Isaac Bean
Anchor Contributor
The Super Bowl is notorious for the pre-game hype. Both the lights and cameras are all the brightest on the grandest stage. There were a lot of stories going into Super Bowl 57 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Head Coach Andy Reid was coaching against his former team, two black quarterbacks were going head-to-head for the first time in history and two brothers played against each other with their parents in attendance. Both teams exchanged blows in a close, back and forth game to make for a fantastic conclusion to the 2022-23 season.
This game started with an opening drive touchdown for the Eagles. Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ one-yard rushing touchdown capped off an impressive opening drive. This put pressure on Kansas City to respond right away as Philadelphia set the tone immediately.
The Chiefs responded with an 18-yard touchdown that saw Patrick Mahomes pass to Travis Kelce, tying the score that would remain throughout quarter one: 7-7.
The second quarter started off fast as 8 seconds in, Hurts found A.J. Brown for a 45-yard touchdown to put the Eagles ahead of the Chiefs. All the momentum was on the Eagles side after their defense got a stop.
That momentum was short-lived for Philadelphia following a 36-yard fumble recovery touchdown made by one of the Linebacker Nick Bolton for the Chiefs. This tied the game to 14 points apiece and was a turning point for the Chiefs, who weren’t in complete control up until this moment.
The Eagles ended up retaking the lead after Hurts earned another rushing touchdown to make it 21-14. Afterward, Philadelphia’s defense made a stop, allowing them to get a quick field goal before halftime. Heading into halftime, the score was 24-14, Eagles.
During halftime, world-famous singer Rihanna gave an incredible performance that will live the test of time. Her music came across great as she gave a compilation of some of her biggest hits. What is most impressive about this performance is that she did it all while being pregnant. This shocked the world as seeing a celebrity pregnant while performing on the grandest stage, is definitely something that will be remembered forever for the right reasons.
Kansas City started the second half with the ball. Down 10 points, the Chiefs needed to score. The Chiefs did just that as a one-yard touchdown by Running Back Isaiah Pacheco put them within three points.
However, Philadelphia answered Kansas City’s touchdown drive with a 33-yard field goal to put them up 27-21 going into the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs had not had a lead for the entire first three quarters of the game. That changed when Mahomes threw a five-yard passing touchdown to Wide Receiver Kadarius Toney which gave them their first lead at 28-27. This touchdown gave the Chiefs momentum they were looking for all game.
That momentum carried into what might be the biggest play of the game. Toney had a Super Bowl record-breaking 65 yard return that put the Chiefs at the Eagles’ five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes throws his third passing touchdown of the game. This one went to rookie Wide Receiver Skyy Moore for a four-yard touch reception. This put the Chiefs up 35-27, with just over nine minutes remaining.
The Eagles ended up responding with a touchdown of their own by Hurts, which was his third rushing touchdown of the game. Hurts then ran it for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 35-35.
Adding onto the back and forth element of this game, Mahomes had a 27-yard run, putting the Chiefs within field goal range. The Eagles needed a stop to be able to get the ball back, but what fans are calling a controversial penalty call on Cornerback James Bradbury gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs, letting them practically run out the clock.
Following this, the Chiefs Kicker, Harrison Butker, kicked a game-winning, 27-yard field goal to give them a 38-35 victory over the Eagles.
Mahomes ended up winning the Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first player to win both a league MVP and Super Bowl in one season since Kurt Warner did it with the Rams in 2000. This game is giving Mahomes a hall of fame-worthy legacy in just five seasons as a starting quarterback.
This win gave Reid his second Super Bowl win against his former team.