Eagles join infamous Falcons after blown halftime lead

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Losing in the Super Bowl hurts. But falling in dramatic fashion after controlling the game? That’s a whole extra level of pain.

The Philadelphia Eagles experienced it all in Super Bowl LVII, from the dominant first half to an inept second half defensively and a costly late penalty. That loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was historic, for all the wrong reasons.

After leading 24-14 at halftime and ultimately losing 38-35, the Eagles became just the second team in NFL history to lose when leading by double digits at the break, joining the 2016 Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta led 21-3 in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots and later blew a 28-3 lead.

Of course, the Eagles’ loss didn’t reach the level of the Falcons, who held a 28-3 lead late in the third quarter. Philly still won’t be able to live this one down for a while, though.

In the first half, the Eagles were in total command. They dominated the time of possession battle (21:54 to 8:06), jumping out to a 24-14 lead before Rihanna’s halftime show. Teams leading at halftime were 41-11 in Super Bowl history before the Eagles’ loss.

After the break, the Chiefs took control of the contest – unlike the 2016 Patriots, who didn’t start their comeback until the final minutes of the third quarter.

Patrick Mahomes led a 10-play touchdown drive on the opening drive, which was a sign of things to come. In the second half, the Chiefs had no penalties, no turnovers, no punts, no sacks allowed and one incompletion … on a throwaway.

The Eagles won’t be remembered as infamously as those 28-3 Falcons, but they’ll always share this list together.

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