Honestly, the last few years of NFL football have felt like one long, fever-dream loop of red jerseys and heartbreak. If you’ve been following the last super bowl matchups, you know exactly what I mean. It’s been the Patrick Mahomes era. Or at least, it was, until the Philadelphia Eagles decided to ruin the party in New Orleans.
Football moves fast. One minute you're watching a dynasty being built in the desert, and the next, you're seeing a rookie cornerback return a pick-six on his birthday to seal a blowout.
The landscape shifted heavily on February 9, 2025. Super Bowl LIX wasn't just another game. It was a statement. The Kansas City Chiefs walked into the Caesars Superdome with a chance to do the impossible: the three-peat. No one in the Super Bowl era had ever won three in a row. Not Brady’s Patriots. Not Montana’s Niners. Not even the Steel Curtain.
But the Eagles had other plans.
The Night the Three-Peat Died: Super Bowl LIX
Everyone expected a classic. What we got was a dismantling. The last super bowl matchups usually lean toward drama, but the Eagles decided to make it a one-sided affair pretty early on. Philadelphia won 40-22, and honestly, the score makes it look closer than it felt.
By halftime, the Eagles were up 24-0. Jalen Hurts looked like he was playing a different game than everyone else. He wasn't just throwing the ball; he was demoralizing the Chiefs' defense with his legs and his poise. He ended the night with 293 total yards and three touchdowns, earning the MVP trophy and officially ending the "underdog" narrative that had followed him since his college days at Alabama and Oklahoma.
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A lot of people point to the defense, though. Rookie Cooper DeJean had a 38-yard pick-six that basically turned the lights out for Kansas City. Mahomes was sacked six times. Think about that. Six times. The Chiefs' offensive line, usually a brick wall, looked more like a revolving door.
Key Stat: The 40-22 victory was the second Super Bowl title in Philadelphia's history, their first since the "Philly Special" era of 2018.
It was a weird night for the culture, too. Kendrick Lamar played the halftime show and brought out SZA. Even Donald Trump showed up for the first half, making him the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. But for football purists, the real story was the death of the Chiefs' dynasty attempt. They were trying to make history; instead, they became a footnote in Jalen Hurts' redemption arc.
Remember That Vegas Thriller? Super Bowl LVIII
Before the Philly blowout, we had the marathon in the Mojave. Super Bowl LVIII was a completely different beast. It was the first time the big game ever hit Las Vegas, and boy, did it live up to the "Sin City" flair for the dramatic.
The Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers went at it for nearly 75 minutes of net playing time. It was the longest Super Bowl in history. Final score: Chiefs 25, 49ers 22. In overtime.
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Brock Purdy and the Niners had everything going for them. Christian McCaffrey was doing McCaffrey things, even catching a touchdown pass on a trick play from wide receiver Jauan Jennings. But you can never, ever bet against Mahomes in the clutch. He led a 75-yard drive in the extra period, eventually finding Mecole Hardman Jr. for a 3-yard score with only three seconds left on the clock.
If the 49ers had won, we'd be talking about Kyle Shanahan finally breaking his curse. Instead, he walked away with his third consecutive Super Bowl loss as a coach or coordinator. It’s brutal. The Niners were actually favored by two points going in, but as Mahomes famously told the cameras afterward, "Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs."
A Quick Refresher on the Recent Scoreboards
To keep track of how we got here, look at how the winners have rotated (or stayed the same) over the last half-decade:
- Super Bowl LIX (2025): Philadelphia Eagles 40, Kansas City Chiefs 22.
- Super Bowl LVIII (2024): Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22 (OT).
- Super Bowl LVII (2023): Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35.
- Super Bowl LVI (2022): Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20.
- Super Bowl LV (2021): Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 9.
The Philly vs. KC Rivalry is the New Standard
You’ve probably noticed that the Chiefs and Eagles keep running into each other. Super Bowl LVII in 2023 was a shootout for the ages—38-35. That game was decided by a late holding penalty and a Harrison Butker field goal. It was peak drama.
Fast forward two years to LIX, and it felt like a grudge match. The Eagles didn't just want to win; they wanted to erase the memory of that 2023 loss. They did. By holding the Chiefs scoreless on their first nine drives, they proved that no matter how good Mahomes is, a dominant pass rush and a ball-hawking secondary can still win championships.
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Looking Ahead to Super Bowl LX
So, what’s next? The 2026 season is already buzzing because Super Bowl LX is heading to the San Francisco Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium). The early betting odds are already out, and it’s a mess of familiar faces.
The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams are currently floating around the top of the NFC odds, while the Buffalo Bills and a rejuvenated New England Patriots (yes, really) are gaining steam in the AFC. Everyone is asking if we’re going to see a "Bowligami"—a matchup we’ve never seen before, like the Seahawks vs. the Jaguars.
Honestly, though, until someone proves they can consistently stop the Hurts-to-Brown connection or the Mahomes magic, we might just be looking at a rubber match between the Eagles and the Chiefs.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re trying to make sense of the last super bowl matchups to predict the future, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Defense still wins (sometimes): The Chiefs won LVIII because of their defense, but they lost LIX because their offensive line couldn't handle the Eagles' rotation. Watch the trenches in 2026.
- The "Home" Curse is gone: For a long time, teams didn't win Super Bowls in their home stadiums. Then the Bucs did it. Then the Rams did it. Keep an eye on the 49ers for 2026 since the game is in their backyard.
- Turnovers are the kill-switch: In Super Bowl history, teams that win the turnover margin are roughly 39-7. Mahomes’ two interceptions in LIX were the primary reason the game spiraled out of control.
Check the injury reports for the upcoming training camps, specifically looking at the Achilles recovery of key defensive linemen. The road to Super Bowl LX starts with health, but as we saw with the Eagles' recent dominant run, it ends with whoever has the most composure when the confetti is waiting in the rafters.