The NFL season has come to a close in style, as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in a Super Bowl for the ages.
The Chiefs mounted a furious comeback in the second half after being down 24-14 heading into halftime. Led by an offensive line that allowed no sacks, Patrick Mahomes looked comfortable all night, as the Super Bowl MVP threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns. In a game many thought the Eagles would dominate on both sides of the ball, the Chiefs imposed their will in a shootout.
With the Super Bowl win, the Chiefs have won 2 of the last 4 Super Bowls, establishing themselves as a potential dynasty in the league. With only a few impact players (tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie, wide receiver Mecole Hardman) hitting free agency, the Chiefs have their core locked up and will be right back at it again for the 2023 season.
Most importantly, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes locked up for the foreseeable future. This season, he passed for 5,250 yards, the most in the league, and had 41 touchdowns with a QBR of 105.2.
Off the playing field, Rihanna performed the halftime show spectacularly. She performed several of her hits, such as “Diamonds” and “Umbrella,” with solid vocals and precise choreography with her background dancers. She even began floating in the air on platforms at the end to mark a powerful end to a fantastic show. However, the only special guest for the performance was the singer’s unborn child, which set Twitter ablaze as the Barbadian songstress announced her second pregnancy shortly after the show was over.
Despite the loss, the Philadelphia Eagles played a strong game and had a chance to win in the closing seconds. Jalen Hurts threw for 304 yards and scored four total touchdowns. The problem for the Eagles was likely that their typically stellar defense looked ineffective against the Chiefs. Furthermore, a Samford alum may have cost the Eagles the game in the closing minutes.
Cornerback James Bradberry committed a holding penalty on a third down play that would have forced a field goal and gave the Eagles the ball with time on the clock for a potential game-winning drive. While Bradberry took the heat for this costly error, the loss wasn’t entirely on him. The Eagles’ defense, which led the NFL with 70 sacks on the year, couldn’t touch Patrick Mahomes, which was likely the critical factor in the loss.
With the season officially over, the time for resting and preparing for the next has started. With the NFL Draft on April 27th, teams are looking to improve to stand out next season.
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