The Kansas City Chiefs are champions of the National Football League following their thrilling victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
Here are some quick notes from the game.
1. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes put together a legendary performance.
Mahomes was nothing short of extraordinary on Sunday, essentially willing the Chiefs to victory despite a 10-point halftime deficit and his lingering ankle injury. In fact, although he clearly aggravated the injury early in the game, Mahomes scrambled for 26 yards on the Chiefs' final possession to set up the game-winning field goal.
The run, which will surely go down in franchise history as an iconic play, was one of several memorable moments for Mahomes on Sunday. He led Kansas City to points on all four of the Chiefs' second half possessions – those being three touchdowns and a field goal – and the only reason it wasn't four consecutive touchdowns was because tailback Jerick McKinnon intentionally slid at the 2-yard line in order to keep running time off the clock.
Mahomes completed 21-of-27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the game, but specifically in the second half, he connected on all but one of his 14 attempts for 93 yards and two scores. His only incompletion was an intentional throwaway. Mahomes' 92.9 percent completion percentage was the third-highest in a second half of the Super Bowl in league history, trailing only Phil Simms (100 percent in Super Bowl XXI) and Drew Brees (94.1 percent in XLIV). His passer rating in the second half (133.9) was the ninth-best in Super Bowl history. He also rushed for 44 yards and two first downs in the game, which was especially impressive considering his ankle injury.
Additionally, Mahomes just completed arguably the most decorated season in NFL history. He's the only quarterback in league history to lead the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, earn AP NFL MVP honors and win Super Bowl MVP. Only three other players – Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady – achieved each of those individual feats during the entirety of their careers. Mahomes did it all in just one year.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2023Notable streaks snapped last night by Patrick Mahomes/Chiefs:
- Previous 9 MVPs to reach Super Bowl had all lost
- Previous 6 individual pass yds leaders to reach Super Bowl had all lost
- Previous 8 teams to win coin toss at Super Bowl had all lost pic.twitter.com/EW4w26dHb4
Mahomes is the only player in league history to win multiple NFL MVP awards and multiple championships within six career seasons, and keep in mind, he has only been a starter for five of those seasons. Mahomes is one of only three players (joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana) to win multiple NFL MVP awards and Super Bowl MVPs.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 13, 2023Patrick Mahomes in the postseason:
- 72/100 (72%)
- 703 passing yards
- 7 TDs
- 0 INTs
- Super Bowl MVPAnd he did a majority of it with a high-ankle sprain, an injury that typically sidelines players multiple weeks. pic.twitter.com/GZWVDkNzIM
He also once again showed that he is never out of a game. Mahomes moved to 4-2 in postseason games in which he trailed by 10+ points on Sunday. The rest of the NFL is 7-45 in those situations.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 13, 2023There have been six double-digit comeback wins in Super Bowl history.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have two of them in the last four years. pic.twitter.com/pWYtPnDEIJ
Lastly, but certainly not least, the performance by the Chiefs' offensive line deserves immense credit for the job that they did protecting Mahomes on Sunday. The Eagles recorded the third-most sacks in the regular season of any team in NFL history this year, and their eight sacks in the postseason led all teams entering the matchup. Despite all of that, Kansas City didn't yield a single sack all game long.
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 13, 2023OL appreciation post:
KC's offensive line just pitched a shutout against the best pass rush in the NFL.
0 sacks allowed 👏 pic.twitter.com/x1zgXUl9nC
2. Tight end Travis Kelce found the end zone yet again.
Mahomes' first touchdown pass landed in the arms of Kelce, who hauled in six receptions for 81 yards and a score in the game. The touchdown marked the 14th time that Mahomes and Kelce have linked up for a score in the postseason, moving within just one touchdown of matching Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (15 touchdowns) for the most all-time.
Kelce's 16 career postseason touchdown receptions are the second-most in NFL history, trailing only Jerry Rice (22).
3. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney was responsible for two huge plays in the second half.
Toney, who played sparingly in the first half, turned out to be the Chiefs' secret weapon late in the game. He caught a 5-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a beautifully-designed, fake "jet action" route that sent him in motion across the line before reversing course and running wide open into the opposite flat. The play took advantage of the respect that Philadelphia had to show Toney's speed, and the result was an easy pitch and catch for the go-ahead score.
Then, after the Chiefs' defense held the Eagles to a three-and-out, Toney returned an Eagles' punt for 65 yards down to the Philadelphia 5-yard line. It was the longest punt return in Super Bowl history, and the play set up another touchdown – this time to wide receiver Skyy Moore – a few moments later.
