The Kansas City Chiefs won the NFL championship for the second time in four years after rallying to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
The Chiefs trailed for much of Super Bowl 57 in Phoenix, trailing 27-21 entering the fourth quarter.
Despite limping from an ankle injury, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and veteran coach Andy Reid orchestrated a route back in front of 67,827 fans.
Mahomes, who was named the season’s MVP for the second time last week, threw touchdown passes to Kadarius Toney and Skydarius Moore to put Kansas City ahead for the first time.
Jalen Hurts’ third rushing touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion, brought the Eagles back into the game.
However, Mahomes’ heroic 26-yard run laid the groundwork for Harrison Butker to kick the game-winning field goal from 27 yards.
Mahomes’ performance made him the first player since 1999 to win the season MVP, Super Bowl, and Super Bowl MVP all in the same season.
He has led the Chiefs to at least the AFC Championship game in each of his five seasons as a starter, and many argued that the Reid-Mahomes era needed to win another Super Bowl to be considered a dynasty.
“I’m not going to say dynasty yet; we’re not done,” Mahomes cautioned.
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“Nothing was going to keep me off the field, I told you. I’d like to thank my teammates; we pushed each other and it took everyone.”
Reid had this to say about Mahomes: “He aspires to be the greatest player ever, and that is how he conducts himself. And he does it modestly, with no boasting.
“Great quarterbacks improve everyone around them, including the head coach. So he’s done an excellent job.”
Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, added: “I have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, I have a great team, and we had an incredible run.
“We were uncharacteristic at the start [of the game], but everyone had that look in their eye that they were going to leave it all out there on the field, and that is exactly what we did.”
Rihanna announces her pregnancy following the Super Bowl half-time show.
Harrison Butker scores the game-winning field goal.
Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal came with only seconds remaining.
The Kansas City Chiefs rejoice.
On the winners’ podium, the Chiefs celebrate.
A historic and unusual Super Bowl
As the NFL’s marquee event returned to Arizona’s state capital for the fourth time, it was both historic and rare.
It was the first Super Bowl with two black quarterbacks, as well as the first with brothers on opposing teams, namely Travis Kelce and his older brother Jason, the Eagles center.
It was also unusual because it featured the season’s best two teams as well as the best two players – Mahomes and Hurts.
It was the first time that the top seed from each Conference made it to the Super Bowl since 2018, when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in their only previous appearance.
This was the highest-scoring Super Bowl since then, but it was probably the most dramatic, with each team demonstrating why they were so dominant during the regular season, both finishing with a 14-3 record.
Now, Super Bowl 57 will be remembered for much more than the ‘Kelce Bowl,’ with the two teams producing an epic in the state capital of Arizona.
As it turned out, the Chiefs won an all-time classic with Patrick Mahomes.
Both Mahomes (above) and Hurts (below) put in game-winning performances.
Jalen Suffers
Hurts rushed for 70 yards, setting a new Super Bowl record for a quarterback. Mahomes and Hurts trade blows in epic battle
From the first quarter, it was clear that it would be a shootout, as neither defense was able to prevent their opponents from doing what they had been doing all season.
Hurts already held the single-season record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, and three more on Sunday brought his total to 18.
The first came on the first drive of the game, and the Chiefs responded with Mahomes finding Travis Kelce in the corner for Kelce’s career-high 16th touchdown of the season.
Despite canceling out Hurts’ 45-yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown, Kansas City saw ominous signs in the second quarter when Nick Bolton returned a fumble for a defensive touchdown.
The Eagles robbed the Chiefs of possession, Mahomes began limping heavily, Hurts punched in his second touchdown, and Jake Elliott kicked a field goal to make the score 24-14 at the half.
Whatever coach Reid, 64, said to his players during Rihanna’s halftime performance seemed to work, as Kansas City came out and put together a 10-play drive capped by an Isiah Pacheco touchdown.
They thought they had taken the lead moments later when Bolton scored again on defense, only for the play to be reversed and Jake Elliott to make it 27-21 with a field goal.
But two touchdowns in quick succession, both on well-designed Reid playbook passing plays that confused the Philadelphia defense, swung the game in Kansas City’s favor.
Hurts kept the Eagles in it, but Mahomes’ scramble up the middle allowed the Chiefs to control the clock before scoring with just eight seconds remaining.