Philadelphia Eagles-Kansas City Chiefs: 35-38
After a superb match, the Chiefs scored a field goal 11 seconds from time to win the 57th Super Bowl.
Led by 10 points at halftime, Patrick Mahomes and his teammates turned things around. If he seemed embarrassed by his leg, the Chiefs quarterback led an error-free score to ensure the comeback. He was helped by a defense that was able to calm an excellent Jalen Hurts.
The key moment: a penalty that kills, Jerick McKinnon lucid
35-35, there is 1mn58 left to play. On a 3&8, Mahomes looks for JuJu Smith-Schuster. The ball is not captured, but the referees whistle a holding on James Bradberry. A penalty that gives an automatic first down to the Chiefs when they are already within range of field goal and Philadelphia has only one time-out left. So it’s almost fatal.
Especially since Kansas City players are lucid. The Chiefs have the ball on the opposing 11-yard line. Running back Jerrick McKinnon (4 carries, 34 yards – 3 rec, 15 yards), who has the open way for the touchdown, decides to stop just outside the end zone to allow Kansas City to run out of time. The Chiefs are thus running the clock until scoring the winning field goal with only 11 seconds on the clock. There, Harrison Butker scores a field goal from 27 yards to put his team in front.
There will be no miracle for the Eagles, whose last attempt largely fails and who are forced to bow.
The MVP: Patrick Mahomes
21/27 in the pass, 3 touchdowns and no lost ball, with also 44 yards in the race, all this despite an ankle that made him suffer during the meeting.
No doubt, Patrick Mahomes was born for these kinds of moments, he was born to be decisive in the Super Bowl.
While he seemed to injure his ankle again at the end of the first half, he nevertheless released a few crucial races to ensure the success of his team.
The movie of the game
This 57th Super Bowl starts very strong, with two attacks that do not need a break-in period. The Eagles strike first, carried by a dominant offensive line and a connection Jalen Hurts (27/38, 304 yards, 1 TD) – DeVonta Smith (7 rec, 100 yards) which hurts the Chiefs. After 10 games for 74 yards, it’s Hurts who concludes through a QB sneak (7-0).
Kansas City’s response is immediate. And as often, the offensive power of the Chiefs is based on the formidable complementarity between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce (6 rec, 81 yards, 1 TD). The two are with their eyes closed, the runner Isiah Pacheco also manages to sneak into the opposing defense, and Kelce ends up equalizing on a reception from 18 yards (7-7).
At the end of the first quarter, after a defensive stop and another big reception from Travis Kelce, the Chiefs had the opportunity to take the lead for the first time in the match, but their kicker hit the post. A great missed opportunity, especially since behind Jalen Hurts sends a bomb to AJ Brown (6 rec, 96 yards, 1 TD) which allows Philadelphia to take control (14-7).
The momentum is then totally on the Eagles side, they manage to quickly recover the ball after putting pressure on Mahomes. But this momentum switches against all odds in favor of the Chiefs, who take advantage of a big blunder from Hurts to return to equality on a fumble return signed Nick Bolton (14-14).
Already a turning point? No. Jalen Hurts shows great mental strength to get right back into the game. From the next drive, he guides his Eagles with in particular a 28-yard run on a 4&5. He then took advantage of an opposing penalty, on a new fourth down, to find the end zone in the race (21-14).
The end of the first half turns out badly for the Chiefs. Not only are they trailing, but Patrick Mahomes – under pressure – seems to be hurting his ankle again. Kansas City must return the ball to Philadelphia with 1.30m to play and Mahomes grimaces terribly on the bench. The opportunity for the Eagles to take more than one possession ahead of a field goal after a 22-yard reception from AJ Brown. 24-14 at the break.
Upon returning from the locker room, the Chiefs and Mahomes revived. They reach the promised land on a run from Pacheco, which reduces the score (24-21). As in the first time, the Eagles manage to impose their game, alternating the race well while making significant gains in the air through the tight end Dallas Goedert (6 rec, 60 yards). But once in the red zone, it’s the stoppage, and Philadelphia must be satisfied with a field goal (27-21).
For the first time in quite a while, it feels like the Chiefs can take control of the game. And it’s not just an impression. Isaiah Pacheco (15 races, 76 yards, 1 TD) runs as if his life depended on it, JuJu Smith-Schuster (7 rec, 53 yards) comes out of his box, and when it comes to concluding Patrick Mahomes knows how to make the right choices. He finds Kadarius Toney for a five-yard touchdown, KC leads 27-28!
Real man of this beginning of the fourth quarter, Toney is once again decisive by returning a punt magnificently after a new stop of the defense of the Chiefs. This allows Kansas City to find themselves just five yards from the opposing end zone, and Kansas City does not miss the opportunity to widen the gap. This time, it’s Skyy Moore who adds a touchdown at the reception (27-35).
The Eagles are officially back to the wall. But being back against the wall doesn’t scare Jalen Hurts and Co. The quarterback relies on AJ Brown to advance the chains, but mostly sends a 45-yard bomb to DeVonta Smith. Behind, Hurts uses his legs to find the end zone, but also to snatch the equalizer on a two-point conversion (35-35).
Five minutes left, tie. Who will make the difference? Who will crack? The Chiefs are the first to have the ball, and Patrick Mahomes has the right profile to put on the hero costume. Loose ankle or not, he pulls out a big run to take Kansas City into the opposing 20 yards. A defensive penalty (defensive holding) on a third down then hurts the Eagles very badly, and Kansas City takes the opportunity to run the clock as much as possible behind.
This is how we find ourselves with only 11 seconds to play, and the match ball at the foot of the Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. The snap is clean, the kick is good, the ball goes between the posts! 38-35 Kansas City, the Eagles have their wings clipped, the Chiefs are champions!
The flop: watch out, slippery ground
Players who lose their support, a kicker on the buttocks. The slips multiplied in an inexplicable way on the ground this Sunday. Unacceptable at this level of competition for a league like the NFL.
The stat: 158
158, as the number of yards covered in the race by the Chiefs in this Super Bowl, or 43 more than the Eagles. A big surprise knowing that Philadelphia was one of the best ground teams of the season, unlike Kansas City.
The moral: at the Super Bowl, mistakes are paid cash
The Eagles dominated the time of possession (36 minutes against 24), they gained more yards (417/340) they were more effective on third attempt (11/18). But how did they lose this game? The fumble lost by Jalen Hurts immediately costs them 7 points. Penalized six times, against three for their opponents, they conceded the decisive first down on a yellow handkerchief.
There is no room for error in this kind of meeting.
And now ?
At 27, Patrick Mahomes is already reaching historic heights with two titles and two MVP titles. He is also the first regular season MVP to win the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner in 1999/2000. With him and Andy Reid, Kansas City has plenty to come, even if it will surely strengthen its group of targets during the offseason.
The Eagles will have to try to keep a lot of free players at the end of the season, but the positive point of the day is surely that Jalen Hurts has shown that he has the shoulders for these kinds of big meetings. Without Kansas City’s successful end to the game, he was surely the one who was heading for the title of best player of the game, as he carried his team offensively.
