How Chiefs won Super Bowl 57: Patrick Mahomes, Kadarius Toney and the 7 biggest plays that beat the Eagles

Vinnie Iyer

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How Chiefs won Super Bowl 57: Patrick Mahomes, Kadarius Toney and the 7 biggest plays that beat the Eagles image

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Chiefs came through as small Super Bowl 57 underdogs with their 38-35 big comeback victory over the Eagles on Sunday. Kansas City got massive third and fourth quarters from quarterback Patrick Mahomes (who else?) to help the team overcome.a 24-14 halftime deficit.

Mahomes (21-of-27, 182 yards passing, 3 TDs, 44 yards rushing) took home his second Super Bowl MVP in four years while the Chiefs improved to 2-1 in Super Bowls with him since 2020.

The Chiefs needed a lot of contributions from many players to outlast Jalen Hurts and the explosive Eagles. But there were seven plays in particular that decided the game and stamped their status as a developing dynasty.

Here were the seven biggest moments in Kansas City winning Super Bowl 57:

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1. Patrick Mahomes' stumbling rumble

The Chiefs had a first-and-10 at the Eagles' 43 with the game tied at 35 with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter. They were still out of a reasonable field-goal range for Harrison Butker, Butker had missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt late in the first quarter after a Chiefs drive stalled at the 24.

Mahomes, who said he aggravated his ankle injury late in the first half, seemed OK on the move for the rest of the game. 

He definitely confirmed that by casually strolling through the parting red seas of the Eagles' interior defense for a 26-yard gain. There's a good chance he would have ran the final 17 yards into the end zone if not for a sliding pursuit tackle by linebacker Kyzir White.

But Mahomes put the ball in more comfortable confirmed field-goal range for Butker. The Chiefs could then control the last two-minutes of the clock the way they wanted, forcing the Eagles to use all their timeouts and leaving little time.

“They did a good job of covering the guys I wanted to throw to — that was the biggest thing," Mahomes said of the play. "I got going upfield and how d-line rushed, it left the lane. Once I got out, I thought someone was right on my back the entire time.”

MORE: How Patrick Mahomes overcame ankle re-injury for pristine Super Bowl rebound

2. Nick Bolton's scoop and score

The linebacker out of Missouri is the Chiefs' most underrated defensive player, in between stud defensive tackle Chris Jones and a young secondary. He won't get that reputation any more after being so opportunistic to stop the Eagles' early momentum.

The Eagles were up 14-7 with the ball on a third-and-5 a yard short of midfield with 9:48 left in the second quarter. Given the way they were destroying the Chiefs on third downs (11-of-18 in the game), there was the expectation they would either run or short pass to convert. If not, they would have likely gone for it on a fourth-and-short and made it, like their ensuing TD-resulting drive.

But then fortune favored Bolton when Hurts mishandled the ball after a shotgun snap and had a rare unforced fumble. The ball rolled back to the the Eagles' 36, with Bolton the only player on either side with a clear path to it. That allowed him to pick the ball up in stride and take to the house.

“We had a five-man rush, we pulled the guard under center and left two in the gap so they couldn’t block me and Chris Jones," Bolton said. "I was on block and I was able to push the ball out as well and got a scoop and score and scored. That was a surreal moment."

The Chiefs were in serious danger of going down 21-7 and seeing s snowball effect of a potential Eagles rout. Instead, the game was tied and the quick change of possession and cheap TD made the difference in the end.

MORE: Explaining the Super Bowl's controversial ending

3. Kadarius Toney's rope-a-dope

The Chiefs swindled the 2021 first-round wide receiver in a midseason trade with the Giants, who didn't know how to use the sometimes mercurial but explosive young receiver. With his speed and quickness, he profiled as the Chiefs' best mismatch-creator after tight end Travis Kelce.

With Kelce contained in the second half, it was mysterious why Andy Reid, Eric Bieniemy and the rest of the offensive staff hadn't gotten Toney involved. It seems like they were saving him for a key play in the red zone.