4. Tailback Isiah Pacheco found the end zone early in the third quarter.
Prior to Toney's heroics, Pacheco helped fuel the Chiefs' comeback with a 1-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half. It was part of a strong day for Pacheco, who rushed for 76 yards on 15 carries. His runs resulted in four first downs, including a pivotal conversion on third down during the Chiefs' final series. Additionally, 53 of Pacheco's 76 rushing yards occurred after first contact.
Isiah Pacheco is the second former 7th round pick to score a Rush TD in the Super Bowl and the first since Ahmad Bradshaw in Super Bowl XLVI pic.twitter.com/UCa0JYdIXK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2023
5. Wide receiver Skyy Moore picked the perfect time for his first career touchdown.
Moore found the end zone for the first time in his career when he caught a 4-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The play – which pushed the Chiefs' lead to eight points – was strikingly similar to Toney's touchdown a bit earlier, utilizing a fake jet action motion before reversing course and sprinting into the wide-open flat.
The performance of Moore, Pacheco and numerous others from the Chiefs' rookie class throughout this postseason was a testament to Kansas City's extraordinary group of young players.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2023Rookies Isiah Pacheco and Skyy Moore each have a TD tonight.
The Chiefs are the 2nd team to have 2 different rookies score a TD in the Super Bowl, joining the 1985 Bears (William Perry & Reggie Phillips). pic.twitter.com/BAc3ynywqD
Another player who impressed on Sunday was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught seven passes for 53 yards. His four receiving first downs – all in the second half – matched Travis Kelce for the most of any Chief.
6. Tailback Jerick McKinnon helped seal the victory with a tremendous, heads-up play.
It won't show up in the box score, but McKinnon's decision to slide at the 2-yard line with 1:48 remaining in the game was critical. Had McKinnon scored, the Eagles would have had ample time to potentially tie the game. Instead, McKinnon's decision provided the Chiefs with an opportunity to almost completely drain the clock prior to taking the lead.
The Chiefs practice situations like that often, and it paid off in the biggest of moments on Sunday.
7. Linebacker Nick Bolton picked up a fumble and returned it to the house.
Bolton was responsible for the Chiefs' second touchdown on Sunday when he picked up a fumble by Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts and returned it all the way for a 36-yard touchdown. It was the only turnover for either team in the game, and it came at a critical juncture early in the contest. Philadelphia had an opportunity to stretch its lead to 14 points, but instead, Bolton's efforts tied the game.
Nick Bolton records the first fumble return TD in a Super Bowl since Broncos' Malik Jackson in Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/Lb1snRm1tK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2023
8. The defense made some crucial stops late in the game.
Philadelphia posted the league's No. 3 scoring offense in 2022 – tallying 28.1 points-per-game – but despite an impressive first half, the Eagles struggled to move the ball on Kansas City's defense through the third and fourth quarter. The Eagles scored just 10 points in the second half, and sandwiched in-between Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore's touchdowns was a critical defensive stand that saw the Eagles gain just seven yards.
At the root of that success was the Chiefs' performance against the Eagles' backfield. Quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for 70 yards as part of a huge performance, but outside of him, the Eagles combined for just 48 yards on the ground. Tailback Miles Sanders, in particular, rushed for just 16 yards on seven attempts after rushing for more than 1,200 yards during the regular season. It was Sanders' lowest output of the year.
Philadelphia still managed to move the ball on Sunday, especially in the first half, but Kansas City's defense – which allowed just one touchdown in the second half – deserves considerable credit for the comeback.
Notably, defensive tackle Khalen Saunders and linebacker Leo Chenal each recorded a sack in the game. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap tallied two quarterback hits.
9. Head Coach Andy Reid joined an elite group of legendary coaches.
Reid is now one of just 14 head coaches in NFL history to win multiple championships, joining Bill Belichick (6), Chuck Noll (4), Bill Walsh (3), Joe Gibbs (3), Vince Lombardi (2), Tom Flores (2), Jimmy Johnson (2), George Seifert (2), Mike Shanahan (2), Tom Coughlin (2), Bill Parcells (2), Tom Landry (2) and Don Shula (2).
In his 10 years as Chiefs' head coach, Reid has led Kansas City to nine playoff appearances, seven AFC West titles, three AFC titles and two Super Bowl championships.
10. The Chiefs are Super Bowl champions for the second time in four seasons.
The Chiefs secured their third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history on Sunday, marking their second Super Bowl victory in the last four years. Kansas City is one of just 10 teams to own three or more Lombardi Trophies.
This is unquestionably the golden era of Chiefs' football, and quite frankly, most franchises have not and will not experience a run of this magnitude. It's an unbelievable time to follow the Chiefs, and with Super Bowl LVII now secured, the work will soon begin to do it all over again.
