs-loss-rcna191438
