NEW ORLEANS (Reuters)

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the first half of the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Sunday (February 9), taking a 24-0 lead into the break after touchdowns by Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and a pick-six by cornerback Cooper DeJean.

The Eagles started the scoring with their signature play – a goal line move they call the “brotherly shove” – with Hurts ploughing into the end zone behind his powerful offensive line as his teammates forced him forward.

Before a crowd that included U.S. President Donald Trump and pop superstar Taylor Swift, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott extended the lead to 10-0 with a 48-yard field goal.

Eagles’ rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean picked off a poor pass from Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter and scampered 38 yards to score Philadelphia’s second touchdown on the rookie’s 22nd birthday.

Mahomes was intercepted again late in the half and two plays later the Eagles found the end zone again as Hurts connected with Brown to make it 24-0.

Mahomes struggled mightily in the first half, throwing two interceptions while being sacked three times and completing just 6-of-14 passing attempts.

Philadelphia are now 30 minutes away from denying Kansas City a historic Super Bowl “three-peat” heading into the locker room.

TRUMP, SWIFT ON HAND

Trump stood in private box seating during the pre-game playing of the national anthem, holding his hand to his head in salute, and the crowd booed and cheered when the president appeared briefly on the big screen.

Trump is the first sitting president to attend the NFL’s title game.

Swift, who was also in attendance when the Chiefs and her boyfriend Travis Kelce won the Super Bowl in Las Vegas a year ago, was lustily booed by the vocal Eagles fans in attendance at the Superdome.

Other A-list celebrities included Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and comedian Adam Sandler, while actors Jon Hamm and Bradley Cooper introduced the teams.

Pregame security was tight as police officers and Homeland Security officers shut down several blocks of key thoroughfare Poydras Street to traffic, with the NFL title game kicking off just weeks after a deadly New Year’s Day attack in the popular French Quarter neighborhood.

The Secret Service searched members of the media and credentialed staff as they entered the stadium.

The big screens inside the stadium read “NOLA Strong,” intended to honour the victims of the attack that killed 14 people, as the evening began with a dazzling marching band performance and Mardi Gras entertainers a half hour before kickoff.

Mahomes and the once-favored Chiefs are looking to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls while the Eagles are on their way to exacting revenge for their loss to the team in the Big Game two years ago.

New Orleans was hosting the game for a record-tying 11th time as fans shelled out to attend, with the average price of tickets sold hovering around $6,500 on resale platform StubHub.