Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio reacts after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee
Throughout his rookie season, Eagles edge rusher Jalyx Hunt became fond of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, whom he referred to as "a cool Italian guy."
However, Hunt revealed in a recent interview that Fangio was critical of the defense's second-half performance in Super Bowl LIX, despite the Eagles defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22:Â
Jalyx Hunt thoughts on Vic Fangio 🦅
pic.twitter.com/g3AcNHxbC7
It is true that the Eagles gave up 22 points in the second half to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but 16 of that came in the fourth quarter. The Eagles shut out the Chiefs in the first half, and were up 34-6 at the end of the third quarter. The Chiefs scored 14 points in the final six minutes of the game, at least some of which came after the Eagles had called the dogs off and had backups in the game. Hell, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith dumped Gatorade on Nick Sirianni with 2:52 remaining in the game. The Chiefs scored another touchdown after that.Â
The reality is that the Eagles won the game by 18, a relative blowout. But those who watched the game know that the Chiefs added some meaningless late-game touchdowns — basically the entire fourth quarter was garbage time — to save face a bit. Up until that point, Fangio's defense had delivered one of the most dominant performances in Super Bowl history. The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times, with Hunt credited for half of one. Even on the plays where the defense didn't sack Mahomes, it felt like he was under duress almost immediately after snapping the ball. The story of this game won't be any late touchdowns scored by the Chiefs, but rather how badly Fangio's defense manhandled the team that had won the two prior Super Bowls.Â
Want more Philadelphia Eagles news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for THE Philly Sports Newsletter here. 100% free, always.Â