Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are singularly focused on Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, hoping that their respective teams can bring the Lombardi trophy back home. This is a unique opportunity for both teams, as reaching the big game is never a given, and there’s no guarantee either franchise will have this opportunity again in the near future.
Before we look ahead to what appears to be a scintillating matchup, let’s look back at the Super Bowl history of both organizations.
Philadelphia Eagles
1980
The 1980 team had a couple of players that went on to have pretty recognizable roles in the media. Quarterback Ron Jaworski was on ESPN for a long time, as one of the premier dissectors of game film in the industry for a long time. Defensive back Herman Edwards is currently back with ESPN, sharing his knowledge and insight on a variety of their shows.
Philadelphia finishes with a 12-4 regular season record in 1980, and made it to the Super Bowl against the Oakland Raiders. They weren’t able to get much going against a stout Oakland defense, and fell 27-10.
2004
In the early part of the 2000’s, the Eagles were establishing themselves as one of the model franchises in the NFL. They were a perennial playoff team, and had been knocking on the door of a championship for several years, thanks to the guidance of current Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who led Philadelphia during that era.
The Eagles made the Super Bowl in 2004, and had a difficult test against the New England Patriots. Philadelphia star wide receiver Terrell Owens came into the game hobbled, but battled through injury to record 122 yards in that game. Even with his contributions, the Eagles fell 24-21.
2017
The 2017 campaign was a roller coaster ride for Eagles fans. For much of that season, it felt like they had as good of a chance as anyone to bring home the Lombardi trophy. However, an injury to starting quarterback Carson Wentz threw their chances into doubt.
Reserve quarterback Nick Foles stepped in, and ran the offense without skipping a beat. He had an excellent performance in the Super Bowl, and the Eagles beat New England 41-33.
Kansas City Chiefs
1966
The Chiefs made the Super Bowl during the first season of the AFL/NFL merger, which is a neat claim to fame. In the very first Super Bowl, Kansas City played the Green Bay Packers, coached by Vince Lombardi himself.
Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, they were blown out by Green Bay 35-10, in a game that got out of hand in the second half.
1969
Under legendary coach Hank Stram, the Chiefs would find themselves back in the Super Bowl a few years later. They would face the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, and put forth a much better performance.
Their defense would stifle Minnesota, as they forced two interceptions from Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp. It was the impetus for a 23-7 victory, as the organization notched their first Super Bowl title.
2019
It would be a very long time before the Chiefs would play in another Super Bowl, let alone win one. Kansas City fans were clamoring for another chance to play in the big game, and neophyte quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be their ticket back to glory.
They made the Super Bowl against an extremely talented San Francisco 49ers squad. The 49ers had control of the Super Bowl for most of the game, but the Chiefs were able to rally. They scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and won the game 31-20.
2020
Behind Mahomes and an explosive offense, the Chiefs would find themselves right back in the Super Bowl the following year, which was a huge achievement in a challenging year. They would face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the game held in Tampa’s home stadium.
It was a tall task, as the home fans propelled the Buccaneers that day. Kansas City also dealt with offensive line injuries, leaving Mahomes without ample protection. Tampa Bay won by a 31-9 margin.
