Chiefs Win Super Bowl 57 in Historic Game
March 20, 2023
The Super Bowl is the most important game of the NFL season, where the best teams in the league face off against each other. Ever since 1967, it has been a beloved and iconic American tradition that draws millions of viewers. On Sunday, February 12th, we witnessed an amazing Super Bowl that had many iconic and historic moments. It was the first Super Bowl to have quarterbacks of African-American descent starting for both teams, with Jalen Hurts playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs. This shows how far the NFL has come since first being integrated in 1946.
The game also saw many amazing plays by both sides, with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scoring three sneak play touchdowns, the most made by any quarterback in a Super Bowl. By the end of the game, the Chiefs were victorious by only three points, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named most valuable player, and won his second Super Bowl ring.
The entire game was very close, with both teams scoring multiple touchdowns which kept the score almost tied. While the Eagles do have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and had a 10 point lead by halftime, the Chiefs were able to come back, largely to Nick Bolton returning a fumble from Jaden Hurts for a touchdown. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, also suffered an ankle injury, which put the Chiefs in a very tough position. Another notable part of the game was the face-off between brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, who faced each other in the game. Following Kansas City’s victory, Travis Kelce commented on getting his second super bowl ring and playing against his brother; “To see my family be in all its glory, get all the flowers, my mom being the center of attention on the jumbotron before the game on the biggest stage, being able to get closer to my brother throughout the season and then meet him at the mountaintop. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Both teams delivered fantastic performances and were very close in score for almost the entire game, but the Eagles seemed to be just a bit better, having the lead the most, throwing for more yards, and gaining more first downs. The game appeared to be slightly in Philadelphia’s favor, however, as time in the last quarter was running out, the Eagles were called for a defensive hold, which allowed Kansas City the opportunity to kick a 27 yard field goal, which allowed them to secure the victory.
One element of the game that has caused much discussion and controversy is the turf on the field. Many noticed that lots of the players had a hard time keeping their footing on the turf at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, slipping often. The players on both teams had to scramble to stay on their feet, which made it hard to play. According to Eagles player Haason Reddick, he had never played in worse field conditions, telling the press that; “I’m not going to lie, this is the worst field I’ve ever played on.” The stadium has a grass turf, instead of the artificial ones most teams are used to playing on. This change in conditions is most likely what caused many players to slip and lose their footing. Because of the field conditions, many players had to change their cleats to make playing easier.
The field is also retractable, meaning it can be rolled in and out of the stadium, and was the first of its kind in the NFL when it debuted in 2006. Many fans were understandably upset by the complications, claiming that the field was not properly maintained, and that the field conditions interfered with the most important football game of the year. However, Philadelphia offensive tackle Jordan Mailata stated that in his opinion, it is not fair to blame the Eagles loss entirely on the field; “We can’t control the field; we just have to accept the reality of the situation, whoever can perform the best wins the game, and we fell short.”
Many casual and dedicated football fans alike agree that this year’s Super Bowl was definitely a memorable, exciting, and historic affair. Players broke records, and delivered a very entertaining game that kept many viewers glued to their televisions. Between the intense competition, close score, and Rihanna’s amazing half time performance, fans cannot wait for next year’s Super Bowl, but we will have to wait and see what teams face each other next February.
