It wasn’t the ending any of us were hoping for, but it was the hand we were dealt. After a magical 2022-’23 season, the Philadelphia Eagles came up just short in Super Bowl LVII, losing 38-35 at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs.

While Mahomes put on a clinic in the second half, en route to taking home the Super Bowl MVP award, the Eagles quarterback matched him stride for stride. Based on Pro Football Focus’ grading of the game and the overall numbers, Jalen Hurts was the best player on the field Sunday night for either team.

Unfortunately, his defense was unable to slow down Mahomes and Co. at all in the second half. The Chiefs QB completed all but one of his 14 passing attempts in the second half. The lone incompletion was a throw away.

It was a classic QB battle that’s unfortunately getting overshadowed by a highly questionable defensive holding call on the Chiefs game winning drive. None of the Eagles players used it as an excuse, and I’m not about to do that either. It’s just unfortunate that such a great Super Bowl had to end in that fashion.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into PFF’s grading of this Eagles game for the final time this season.

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Super Bowl LVII – The Jalen Hurts Masterclass

Mahomes said it after the game, if there were any Hurts doubters remaining, there shouldn’t be anymore.

The 24-year-old signal caller played the best game of his life, earning a 92.2 offensive grade. Not only was it the best PFF grade he’s ever posted, it’s the second-best grade any quarterback has ever earned in a Super Bowl, behind the one and only Nick Foles in 2018.

On the night, Hurts went 27/38 (71 completion percentage), for 304 yards and a touchdown. He added 70 yards to his total with his legs, while finding the end zone three times – a Super Bowl record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.

Even when you take the stats out of it and just do the eye test, it was clear that Hurts was on another level Sunday. The throws he made in crunch time were amazing. The way he used his legs to convert multiple first downs was breathtaking. The first quarter fumble aside, he played near flawless football.

The game tying drive in the fourth quarter – Hurts final time touching the ball with more than five seconds on the clock – was a masterclass in quarterback play. He completed all three of his passing attempts for 63 yards, and he managed to punch it in with his legs for the touchdown and the tying two-point conversion.

The dude is a gamer. He’s everything you could want in a franchise guy; from his leadership ability to the way he lays it all on the line each and every Sunday.

This loss stings for a multitude of reasons. But when I really sit down to ponder it, my heart aches the most for Hurts. He played well enough to win a Super Bowl. It’s easy for all of us to say that at just 24 years old, he’ll have plenty of time to get back here and avenge this loss. But as we all know, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

Sunday night in AZ may have been Hurts’ last opportunity to ever win a Lombardi Trophy. It’s not what we want to hear, but it’s the reality. I certainly hope the young man gets another chance. He truly deserves it.

Miles Sanders posts terrible marks in potentially his final game in an Eagles uniform

Philadelphia’s front office will have a lot of tough decisions to make this offseason. One of which being whether or not to resign RB Miles Sanders. If recency bias plays any kind of role in the team’s decision, Sanders may have played his final game in an Eagles uniform.

The 26-year-old running back posted the worst overall grade of anyone on the Birds offense Sunday night, recording a 37.1 offensive grade, along with a 39.3 rushing grade. He fumbled the ball out of bounds on his first touch of the night, and then almost cost the Eagles seven points on a catch fumble that luckily got overturned.

Sanders only logged 26 offensive snaps on the night. Kenneth Gainwell, who’s really been impressive for this entire playoff run, came in with 37 snaps on offense.

I’d like Sanders to stay in Philly at the right price, but something tells me there will be a team out there willing to outbid the Eagles. If that’s the case, Howie Roseman will just let him walk and find a younger, cheaper replacement through the draft.

Given how inconsistent Sanders can be at times, his lack of receiving ability out of the backfield, and the emergence of Gainwell over the past month, I’d be pretty surprised if he was brought back.

It’s a shame that his Eagles career may end in the fashion it did. The NFL can be a cruel business at times.

PFF grades for the entire Eagles offense

None of the Eagles defenders post impressive marks in Super Bowl LVII

This really shouldn’t surprise anyone. Jonathan Gannon’s defense was atrocious for most of the night, especially in the second half, where they allowed Mahomes and Co. to score on every single one of their possessions.

Simply put, Gannon’s No. 1 pass defense was exposed by the best quarterback in the sport. Mahomes ended the night 21/27 for 182 yards and three touchdowns while posting a 131.8 passer rating. He recorded one incompletion in the second half and it was on a throw away.

Without the vaunted Eagles pass rush getting home, their secondary was left out to dry. The Eagles finished the night with just 17 pressures and five QB hits, per PFF. The highest graded pass rusher on the night was Jordan Davis – the one guy along the defensive line that isn’t known for his sack production. He earned a 69.5 pass rushing mark, followed by Javon Hargrave (64.7) and Josh Sweat (64.0).

The only two players who posted overall grades higher than 70.0 on the Eagles defense were their linebackers, Kyzir White (73.8) and TJ Edwards (72.2).

Of course, Gannon has received the bulk of the blame for this loss, and rightfully so. During his two-year stint as Philadelphia defensive coordinator, his unit has routinely gotten gashed by top tier quarterbacks. It feels like everytime this Eagles defense faces even an above average passer, said QB has a career day.

His personnel deserves some blame as well. But the lack of second half adjustments to counteract what Andy Reid was throwing at him is just mind boggling. It just felt like they had no chance at stopping Mahomes from the third quarter on.

Gannon is a solid coordinator, but he’s not great. It’s been proven time and time again throughout his tenure here. Super Bowl LVII was just the latest example.

James Bradberry lays an egg on the biggest stage

James Bradberry’s questionable holding penalty on KC’s final drive has been a point of contention ever since the referee made the call. He admitted that he held and took accountability, so I’ll move on.

Sadly, he didn’t do much throughout the game to influence it in the Eagles favor. He was the worst graded defender on Gannon’s unit, posting a 45.9 overall grade along with a 46.1 coverage grade. Bradberry has now posted a 45.9 overall grade in back-to-back games.

Bradberry had a great season, earning an All-Pro and Pro Bowl nod. Much like the Sanders situation, it’s just unfortunate that the lasting memory most Eagles fans will have of Bradberry is a questionable holding call in the Super Bowl.

He’s set to become a free agent and has already told reporters he won’t play for cheap. It would be ideal having Bradberry return to be the team’s CB2, but I’m not sure if it’s in the cards.

PFF grades for the entire Eagles defense

Mandatory Credit: NFL.com