Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs appeared in Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles for the third time in four years.
Mahomes was also seeking his second championship, having won in 2019. Despite a sprained ankle, Mahomes led Kansas City to its third Lombardi Trophy victory.
Mahomes and his counterpart, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, put on a show in front of thousands in attendance and millions watching at home as the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns to earn his second Super Bowl MVP award. Following the Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes was named MVP.
Mahomes is the first player since Rams quarterback Kurt Warner in 1984 to win both the regular season MVP and the Super Bowl in the same season.
Mahomes entered Sunday’s game with a high ankle sprain and had played the previous two games with it. He was hurt in the AFC Divisional round against the Jaguars. Mahomes played through the injury in the Chiefs’ 23-20 AFC Championship victory over the Bengals, helping the team advance to the Super Bowl for the second time.
“It’s the competitor in you,” Mahomes told NFL Network after the game. “You work your entire life for it. I knew I wasn’t going to make it out of this game alive.
“Even with that high ankle sprain and kind of reaggravated it a little, but that’s something I’ll worry about in the offseason.”
Mahomes limped off the field with just over two minutes before halftime against the Eagles. After being tackled by Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards, he appeared to aggravate his previous ankle injury. But he persisted and helped the Chiefs win their second Super Bowl in four years.
Following an Eagles touchdown on the first drive, the Chiefs offence responded by scoring on their first drive. Philadelphia’s best defence, however, was its offence, which kept Kansas City and Mahomes off the field for the majority of the first half.
The Eagles controlled the ball for 22 of the first 30 minutes. The Chiefs offence only scored one touchdown, as their second came on a 36-yard fumble recovery by Nick Bolton.
The Eagles’ ball control forced Mahomes to sit on the sideline, where it is difficult to maintain a rhythm while warming up an injured ankle.
The Chiefs offence, however, looked like an entirely different team after the half-hour halftime break, trailing 24-14. Kansas City received the ball first and immediately after a 10-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard touchdown by Isiah Pacheco.
The Chiefs offence exploded again in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns to take the lead. First, Mahomes’ five-yard touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney put them ahead 28-27. Following Toney’s 65-yard return to the Eagles’ five-yard line, Mahomes connected with Skyy Moore for a four-yard touchdown to push the Chiefs’ lead to 35-27.
On their next drive, the Eagles tied the game after a 42-yard pass to DeVonta Smith set up a Hurts quarterback sneak for a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Mahomes led the Chiefs to a legendary game-winning drive with the game tied 35-35 and less than 100%.
On 1st and 10 from the Eagles’ 43-yard line, Mahomes ran up the middle for 26 yards, putting Kansas City in field goal range on the 17. The Eagles defence forced an incompletion on 3rd and 8 on the 15, but cornerback James Bradberry was called for defensive holding, giving the Chiefs a new set of downs.
Mahomes and Kansas City then milked the clock until Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal.
“Right there on the side, I told Trav [Travis Kelce], let’s go do this thing,” Mahomes said. “We been in these moments before and I believe in a lot of my teammates around me.
“You can’t make it all about yourself, you have to rely a lot on those guys you go to battle with every single week and those guys responded. We won this game because of the offensive line and how they performed in the second half.”
Mahomes continues to rewrite history as he establishes himself as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Mahomes has only won two Super Bowls, two Super Bowl MVPs, two AP NFL MVP Awards, and is a three-time All-Pro in his five seasons as a starter.
Mahomes will be 28 years old next season, and there’s no reason why he and the Chiefs can’t win four or five more Super Bowls before his career is over. Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls before retiring two weeks ago. Mahomes is the only player who can match or surpass Brady’s total.
“He’s a joy to work with, and he’s humble,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid. “He busted his tail and was determined to return so he could enjoy this one.”
The road to the Super Bowl continues to pass through Chiefs Kingdom until further notice.
