Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes holds the Super Bowl LVII Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sun Feb 12, 2023 (AP News photo)
By Daniel Dullum
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Patrick Mahomes aggravated an ankle injury in the first half, but it didn’t deter him from leading a second-half comeback for Kansas City in the Chiefs’ last-minute 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, played Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 11 seconds to play gave the Chiefs their third Super Bowl title; they won previously in 1970 and 2019. Kansas City suffered Super Bowl losses in 1967 and 2020. Philadelphia won the big game in 2018 with other losses in 2005 and 1981.
Mahomes was selected as the game’s most valuable player. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions without a sack, and ran six times for 44 yards. Isiah Pacheco gained 76 rushing yards on 15 carries. Juju Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards, and Travis Kelce snared six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 304 yards, completing 27 of 38 passes. Hurts was also the Eagles’ leading rusher, gaining 70 yards on 15 attempts, DeVonta Smith caught seven passes for 100 yards, and A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert each caught six passes.
After two quarters, it was beginning to look like a rout for the NFC champion Eagles, who built a 10-point halftime lead. Hurts’ 1-yard TD run at 10:13 of the first quarter put Philadelphia up 7-0. Three minutes later, Mahomes found Travis Kelce for an 18-yard score, tying the game at 7-7.
On the first play of the second quarter, Hurts completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown to regain the lead. But the Chiefs caught a break at 9:48 of the second quarter, when Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up a Hurts fumble and returned it 36 yards for a game-tying score.
Hurts ran in for his second rushing touchdown with 2:24 left in the first half, and Jake Elliott booted a 35-yard field goal as time ran out in the second quarter, giving Philadelphia a 24-14 lead at the break.
A 1-yard run by Isiah Pacheco capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive to start the third quarter, pulling the Chiefs to within 24-21. Elliott kicked a 33-yard field goal with 1:48 to play, extending the Eagles’ lead to 27-21.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Mahomes completed a 5-yard TD pass to Kadarius Toney, giving the Chiefs their first lead of the game at 28-27. Moments later, Toney returned a punt 65 yards to the Philadelphia 5-yard line, setting up a 4-yard TD pass from Mahomes to Skyy Moore. Kansas City led 35-27 with 9:26 remaining.
Hurts ran two yards up the middle for his third rushing TD, then ran in the 2-point conversion attempt, tying the game at 35-35 at 5:20 of the fourth quarter.
Kansas City chewed up most of the remaining time with a 66-yard drive, capped by Butker’s game-winning field goal. Philadelphia had one final possession, but a Hurts threw an incomplete pass upfield as time expired,
The winners share for the Chiefs is $157,000, while each member of the Eagles will receive $82,000. Attendance was 67,827. Rhianna provided the halftime entertainment.
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