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🏆 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE SUPER BOWL-CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Fly, Eagles, fly, indeed. There’s no one who can come close to the heights you’ve reached. The Eagles crushed the Chiefs, 40-22, to win Super Bowl LIX, the second Super Bowl triumph in franchise history.
It’s hard to decide what was more impressive: Jalen Hurts‘ performance or Philadelphia’s defense, but let’s start with Hurts, the Super Bowl MVP who was truly terrific: 17 for 22 for 221 yards and two touchdowns as well as 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Lots of people questioned what Hurts would do if an opponent limited Saquon Barkley. Hurts answered that emphatically. He belongs in any conversation regarding the upper tier of quarterbacks, Cody Benjamin says.
- Benjamin: “This year’s Super Bowl MVP is already etched into the NFL record books thanks to his Sunday night win … during which he became the only player other than seven-time champion Tom Brady with at least three total scores and a 70% passing completion rate in multiple Super Bowls. … The most consistent part about his game … is the most important: He wins. He shows up when the lights are brightest. He weathers the rough days to forge into the light. How else can his 2022-2024 stretch be described, in which he literally vaulted to the NFL mountaintop, crumbled back to Earth, then scratched and clawed until he reached true NFL glory.”
Hurts was one of my biggest winners from the game.
OK, now onto the defense, which sacked Patrick Mahomes six times (most in a game in his career) and turned him over three times, a Cooper DeJean pick six the biggest highlight. And here’s the thing: The Eagles didn’t blitz once. This was one-on-one domination up front and smart, sticky coverage behind that.
I mean, at halftime, the Eagles had more points (24) than the Chiefs had yards (23). Does it get more dominant than that? I loved Jordan Dajani’s look at the game-wreaking defense.
So how did we get here? The Eagles melted down last year. Nick Sirianni was screaming at his own fans amid early struggles this year. And then it all came together. This became a road-grading, physically dominant unit. They did it with home-grown talent, with excellent acquisitions, with savvy draft picks and with an outstanding coaching staff. GM Howie Roseman and the entire organization deserve tremendous credit for an aggressive approach that yielded world-champion results, Jared Dubin writes.
Not only did the Eagles stop a three-peat, but they could be building a dynasty of their own, Cody writes.
- Benjamin: “Hurts is remarkably just 26, despite already playing two strong Super Bowls. Sirianni will only be entering Year 5 atop the staff in 2025, and he may well have the sturdy Vic Fangio back as his top defensive aide. And the rest of the all-star talent is both rich and young: Barkley is practically the old guy, just turning 28 on Super Bowl Sunday, as fellow playmakers like A.J. Brown (27) and DeVonta Smith (26) are locked up for the distant future, while the defense is littered with first- or second-year stalwarts … Every year brings new challenges: injuries, slumps, tough schedules, you name it. The 2024 Eagles simply won’t be the 2025 Eagles, and beyond. But as long as the critical leaders remain in place, and remain on their trajectory as battle-tested winners, why can’t the Eagles set the standard moving forward?”
Here’s more:
- Brown scored (and did Jameis Winston‘s suggested celebration), and his favorite book was waiting for him on the sideline.
- Barkley was quiet but still set an NFL record and celebrated very appropriately.
- Even Jake Elliott got in on the history.
- Brandon Graham might be done playing, but he’s not done with the Eagles.
- Nick Foles trolled Brady.
👍 Honorable mentions
- Not to dampen your spirits, Eagles fans, but offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is expected to take the Saints‘ coaching job.
- Jimmy Butler‘s Warriors debut was a major success.
- Ben Simmons is signing with the Clippers after being bought out by the Nets.
- The 49ers gave Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade. Here’s where he could land.
- Here’s the list of participants for NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
- Hubie Brown concluded a legendary 70-year career in basketball Sunday, calling the Bucks‘ win over the 76ers.
- Brian Belichick is joining his dad Bill Belichick‘s staff at North Carolina.
- Christian Pulisic had two assists in AC Milan‘s win.
- Plymouth Argyle pulled off one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history, defeating Liverpool, 1-0.
- Dricus du Plessis demolished Sean Strickland (Strickland’s nose … yikes!) to defend his middleweight title.
- Zhang Weili retained her strawweight title, defeating Tatiana Suarez.
- Canelo Alvarez will fight William Scull to unify all four super middleweight divisional titles.
🏈 And not such a good morning for …
THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
There is no way around it. This was a beatdown of shocking, epic proportions. Mahomes, the king of the comeback, was flummoxed and overwhelmed in a way I’ve never seen. Yes, he was pressured a ton. But he also felt pressure when there was none. He resorted to the free-wheeling play of the quarterback he was in college. The Chiefs are a dynasty, no doubt, but tonight showed the Mahomes/Andy Reid comparisons to Brady/Bill Belichick are unfounded, Will Brinson writes.
And that’s OK, because the Chiefs don’t want to be those Patriots. They’re different teams with different coaches, different leaders, different methods of success. But to reach similar levels of success across several stretches, there’s much to do.
The offensive line is No. 1. After that 2021 Super Bowl loss to Brady’s Buccaneers, the Chiefs turned around and brought out a brand-new offensive line the next year. It won’t be brand new next year, but expect several changes around Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and (if he returns) Trey Smith. That’s one of three key questions for Kansas City, Tyler Sullivan notes.
Travis Kelce is also a big question. He was quiet all night and all season — his three touchdown catches were his fewest since he was a rookie. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Xavier Worthy was record-setting excellent, and perhaps he and a healthy Rashee Rice can emerge as the next stars of the passing game.
