Blur using SVG
HTML
<div class='aaa'>
<svg width="450" height="100" viewBox="0 0 450 100" style="position: absolute; top: 0;">
<defs>
<filter id="blur">
<feGaussianBlur in="SourceGraphic" stdDeviation="3" />
</filter>
</defs>
<image filter="url(#blur)" xlink:href="http://lorempixel.com/450/300/sports" x="0" y="0" height="300px" width="450px" />
</svg>
</div>
CSS
.aaa{
height:900px;
background: url(http://lorempixel.com/450/300/sports);
}