This season’s Super Bowl carried high hopes for NFL fans nationwide. A matchup between the white-hot Kansas City Chiefs, fresh off two consecutive championships, and a revenge-fueled Philadelphia Eagles was set to bring a highly competitive atmosphere to the New Orleans Super Dome. Instead, Philadelphia came out on top of the Super Bowl LVII rematch in a 40-22 route that was even less evenly matched than the scoreboard suggested.
Kansas City came into the game looking to be the first franchise to win three consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history. The Green Bay Packers of the 1960s won three NFL titles in a row, though only two of those championships were in the Super Bowl. After running through the AFC in the regular season with a 15-2 record, all signs pointed to them being back in the big game. Despite pulling out with every close game against teams of their caliber, the Chiefs couldn’t seem to run away from the asterisk many fans tried to place on every win. To them, officiating was the main reason KC was still in the conversation for Super Bowl contention. Along with making history, the target on their back was extra fuel for the Chiefs heading into the game.
They weren’t the only ones with question marks surrounding their abilities, as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been seen as a player unable to push a contending team over the top since he entered the league. It didn’t help his reputation that Saquon Barkley’s OPOTY (Offensive Player of the Year) campaign led the Eagles back to the Super Bowl in his first year on the team. For Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the key to winning was stifling Saquon and forcing Hurts to rely on his arm. Instead, it was the key to unlocking the 26 year old quarterback’s potential as a passer.
Besides a classic tush push touchdown from the Eagles, the first quarter was headlined by a defensive battle and unsurprising heroes. Philly took full advantage of their opponent’s lackadaisical pass defense as Hurts spread the ball to various weapons. Jahan Dotson was the leading pass catcher of the quarter, with 28 of his 42 yards coming from a sideline shot that set up the first score.
In the second quarter, Patrick Mahomes’s inability to push the ball upfield finally caught up to him. With only one first down through 17 minutes, the 3 time Super Bowl MVP forced a throw on the run that fell straight into the hands of Eagles rookie corner Cooper Dejean, who took it to the house and extended the lead to 17-0. A vintage Hurts-AJ Brown red zone connection put the Eagles up 24 heading into the half. Though we’ve seen comebacks of this magnitude before (like the New England Patriots’ 28-3 comeback in 2016), it was clear that even Mahomes couldn’t fight the uphill climb ahead of him.
The second half was more of the same. Philly’s defense forced two more Mahomes turnovers, and their passing game rode the wave. With three minutes left in the game, the Eagles saw themselves up 40-6 and within arms’ reach of their second championship in 10 seasons. Mahomes’ consecutive touchdowns to close the game was too little, too late for the Chiefs.
In what was hyped up to be a similar atmosphere to the teams’ previous Super Bowl matchup, the Chief’s superstars couldn’t seem to find their footing in New Orleans. Rookie receiver Xavier Worthy was the single bright spot on the team, as he overshadowed his offensive counterparts despite them having many years of experience in big games. Tight end Travis Kelce may be looking towards retirement after going quiet with only 4 receptions for 39 yards, and Mahomes picked the worst time to have the worst game of his career.
As for the Eagles, the game’s MVP could have gone to any player on the team. Whether it was Cooper Dejean’s pick 6, Zach Braun’s command of the 2nd level, or Devonta Smith’s route running, Philly was firing on all cylinders. Hurts, though, and his three touchdown performance walked away with the trophy, and the city walked away with a deserving end to a near perfect season.
