13 February 2023
PHOENIX (KSNT) – The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl LVII champions.
The Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 to take the NFL crown.
Kansas City won the first play of the game – the coin toss. The Chiefs differed to the second half, allowing the Eagles to start with the football.
Philadelphia opened its drive somewhat unscathed – driving 75 yards and converting on two third downs to score the first touchdown of the game. Kenneth Gainwell scored on a four-yard rush, but after review, was ruled short. One play later, quarterback Jalen Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak to put the Eagles up 7-0.
The Chiefs didn’t take long to respond. Two passes to Travis Kelce accumulated 38 yards, capped off with a touchdown to the tight end. After the extra point, the game was tied 7-7.
After back-to-back scoring drives, Kansas City’s defense settled in. The Eagles were called for offensive pass interference on their next offensive play, backing Philadelphia up to 1st and 20. Backed up, the Eagles couldn’t get a first down, forcing a punt.
The Kansas City offense picked up where it left off. Another big Kelce catch set the Chiefs up in Eagle territory. On fourth and three, Kansas City decided to kick a field goal, which Harrison Butker sent off the left upright, keeping the score at 7-7.
The Eagles started the second quarter with 1st and 10 on the Chiefs 45-yard-line. Hurts threw a bomb to wide receiver A.J. Brown for a touchdown to retake the lead at 14-7.
Kansas City’s offense stalled in its possession, resulting in the first three-and-out of the game, punting back to Philadelphia.
Then, magic struck. With the Eagles on the 50-yard-line, Hurts fumbled the football, which was scooped by Nick Bolton and taken back to the endzone for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
The Eagles responded with what they’ve done all season – run the football and eat up clock. Philadelphia went on a 12-play, seven minute scoring drive, ending with a Hurts touchdown run, giving the Eagles a 21-14 lead.
On offense, Kansas City picked up a first down, taking the first half to the two-minute warning.
Then, tragedy. Patrick Mahomes looked to scramble on third down, but was tackled short of the first down. The quarterback, who had been dealing with an ankle injury for the last month, came up limping in obvious pain.
Philadelphia marched down the field and settled for a field goal to end the half – the Eagles taking a 24-14 lead into the locker room.
Kansas City opened the second half on offense and all eyes were on Mahomes’ ankle. With no sign of injury, the quarterback led his team down the field, including a 14-yard scramble to the Eagles’ 4-yard-line.
Two plays later, Chiefs rookie running back Isaiah Pacheco found the endzone on a one-yard run to cut the Chiefs’ deficit to 24-21.
The next Eagles play, it looked like Nick Bolton would become the shoe-in for MVP. Hurts threw a pass short right, which was blown up by Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Ruled a fumble, Bolton picked the ball up and returned it for another score.
After review, the pass was determined a drop, rather than a catch and fumble, erasing the score and giving the ball back to Philadelphia.
The Eagles crossed the 50-yard-line, but found themselves facing 3rd-and-14. Philadelphia converted on pass to tight end Dallas Goedert, but the Chiefs weren’t sure if it was a catch. Kansas City challenged, but it was ruled a completed catch, costing the Chiefs a timeout.
Philadelphia moved down the field, but had to settle for a field goal, extending its lead to 27-21.
The Chiefs offense continued to roll as the game rolled into the fourth quarter. A drive full of chunk plays, Mahomes found Kadarius Toney for a five-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game at 28-27.
Toney’s night was just getting started.
The Kansas City defense caused a three-and-out, forcing a punt. Fresh off this touchdown, Toney received the punt and returned it 65 yards to the Philadelphia five-yard-line. It’s the longest punt return in NFL history.
Three plays later, Mahomes found wide receiver Skyy Moore wide open in the endzone for another touchdown. This extended the Kansas City lead to 35-27 with nine minutes to play.
In crunch time, the Eagles delivered. A 45-yard pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith set Philadelphia up on the Kansas City two-yard-line. The next play, Hurts ran it in for his third rushing touchdown of the game. Hurts followed that with a two-point conversion run, tying the game at 35-35 with five minutes to play.
The Chiefs ran their next drive to perfection. Kansas City ate up five minutes off the clock, getting to the Eagles’ one-yard-line with a minute to play.
On fourth down with 11 seconds to play, Butker nailed a field goal to go up 38-35.
The remaining time wasn’t enough for the Eagles to convert, ending with a Chiefs Super Bowl victory at 38-35.
Mahomes threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Kelce was the top receiver with 81 yards.