They didn't get an immediate trophy for it, but the Philadelphia Eagles got their revenge in the Super Bowl LVII rematch on Monday Night Football.
Philadelphia made a second-half comeback to top the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17, improving their NFL-best record to 9-1.
The Chiefs fell to 7-3 after completely stumbling on offense in the second half. Patrick Mahomes' receiving core had been in question all season and it predictably came into play in a big game. Two plays in particular stood out: Marquez Valdes-Scantling's potential game-winning touchdown drop and Justin Watson's fourth-down drop.
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Jalen Hurts had a perplexing slow first four-and-a-half quarters before he found some rhythm late and delivered imperative throws, namely to DeVonta Smith. It proved a stark difference to the Chiefs, who just didn't have that go-to guy despite a solid showing from the defense.
Let's analyze the game further with five winners and losers:
Winner: D'Andre Swift, Eagles
NFL
Hurts didn't get going until the fourth quarter, but an Eagles rushing attack that has been subpar got a lift. D'Andre Swift picked up several chunk plays to give his team a boost, ending the game with 76 rushing yards on 12 carries and a touchdown while collecting 31 receiving yards on three catches.
DeVonta Smith deserves a nod for his clutch catches down the stretch, but it was Swift who made plays on a more consistent basis. A.J. Brown, meanwhile, was held to just one catch for eight yards in what was easily his worst individual outing of the season.
Loser: Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Big games are defined by the moments. The two aforementioned drops by Kansas City's receivers were huge, but its star tight end made a play just as costly. The Chiefs were on the way to scoring on a 12-play, 65-yard drive until Kelce fumbled a pass in the red zone thanks to Bradley Roby's peanut punch.
Your star players have to deliver when things appear bleak, but Kelce did not deliver in that regard in this one. He had seven catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, but the Eagles would score on their second possession after this mistake while the Chiefs never got that close to the end zone again. The moments matter.
Winner: Chiefs' pass rush
Part of the reason why it took so long for Hurts to get going was Kansas City's pass rush getting home at key times. The Chiefs sacked Hurts five times for a loss of 26 yards, with Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie logging two each and George Karlaftis the other.
The secondary also thrived in large part to the pass rush, but it wasn't exactly a coincidence that the game-winning touchdown drive came on a drive that lacked pressure on Hurts. Still, the Chiefs know they have a backbone on defense in tight games like this. That hasn't always been the case.
Loser: Chiefs' second-half offense
The Chiefs came into the game averaging the fewest points in the second half in the NFL. That number dipped yet again on Monday. Up 17-7 at the half, Kansas City's second-half possessions ended in the following: punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt, turnover on downs. They haven't scored a second-half touchdown since Oct. 22.
The defense did its job, but the offense that was once the mainstay of the franchise has looked a shell of itself in 2023. Watson had just five catches on 11 targets while Valdes-Scantling had none on three.
Winner: Jason Kelce, Eagles
Previously 0-3 against his younger brother, Travis, Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce finally picked up his first win.
The two also met up on the field after the game, with Travis saying it was a late birthday present for Jason, who was born on Nov. 5.
Jason will hope that if they meet again this season, it will end in him winning the ultimate prize this time around.
