The Kansas City Chiefs became Super Bowl champions for the second time in four years after beating the Philadelphia Eagles with a final score of 38-35. After the first half, the Eagles had a two-score lead of 24-14, and Patrick Mahomes had reinjured his ankle that had plagued him throughout the playoffs. Rihanna gave a captivating halftime performance, and things were looking good for Philadelphia. Then, the Chiefs outscored the Eagles in the second half, 24-11, and completed a Super Bowl comeback victory. Patrick Mahomes was awarded the Super Bowl MVP. Other key performers included Jalen Hurts, Nick Bolton, Leo Chanel, and the Eagles’ offensive line.
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS: Super Bowl 57 Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35
By PFF; February 13, 2023
The Kansas City Chiefs became Super Bowl champions for the second time in four years after completing a thrilling comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Aside from one hugely debatable holding call, it was the kind of contest fans worldwide had hoped for. It was a back-and-forth battle, one the Eagles looked to be winning after the first half, but Patrick Mahomes & Co. outscored the Eagles 24-11 in the second half to secure the Lombardi Trophy once again.
Offensive spotlight: Patrick Mahomes completed 21 of his 27 pass attempts for 182 yards, three scores and no interceptions, finishing the game with one big-time throw and zero turnover-worthy plays. He added 44 rushing yards and moved the chains twice across six rush attempts.
Two of his touchdowns came during an electric second-half display, which he finished with 13 completions, 93 passing yards and a perfect adjusted completion percentage. With help from the masterful Andy Reid and Eric Bienemy, Mahomes pitched a perfect game over the final 30 minutes.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will feel particularly hard done by with the result, and understandably so, given that he was arguably the better quarterback in this game.
The Eagles signal-caller finished 28-of-39 for 310 yards and one passing touchdown, but he also added 70 rushing yards and three rushing scores across 15 attempts. He ran the ball six times on third and fourth downs, moving the chains on five of those rushes, but he also coughed up a very costly fumble that Nick Bolton returned for a touchdown.
There is a very good chance he finishes reviews with one of the best PFF grades ever earned by a quarterback in the Super Bowl.
Defensive spotlight: Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton played all 74 snaps for the Chiefs defense and was seemingly always around the football. He recorded seven solo tackles and two tackle assists, and on first review, he was charted as the first defender to the ball carrier on five plays. He also didn’t give up a single first down in coverage and returned Hurts’ fumble 36 yards for a touchdown.
Rookie spotlight: Leo Chenal was a force against the Eagles’ running game, producing three defensive stops across nine run-defense snaps. He added one more stop in coverage to cap off a Super Bowl performance any rookie linebacker would have been proud of.
Offensive line spotlight: Despite the result, the Philly offensive line was spectacular in the passing game, allowing just three total pressures — all hurries — across 42 pass-blocking snaps on first review. All five starters earned a pass-blocking grade above 74.0, with Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce each keeping a clean sheet on the day.