In a thrilling matchup, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs kicked it off to the Eagles, who would go 75 yards and score their 11th opening drive touchdown of the season, as quarterback Jalen Hurts would sneak in a score from one yard out. The Chiefs would respond quickly, going 75 yards in 3 minutes, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed a beautiful over-the-shoulder pass to Travis Kelce, knotting it up at 7-7. Both teams would trade quick possessions, as the Eagles would punt and the Chiefs would miss a field goal. The Eagles would then go 68 yards in five plays. Capping the drive off with a 45-yard touchdown to Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown in double coverage, giving the Eagles a 14-7 lead. On the Eagles’ ensuing drive, Hurts would run a quarterback draw and fumble. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton would recover the fumble and return it 36 to tie the game 14-all.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni showed confidence in Hurts, letting him run the ball after the fumble. The Eagles would methodically drive the ball down the field in seven minutes and 19 seconds. Hurts would finish the drive by rushing into the endzone for the second time. The Chiefs would get the ball back, hoping to tie the game up 21-21, and then receive the ball after half. However, the worst-case scenario occurred. Mahomes ran out of the pocket on 3rd and 15 and got wrapped up by Eagles linebacker TJ Edwards. Edwards inadvertently tackled Mahomes by the legs, which reaggravated the ankle injury Mahomes suffered in the Divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mahomes appeared to be in a lot of pain as he limped to the sidelines.
The Eagles would quickly go 40 yards in eight plays, as Jake Elliot would kick a 35-yard field goal and send it to halftime, up 24-14. The Chiefs chances seemed bleak heading into the locker room. Jalen Hurts was 17/22 with 246 total yards and three touchdowns at the half. Mahomes was seemingly injured again. The Chiefs offense, aside from one drive, wasn’t clicking. However, the Chiefs have #15 on their side, and the Eagles didn’t. Even though he seemed to be injured again, Mahomes’ record when trailing is mind-boggling. Mahomes coming into the game, was 13-10 when his team fell behind by 10 or more points. He also was 3-2 when trailing by 10 or more in the playoffs.
In the locker room, according to his teammates, Mahomes said, “Why the f*** is it so quiet in here? Ya’ll gotta get some f***ing energy in here.” The Kansas City Star reported that tight end Travis Kelce jumped behind Mahomes and joined in with the motivational yelling. Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie said, “It got us all going.” Andy Reid, the Chiefs head coach, told the team that they “needed to have a great second half in order to win this game,” Wylie told the Star that “Us five [offensive line] up front took that personally.”
After the halftime show, performed by Rihanna, the Chiefs would receive the ball. The situation was dire. Points were a must on this drive down 24-14. The Chiefs got the quick game going on this drive and got into a groove. The Chiefs worked the ball downfield in 10 plays, capping the drive off with a one-yard touchdown by running back Isiah Pacheco and scoring at 24-21. The Eagles responded with the longest drive from either team, going 60 yards in 17 plays, lasting seven minutes and 45 seconds. Capping said drive off with a 33-yard Jake Elliot field goal.
On the Chiefs next drive, after getting down to the red zone, they used a short motion to confuse the Eagles secondary. Doing so allowed wide receiver Kadarius Toney to get wide-open for another touchdown. This gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead with 12 minutes remaining. The Eagles next drive ended quickly, and they geared up to punt. Eagles punter Arryn Siposs was injured for the last bit of the season, as he had been out since week 14. The punt traveled short, and Kadarius Toney returned it 65 yards, the longest punt return in Super Bowl history. The Chiefs would utilize the short motion play again, which has been titled “Corn Dog” by Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
The Eagles would drive the field, and Hurts would score his 3rd rushing touchdown of the game. The Eagles scored on the two-point conversion to make the score 35-35. The Chiefs would get the ball back with 5:15 remaining. Mahomes, who only threw one incompletion the entire second half, continued his excellent play, leading the Chiefs down the field with the quick passing game. The drive would feature a 26-yard scramble, sprained ankle and all, to get the Chiefs in scoring range. Three plays later, Mahomes would throw an incomplete pass on third down. Eagles corner James Bradberry would be flagged for defensive holding, which gave the Chiefs a first down, and the ability to chew more clock. This holding penalty was the cause for debate. However, Bradberry, after the game, said, “It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping that they [the refs] would let it slide.”
Chiefs kicker Harison Butker would drill a 26-yard field goal to take a 3-point lead with 8 seconds left. Hurts last-second heave would fall incomplete, giving the Chiefs their 2nd Super Bowl in four years.
The Eagles defense was never able to get much going on the night. The defense, which had the third most sacks ever in an NFL season, struggled on a special turf the NFL tested out during the game. Players said it “felt as if they were playing on a waterpark” as they would lose their footing very easily. This, alongside the soft zone coverage the Eagles played, allowed Mahomes to get the ball out quickly, without facing much pressure.
Patrick Mahomes is now 14-10, down by double digits, and 4-2 in the playoffs down 10+. Mahomes threw only one incomplete pass in the entire second half. The Chiefs scored on every single drive in the second half. The offense put up efficient numbers that are almost unheard of in the Super Bowl. Mahomes is the first quarterback to win MVP and the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner in 1999 and is also the first passing yard leader to win the Super Bowl. Once again, Mahomes showed that he is the equalizer of all equalizers.