I know it hurts, Chiefs fans. It doesn’t matter how many you win. You always want another, and you always should. But there’s a reason no NFL team has ever completed the “three-peat.” (Bet that merch would’ve been fire. Alas, we’ll never know.)
But the sun will come up, Kansas City. It came up after that 2021 Super Bowl loss. It came after blowing that lead against the Bengals the year after.
Mahomes was bad yesterday, but he is historically great. When you play so late into the season every year, you either end with a championship or heartbreak. Kansas City has shown the ability to come back from the latter many times, with many different team builds, and don’t be surprised if it does so again.
👎 Not so honorable mentions
- Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont took a veiled shot at Luka Doncic.
- Meanwhile, Anthony Davis dominated in his Dallas debut … until he left with an adductor injury that will sideline him several weeks.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is out through the All-Star break.
- Aaron Rodgers will not return to the Jets. Here’s where he could land, and here’s where Davante Adams could land.
- Tee Higgins addressed his uncertain future.
- Mike Woodson will resign as Indiana coach at the end of the season. Here’s an early list of potential replacement candidates. The coach who beat Woodson this weekend doesn’t sound interested.
- The Unrivaled matchup between Laces BC and Vinyl BC was canceled to “prioritize player health and safety.”
- This wasn’t the year for new iconic Super Bowl commercials, but there were some fun ones.
- One NBA exec had a whole lot riding on a Chiefs three-peat. Oh, well.
🏈 Kendrick Lamar delivers at Super Bowl halftime show, Taylor Swift draws boos
Well, all I can say is “I’m sorry,” Drake fans. Kendrick Lamar went there, performing his hit diss track “Not Like Us” during the Super Bowl halftime show, with Samuel L. Jackson (dressed as Uncle Sam), SZA, Serena Williams and DJ Mustard also making appearances.
There were plenty of other stars in attendance, of course, and Taylor Swift was one of them: She received a chorus of boos from a very pro-Philadelphia crowd. National anthem performer Jon Batiste, meanwhile, got lots of cheers for a stirring rendition.
Here are our winners and losers from the non-football portion of the game as well as a rundown of performances honoring the victims of the New Year’s Day New Orleans terrorist attack.
🏈 2026 Super Bowl odds: Eagles, Chiefs among favorites
What a surprise! The two teams who just played in the Super Bowl are among the favorites to win it next year! The way-too-early (never-too-early in my opinion) 2026 Super Bowl odds are here. The top five …
- Eagles: +625
- Chiefs: +650
- Bills: +675
- Ravens: +675
- Lions: +1100
Here are Jordan Dajani’s favorite value bets.
🏀 No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Duke go down in men’s basketball; No. 2 South Carolina women stunned
With football season over, basketball takes center stage, and the college ranks certainly didn’t disappoint this weekend: No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke lost on the men’s side, and the No. 2 South Carolina women lost as well.
Let’s start with the Tigers, who often swallow up opponents who visit “The Jungle” but found it’s no easy task to wrestle a Gator. No. 6 Florida upended the top-ranked team for the second time this season with a 90-81 road masterpiece.
- It’s Florida’s first time ever beating a No. 1 team on the road.
- Todd Golden‘s club is now just the fifth ever to beat a No. 1 team on the road and at home in the same season. It beat Tennessee in Gainesville last month.
- Without starting guard Alijah Martin, Florida got a team-high 19 points from Walter Clayton Jr., a double-double from Alex Condon and a near double-double from Thomas Haugh off the bench.
Then came another stunner. With Dick Vitale returning to broadcasting, Clemson took down No. 2 Duke, 77-71, ending what had been the longest winning streak in the nation at 16 straight. Viktor Lakhin had 22 points, and Clemson shot 59% from the field. Cooper Flagg was incredible down the stretch until he wasn’t, slipping on the floor down two with 14 seconds left.
Elsewhere …
- Could that mean No. 3 Alabama goes to No. 1? Cameron Salerno answered that, and Kyle Boone predicted what today’s Top 25 will look like.
- Tom Izzo tied Bob Knight for most wins in Big Ten history.
- Kansas State beat No. 16 Kansas, 81-73, and the Wildcats earned “winner” status in our weekend winners and losers.
- Creighton took down No. 11 Marquette, 77-67.
On the women’s side, No. 4 Texas defeated No. 2 South Carolina 66-62, halting Gamecocks’ 57-game SEC winning streak that went back to 2021.
That’s good news for No. 1 UCLA. Also good news? Lauren Betts is returning next season.
🏀 Lakers-Hornets trade rescinded after Mark Williams fails physical
In a stunning and awkward turn of events, the Lakers-Hornets trade was rescinded after Mark Williams reportedly failed his physical. As such, Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a first-round swap in 2030 and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 all return to Los Angeles, and Williams heads back to Charlotte. The trade could not have been amended since Williams’ physical didn’t take place until after the trade deadline.
There were “multiple issues” with Williams’ physical, though they did not pertain to his back, which disrupted his 2023-24 season. The trade was seen as a big win for the Lakers in the short term (they needed a big man after the Luka Doncic trade) and in the long term, with the bouncy 23-year-old Williams primed to be Doncic’s lob partner for years to come.
Sam Quinn examined how this alters the Lakers’ plans and what could be next. Among potential stopgaps this season are …
- Daniel Theis
- Bismack Biyombo
- Mo Bamba
- JaVale McGee
📺 What we’re watching Monday
🏀 No. 11 Kentucky at Ole Miss (W), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Unrivaled 1 on 1 Tournament, 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Warriors at Bucks, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Baylor at No. 5 Houston (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Jazz at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
