Super Bowl required reading: Jalen Hurts named MVP, 5 critical plays, Kelce passes Rice in loss

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl LIX champions after a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that wasn't quite as close as the score indicated. The Eagles controlled the game from the opening kickoff, to late in the second quarter when the Chiefs had just 14 yards on their first 17 offensive plays, to the Eagles taking a 40-6 lead in the fourth quarter, shortly before emptying the bench.

There were big stories and Super Bowl records set on both sides of the field, so here's Yahoo Sports' Super Bowl LIX required reading to get you more than just the box score from the Eagles' Super Bowl triumph.

Jalen Hurts named Super Bowl MVP

He's the second Eagles quarterback to take home the honor, after Nick Foles took home the award after Super Bowl LII. Hurts threw for 221 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and also scored on a Tush Push. He also broke his own quarterback Super Bowl rushing yards record — that new high is 72 yards — and he was the first quarterback to be the game's leading rusher in a Super Bowl since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX.

5 plays that fueled the Eagles' win

When you win the Super Bowl by three scores, there are a host of plays that led to the big win, but Yahoo Sports' Jason Owens highlighted these five, with Cooper DeJean's second-quarter pick-six among the best of the bunch.

"DeJean corralled the ball at the Kansas City 38-yard line and crossed the field to the right sideline and into the end zone for a pick 6 on his 22nd birthday.

The Eagles had a 17-0 lead, and the Chiefs' three-peat hopes were in serious jeopardy."

Oh, and it was also DeJean's first career NFL interception. Not a bad birthday celebration.

Travis Kelce becomes all-time leader in Super Bowl receptions

It was a forgettable night across the board for Kansas City, but whenever you pass Jerry Rice for a significant NFL record, it’s worth noting. Kelce had a pedestrian four catches for 39 yards, but in doing so, passed Rice for the most career catches in the Super Bowl with 35 to Rice's 33.

Certainly no consolation for a Super Bowl loss, but another notch in the belt of one of the greatest tight ends, who'll surely be fitted for a gold jacket once his career is over. And while Kelce didn't touch on whether he could potentially retire, Patrick Mahomes said he thinks Kelce still "has a lot of football left."

A.J. Brown, Nick Sirianni make nice with 'Inner Excellence' after sideline spat

The NFL's most voracious reader — at least in the playoffs as captured by TV cameras — has been Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, and his top text "Inner Excellence" made an appearance in New Orleans. It came after what looked like a spat with head coach Nick Sirianni in a moment where coach and player seemingly got back on the same page.

The second-biggest winner after Philly? Tom Brady's legacy

It was a three-plus hour party for the Eagles-heavy crowd to celebrate a ferocious defense and aggressive offense that avenged a Super Bowl defeat to the Chiefs two years ago.

The second-biggest winner? Dan Wetzel writes:

The legacy of <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="https://sports.yahoo.com/grading-tom-brady-qb-turned-announcer-brings-insight-experience-pain-of-loss-to-first-super-bowl-broadcast-054019095.html">Tom Brady, the man providing color commentary</a> for Fox as Mahomes, the game's best active quarterback, struggled with two interceptions and a lost fumble that led to 17 Eagles points.

With Mahomes, fair or not, almost everything is framed in his <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="https://sports.yahoo.com/comparing-dynasties-chiefs-vs-patriots--who-has-the-edge-202140996.html">pursuit of Brady and the title of Greatest of All Time.</a> This was supposed to be another step in that direction, perhaps the inevitable march to exceeding Brady's seven Super Bowl rings (six in New England, one with Tampa Bay) while claiming an accomplishment Brady never managed: the three-peat..

Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins laments 'touchy calls'

One of the biggest stories of the NFL season revolved around how the Kansas City Chiefs were officiated and fan theories that they received preferential treatment from the league.

After a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins asked how the shoe fits on the other foot. Or, more specifically, where's the outrage over close calls that benefited the Eagles?

Hopkins broached the subject briefly in his postgame media availability while lamenting that there were a lot of "touchy calls" in Philadelphia's 40-22 win Sunday night.

"It's my first year being with the Chiefs and I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs, but what are you all going to say now about the refs and us?" Hopkins said. "There was a lot of touchy calls. Are you going to report that? Are you going to talk about the refs now?

Kendrick Lamar trolls Drake, plays 'Not Like Us'

In a halftime performance that was equal parts hits and new album deep cuts, the 17-time Grammy winner put on a show his fans will remember for a long time to come. With surprise appearances from Samuel L. Jackson, SZA and Serena Williams, the show was heavy on the unexpected, but the most talked about moment might have been Lamar name checking Drake amid their ongoing feud, and playing his Grammy-winning — and some would say beef-winning — track “Not Like Us” during the performance.