As many (if not most) know by now, Super Bowl LIX ended with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in a 40-22 blowout win on Feb. 9.
The Chiefs fell short of making history as being the first team to win three championships in a row in the Super Bowl era. For the Eagles, the Lombardi trophy will return to Philadelphia for the second time in the franchise’s history, with their last Super Bowl win being in 2018.
Leading up to the game, much of the national media focused on the uproar surrounding the Chiefs, with speculation that Kansas City has received favorable refereeing throughout the season and in the playoffs so far. Many fans believed this was part of a conspiracy to boost TV ratings, given the popularity of starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and the celebrity influence of pop superstar and bandwagon Chiefs fan, Taylor Swift.
As such, the narrative of the “villains” of the NFL being defeated trended on social media following the game; but what did students at Seton Hall have to say about the game?
Throughout the first quarter of the game, both teams were relatively quiet as the only score in the quarter came from the Eagles’ opening drive, with no response from the Chiefs. Some believed this was a result of the Chiefs’ lack of energy at the start of the game.
This sentiment is echoed by Benjamin Pereira, a freshman marketing and sports management major, who said he felt the Chiefs gave a “flat-footed performance” that persisted throughout the majority of the game.
Although they had a slow start, Pereira said the Eagles had a “dominant performance all around,” as they eventually managed to score 17 points in the second quarter alone, taking a 24-0 lead going into halftime.
During the third quarter of the game, the Eagles led the Chiefs 34-0 before the Chiefs finally scored their first touchdown. Jalen Pierre, a sophomore business major, said he felt the Eagles were “truly the better football team” on Sunday night.
“The Eagles executed at the highest level on both sides of the ball,” Pierre said. “[Jalen] Hurts and the receiving corps stayed disciplined on offense. Their defensive line played especially well, pressuring Mahomes and disrupting any playmaking for the Chiefs.”
Jonathan Wallace, a junior computer science major, shared a similar sentiment, saying that the Chiefs were responsible for their downfall: “The Chiefs played terribly, and they clearly had no offensive line.” These feelings were echoed on social media and many people have compared this Super Bowl to the Chiefs and Buccaneers matchup last season. During that game, Patrick Mahomes was forced to scramble almost every play, as he was pressured a historical 29 times by Tampa Bay’s defensive line. This Super Bowl, Mahomes was sacked six times, the most in his career.
“I was excited [about] the defensive line and how they cracked down on Mahomes,” said assistant director of Leadership Development, Jasmine Drew. “Jalen Hurts, Saquon [Barkley], and the rest of the team knew what they were up against, and how much was at stake.”
Although the game may not have been the most competitive or entertaining, the Seton Hall community was entertained by Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show performance. The halftime show featured a star-studded cast of celebrities that included Maplewood’s own SZA, in addition to DJ Mustard, Serena Williams, and Samuel L. Jackson. Lamar’s halftime show featured symbolism and subliminal messages, a notable characteristic of the rapper’s style. While viewers pointed out these details and praised Lamar’s performance, others expressed their dislike for the show, claiming it was underwhelming, boring, and “not for everyone.”
In response to this backlash, Jack Vaughn, a junior finance and technology major, said the halftime show was better than what those on social media are saying.
“I think the halftime show deserves more credit,” Vaughn said. “It was a solid lineup of songs, and SZA went off.”
Some of the highlights of the show were Lamar and SZA’s performance of “Luther” and “All the Stars,” two songs they are on together. Of course, the teasing of “Not Like Us” throughout the show and the eventual performance of the song was a must-watch moment as well, considering the massive success and controversy of the song.
Jack Hudec, a junior biology major, summarizes the general opinion of the student body, even those who don’t necessarily root for Philadelphia: “I felt great,” Hudec said, “Fly Eagles fly.”
Overall, the Seton Hall community enjoyed this year’s Super Bowl.
Thaddius Gamueda is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports section. Thaddius can be reached at thaddius.gamueda@student.shu.edu