That came in the fourth quarter when Toney, their inconsistent ersatz version of Tyreek Hill, was schemed open on a third-and-3 from the Eagles' 5. With some confusing jet sweep-like motion, Toney shot himself open to the right of Mahomes with no around him, waltzing to the first down and then the touchdown.

Toney didn't need to do much on the play. He just needed to be a respected threat to the Eagles before the play. That's why the play worked.

MORE: Chiefs' Super Bowl 57 win by the numbers

4. Kadarius Toney's ridiculous return

Toney? Toney. Toney! It feels good to be a Super Bowl hero once. But twice? Lighting did strike again with the flashy speedster in red who's more reliable than Ezra Miller.

The Chiefs didn't make the Eagles punt often, but they picked a great time to get a third-and-short stop early in the fourth quarter after taking a precarious 28-27 lead. The Eagles, at their own 32 with 10:33 left in the game, got a short 38-yard punt by Arryn Siposs. Toney, who scored from the 5 on the previous possession, took the ball to the 5 with a Super Bowl-record 65-yard punt return.

Toney this time had to use every bit of quickness and smooth moves, weaving through the Eagles' special teams coverage until he could burst down the sideline. 

5. Skyy Moore on the fly

After Toney's return, the Chiefs needed to design another sweet short red zone pass play for Mahomes. After a 1-yard run by Isiah Pacheco and an incomplete pass with right tackle Andrew Wyile reporting as an eligible receiver, 

The Chiefs were jokers to the right with Toney the first time. The second time, they were clowns to the left when Moore broke free on the left side. The Chiefs' mastery of misdirection and quick-hitting plays drove a great Eagles' pass defense batty all game long, especially in the second half.

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6. Patrick Mahomes' other big run

With the Chiefs down 24-14, they had the first possession of the second half. They were already in the red zone on an efficient, balanced drive when they faced a second-and-3 from the Eagles' 18.

Mahomes confirmed the ankle wasn't an issue when he scrambled for 14 yards around the right end. Two plays later after getting to the Eagles' 4, the Chiefs were right back in the game and set the tone for the second half by making it 24-21.

7. Harrison Butker's money kick

When Jerick McKinnon slid down at the 2-yard line instead of scoring the Chiefs' would-be go-ahead TD that the Eagles were conceding, the Chiefs were trusting in Butker to make a chip shot to win, despite his previous longer miss and a rough turf grass that caused him to suffer a nagging high ankle sprain on the same field in Week 1.

“He’s a tough kid," Reid said of Butker battling through injury and adversity. “Normally, the kickers aren’t the toughest guys. But this one here, he’s a tough nut.”

Mahomes and Reid had full trust in Butker he would make the game-winner. Butker was clutch like he is most of the time, nailing the 27-yarder and there was much rejoicing once the Chiefs saw the final seconds tick off during the Eagles' last gasp.

Vinnie Iyer

Vinnie Iyer Photo

Vinnie Iyer, has been with TSN since 1999, not long after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He has produced NFL content for more than 20 years, turning his attention to full-time writing in 2007. A native of St. Louis, Mo. but now a long-time resident of Charlotte, N.C. Vinnie’s top two professional sports teams are Cardinals and Blues, but he also carries purple pride for all things Northwestern Wildcats. He covers every aspect of the NFL for TSN including player evaluations, gambling and fantasy football, where he is a key contributor. Vinnie represents TSN as host of the “Locked On Fantasy Football” podcast on the Locked On network. Over his many years at TSN, he’s also written about MLB, NBA, NASCAR, college football, tennis, horse racing, film and television. His can’t-miss program remains “Jeopardy!”, where he was once a three-day champion and he is still avid about crossword puzzles and trivia games. When not watching sports or his favorite game show, Vinnie is probably watching a DC, Marvel or Star Wars-related TV or movie.