As is well known, the NFL lives in the era of Patrick Mahomes. After Tom Brady retired and became a television commentator, American football found its new figure in the Kansas City quarterback. This Sunday in Super Bowl LVII, the 27-year-old phenom won his second American Football League title by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. They did it in the toughest way, falling behind for most of the game and achieving a perfect finish that will be studied by fans of the sport as an example of comebacks. If there’s one night Mahomes earned his nickname The Comeback Kid, it was this.
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“MVP, MVP,” chanted the crowd at State Farm Stadium at the end of the second quarter. The scream was aimed at Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia quarterback who captained a team that took the field unafraid of Mahomes and his legend. The team coached by Nick Sirianni led most of the game. The 24-year-old pitcher at times eclipsed Mahomes, who was named the league’s most valuable player on Thursday. The outcry from the fans, mostly supporters of the East team, was a provocation to which Mahomes responded without haste. At the end of the evening, the Kansas City No. 15 swings the trophy for the best player of the 57th edition of the final alongside Vince Lombardi. Mahomes is the first since 1999 to win the top two honors, MVP of the season and Super Bowl. The last to reach it was Kurt Warner.
From the first minutes of play, the teams showed the weapons that made them the best of the season. Both arrived in Arizona, home of the fourth Super Bowl, with a record of 16 wins and 3 losses. The Eagles began by running the ball, a strategy that saw them break a 99-year goal-scoring record that year. Jalen Hurts started a ten-minute drive that culminated in him scoring the first touchdown of the night. He did it by secretly stealing in Kansas’ red light district. This piece is one of his specialties, as it turned out today. He made 34 drives all season, including the scoring that tied Kansas in the closing seconds of the game. Hurts ended the night with impressive numbers: 70 rushing yards, 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. No other quarterback has rushed in a Super Bowl like he has. Mahomes, on the other hand, threw for 182 yards and rushed for 44 yards but threw three touchdown passes (to just one from hurts).
Jalen Hurts, with the ball on the ground after scoring the two-point conversion. BRIAN SNYDER (Portal)
Philadelphia has appeared in a Super Bowl for the fourth time. He soon showed the powerful offensive machinery. Once the ball was in Kansas City’s hands, the Chiefs did the same, albeit perhaps in a more limited way. The offense, led by coach Andy Reid, a former Philadelphia coach and one-time mentor to Nick Sirianni, made it clear it was going to be a night to utilize two main resources. On the floor was rookie Isaiah Pacheco, who had 76 yards in the third quarter and a score that was pure oxygen for the American League champion. By air, Travis Kelce was the man of the night with six receptions for 81 yards and one score. Kelce is one of the best tight ends in the league because he seems open. This Sunday, he made history with Philadelphia defenseman Jason by becoming the first pair of brothers to go head-to-head in an NFL final.
The Chiefs were in tow all night in their fifth appearance in a Finals. They were wary of reacting quickly to Philadelphia, who they always followed on the scoreboard. But they never let go of the birds, as they are called, too much. The defense was the one that showed its face despite showing some flaws throughout the season. In the second quarter, Nick Bolton picked up a fumble and made a 36-yard run that tied it on 14 just as Philadelphia pressed harder.
The conclusion of the first part left the Kansas fans excited. Mahomes, who has been hit in the ankle since the playoffs, was tackled in the second quarter by a defender who knew this was the star’s weak zone. The pitcher left the field limping and looking frustrated. The team remained silent about an alleged injury while Rihanna sang at the halftime show. But when he returned to court he was the same as ever. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is the second team to let loose a final game after leading by more than ten at halftime.
Mahomes’ magic came in the second half. It was late in the game when the Chiefs finally took the lead, scoring with every possession they had. Kadarius Toney received an Eagles punt and completed a 65-yard return, the longest in a Super Bowl. Mahomes turned that long run into a touchdown with a 4-yard pass to Skyy Moore. At the time, it seemed like Kansas would apply the experience it had gained in its third final in four years. The team was humiliated by Tom Brady’s Buccaneers (31-9) in Super Bowl LV two years ago, but tonight they conjured up those bad memories by extending their lead over their rivals to 35-27.
Travis Kelce celebrates his result. BRIAN SNYDER (Portal)
Philadelphia’s night didn’t end there. Again their captain Jalen Hurts urged to close the gap. The quarterback led a four-minute drive that ended in a score after a two-yard run. After getting his third touchdown of the night, Hurts successfully converted a play and tied the game 35-35. This made him 20 for most points scored in a Super Bowl. Despite the loss, Philadelphia leaves behind the numbers of a strong defense that gained 417 yards and had 25 firsts and 10s, beating Kansas on both counts.
The final was not without referee controversy. Especially at the end of the game, where the Philadelphians protested their defenseman James Bradberry’s punishment for an incomplete pass to Juju Smith-Schuster. The referees’ decision was considered rigorous as they had allowed other similar covers to pass. Carl Cheffers, the head umpire, argued that Bradberry pulled on the receiver’s jersey with his right hand, which convinced the team to call a holding foul. The penalty lengthened the life of the Kansas offense and added to the final seconds of a team that knows how to keep the clock ticking very well in the closing rounds. Already in the hot zone, kicker Harrison Butker, who had previously missed one, hit 27 yards from goal. That was enough to give Kansas another Super Bowl and Mahomes reason to shore up his legend.
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