The Chiefs defeated the Eagles, 38-35, in Super Bowl 57 with a double-digit comeback in the second half at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining clinched the victory.
The combination of Patrick Mahomes II and Andy Reid led Kansas City to their second Super Bowl victory in four seasons. Mahomes finished 21 of 27 passing for 182 yards and three TDs and earned a second Super Bowl MVP award.
The Chiefs also shook off a heroic effort from Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had 304 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and four total TDs in the loss.
Mahomes, however, took over in the second half.
"Well he's the MVP,” Reid said on the Fox telecast afterward.. "That's all that needs to be said.”
Kansas City delivered in the clutch. The Eagles watched that 10-point halftime lead slip away in heart-breaking fashion.
Who were the winners and losers in Super Bowl 57? Sporting News takes a closer look:
MORE SUPER BOWL: Rihanna's halftime show reviews | Best commercials
Winners: Patrick Mahomes
With 1:44 left in the second quarter, Philadelphia linebacker T.J. Edward tackled Mahomes on a scramble, and the Chiefs quarterback rolled his ankle on the play. Mahomes didn't take the field until the third quarter, and he was borderline flawless in the second half.
Mahomes was 13 of 14 for 93 yards in the second half, but he also added four carries for 33 yards. Mahomes led two TD drives on Kansas City's first two second-half possessions, and his 26-yard scramble with 2:55 remaining led to Butker's game-winning field goal.
Mahomes' play throughout this playoff run — the ankle injury occurred in the AFC divisional playoffs against Jacksonville and lingered in the AFC championship game against Cincinnati — will go down as one of the gutsiest performances in Super Bowl history.
Mahomes, who won his second NFL MVP award on Thursday, added a second Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl MVP three days later. He's now one of just four quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl victories and MVP awards. Joe Montana, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the others. Mahomes is in exclusive company, and the Chiefs will be front-runners for another Super Bowl appearance in 2023.
Losers: Late-game controversy
The Chiefs faced a third-and-8 with 1:54 remaining when Mahomes threw a desperation incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone. That could have meant fourth down and a field-goal attempt, but Philadelphia's James Bradberry was called for defensive holding.
Was the call correct? That depends on which side you're on. For the second straight Super Bowl — last year Cincinnati's Logan Wilson was hit with a similar call in the 20-16 loss to the Rams — a defensive penalty in the final minutes determined the outcome. Given how clean the game was before that (the teams combined for nine penalties for 57 yards) the call on Bradberry is subject to debate.
That allowed the Chiefs to milk the rest of the clock to set up Butker's game-winning field goal. For all that talk about the "NFL script," that was an anticlimactic ending.
MORE: Explaining the Super Bowl's controversial ending
Winner: Andy Reid
Reid picked up his 22nd career playoff victory, which is second all time behind Bill Belichick, who has 31. Reid now has multiple Super Bowl wins, and the only coaches with more than two are Belichick, Chuck Noll, Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh.
There was criticism in the first half when Reid settled for a field goal, which Butker missed, but the patience in the game plan into the second half was another testament to the success of the 64 year old coach. The Chiefs are 64-18 in the regular season and 11-3 in the playoffs in the last five seasons under Reid.
How is that not a dynasty?
MORE: Andy Reid joins NFL royalty with second Super Bowl win
Loser: Eagles after halftime
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni became meme material after he shed tears during Chris Stapleton's rendition of the national anthem. Sirianni then put on a show with an aggressive coaching plan in the first half that helped the Eagles build a 24-14 lead.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was crying during the national anthem.#SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/iTKoo35UpT
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) February 12, 2023
Philadelphia controlled time of possession (21:54-8:06) and first downs (17-6). The Eagles also converted 6 of 10 on third down and 1 of 1 on fourth down. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of old-school football or new-school trends. The Eagles dominated the first half.
The second half? The Eagles were limited to eight first downs, and a pass rush that had 70 sacks in the regular season could not come up with a sack on a hobbled Mahomes. Kansas City also had a 65-yard punt return by Kadarius Toney that set up a TD and gave the Chiefs a 35-27 lead. Kansas City had four possessions in the second half and scored every time. That is going to be a tough one for the Eagles to take heading into the offseason.
Winner: Chiefs supporting cast
It's not just Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, who had six catches for 81 yards and a TD. Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick, had 76 yards rushing. JuJu Smith-Schuster had seven catches for 53 yards. The offensive line – which did not get nearly as much attention as Philadelphia leading up to the week – held off that furious Eagles' pass rush. The defense held up in the second half.
Kansas City did all that despite trading star receiver Tyreek Hill in the offseason. That's another testament to Mahomes, who made it work with a different supporting cast. As long as Mahomes is on the field, the Chiefs will always have a chance to win. Remember, they were underdogs in this Super Bowl.
MORE: 3 controversial Super Bowl catch/no-catch calls reignite confusion
Loser: What is a catch?
The State Farm Stadium turf was a slip-and-slide at times, but that is not the big question for the NFL this offseason. What is a catch? That has become an existential question that is increasingly more difficult to define.
That happened three times in the game at critical points. Philadelphia's DeVonta Smith had a catch overturned. Miles Sanders' had a potential catch that could have resulted in a fumble and a defensive touchdown by Nick Bolton, but that was ruled an incomplete pass. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert had a catch that was upheld that was questionable on a key third-and-14.
None of those plays determined the Super Bowl, but it's only a matter of time before one does (see: JaMarr Chase's TD against the Bills in the AFC divisional playoff). What is a catch? It's subjective material, and review does not always help.
Winner/loser: Jalen Hurts
Hurts turned in a spectacular effort in a loss for the Eagles. He commanded the offense in the first half. Hurts was 17 of 22 for 183 yards and a TD with 11 carries for 63 yards and a pair of TDs in the first half.
In a moment similar to the 2017 CFP championship game, Hurts led the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard TD run and two-point conversion. Hurts put the Eagles in position to win and answered questions about how he would handle the Super Bowl spotlight in the process. It still goes down as a loss, but Hurts continued his remarkable career arc that now includes three CFP championship appearances and one Super Bowl.
He's an elite quarterback, and the Eagles will be back in the mix as one of the best teams in the NFC in 2023.
