Kansas City wins Super Bowl!

[SportsFan68]

From CBS Sports:

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions. Patrick Mahomes helped the franchise to its third title in its history and second since he's become the starter, slaying the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35.

K.C. wins Super Bowl LVII thanks to a stellar second half in which it rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit.

After winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, K.C. kicked the ball off to the Eagles, who marched 75 yards down the field for an opening-drive touchdown. Mahomes and company would quickly answer with a touchdown drive of their own. However, their next possession resulted in a missed field goal by Harrison Butker, which was exacerbated with another long touchdown drive by Philadelphia. With momentum slipping away, the Chiefs defense made one of the biggest plays of the first half, as Nick Bolton returned Jalen Hurts's fumble 36 yards for a touchdown.

That knotted the game at 14, but Philly would tack on another Hurts rushing touchdown and a field goal before halftime to lead by 10. To make matters even more dire for the Chiefs, Mahomes aggravated his ankle injury in the closing minutes of the first half.

That said, those concerns were dispelled once the second half began. Mahomes was remarkably sharp to begin the third quarter and led three-straight touchdown drives as the Chiefs outscored Philadelphia, 21-3, at the midway point of the fourth quarter to take the lead for the first time all evening. Kadarius Toney proved to be a pivotal contributor down the stretch, as he caught one of those touchdowns during that run and later ripped off a Super Bowl-record 65-yard punt return that set K.C. up for a Mahomes to Skyy Moore goal-line touchdown.

However, the Eagles wouldn't go down quietly, as they tied the game at 35 with 5:15 to play in the fourth quarter. It was at that point that the Chiefs went on a clock-burning drive that featured a gutsy 26-yard scramble by Mahomes that eventually set up the game-winning field goal by Butker.

Mahomes completed 21 of his 27 passes for 182 yards passing and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce caught six passes from Mahomes for 81 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Nick Bolton totaled nine tackles and returned a fumble by Hurts for a touchdown.

[SportsFan68]

I had a pretty good day too. We did a squares pool, where you buy squares before the numbers are drawn. I copied a template because I'm sure I didn't explain it very well. I won the half, third quarter, and final on a $20 buy in, $100 total. I'm thinking I'll take a few of the donators to lunch.

[tlynn78]

I was the only one at my house pulling for KC - I became a fan when I noticed how much my oldest grandson looks like Patrick Mahomes a few years ago, and just really appreciate who he seems to be as a person. So while there was much complaining and gnashing of teeth among the others, I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw of the game, especially the second half. The commercials I caught were mostly meh, although the babies were cute, as always. I'm in another league besides the one here, and that one goes through the playoffs - while I was just as mediocre in that league during the regular season as I was in the one here, I was perfect through the playoffs and finished 3rd.

[silverscreenselect]

I was the only one at my house pulling for KC

No self-respecting New York Giants fan pulls for the Eagles unless they're playing the Cowboys, in which case we root for a Chinese spy balloon to hit the stadium. Ever since the Eagles deliberately tanked their final game two years ago which allowed Washington to win the division, I've become convinced to never ever let bygones be bygones.

[mellytu74]

Chiming in ....

The call: The call did not cost the Eagles the game. It DID cost them an opportunity to tie/win because the Chiefs would have been 4th-and-8 and kicked the field goal. That gives Hurts 1:45 to get down the field.

Re: the actual flag-throwing. They had not called holding all day. The former sportswriter in me - and sports fan - liked that very much because you don't screw up the rythmn of two QBs as talented as Mahomes and Hurts by chopping up the flow with countless penalties.

AND, since the refs set those parameters with no holding calls all game, by throwing the flag on that play, the refs put the focus on themselves. And the one thing we shouldn't be talking about after that game is the refs. And that stinks.

[Yes, Bradberry said he had his jersey but, as I mentioned above, that wasn't the first time a jersey was grabbed - on either side - it was just the first called. And, again, that stinks].

Again, it didn't cost the Eagles the game - the punt return and Defensive Coordinator Gannon's inability to adjust were for more key.
But the refs ruined the end of a great football game by putting the focus on themselves.

The Eagles defense: Gannon's incompetent play calling allowed the Chiefs to march down the field in the second half.

They had two weeks to devise something to corral Mahomes (because you cannot truly stop him). Andy Reid used Doug Pedersen plays (which were originally Andy plays) - so it isn't as if they were plays that had never been seen in Philadelphia before. The template was right there in front of Gannon and he completely ignored it.

He played man defense when it should have been zone and zone when it should have been man. You don't stop Patrick Mahomes that way.

Andy Reid - and OC Eric Bieniemy - called a masterful game and Gannon had no adjustments. Or answers.

Gannon said when he got here that he didn't have a defensive scheme.

No shit, Sherlock.

I am warming up the car to drive him out of town.

The punt return: Fans and sports media have been saying all year that the play of the Eagles' special teams would come back to bite them in the butt.

Picked a terrific time for it.

As I said on EFB, I have always liked Patrick Mahomes and, had I no particular rooting interest, I would have really enjoyed the game.

I am disappointed with the outcome - I would say deflated but I think that's only allowed in Super Bowls involving the New England Patriots. It still stings. The feeling will probably last for a long time.

I'm disappointed for Jalen Hurts - although I am very glad that he finally shut down the haters who said he wasn't an elite quarterback. At least I hope he has.

Congrats to the Chiefs and their fans - a hard-fought win.

[mellytu74]

I was the only one at my house pulling for KC

No self-respecting New York Giants fan pulls for the Eagles unless they're playing the Cowboys, in which case we root for a Chinese spy balloon to hit the stadium. Ever since the Eagles deliberately tanked their final game two years ago which allowed Washington to win the division, I've become convinced to never ever let bygones be bygones.

[Appa23]

Chiming in ....

The call: The call did not cost the Eagles the game. It DID cost them an opportunity to tie/win because the Chiefs would have been 4th-and-8 and kicked the field goal. That gives Hurts 1:45 to get down the field.

Re: the actual flag-throwing. They had not called holding all day. The former sportswriter in me - and sports fan - liked that very much because you don't screw up the rythmn of two QBs as talented as Mahomes and Hurts by chopping up the flow with countless penalties.

AND, since the refs set those parameters with no holding calls all game, by throwing the flag on that play, the refs put the focus on themselves. And the one thing we shouldn't be talking about after that game is the refs. And that stinks.

[Yes, Bradberry said he had his jersey but, as I mentioned above, that wasn't the first time a jersey was grabbed - on either side - it was just the first called. And, again, that stinks].

Again, it didn't cost the Eagles the game - the punt return and Defensive Coordinator Gannon's inability to adjust were for more key.
But the refs ruined the end of a great football game by putting the focus on themselves.

The Eagles defense: Gannon's incompetent play calling allowed the Chiefs to march down the field in the second half.

They had two weeks to devise something to corral Mahomes (because you cannot truly stop him). Andy Reid used Doug Pedersen plays (which were originally Andy plays) - so it isn't as if they were plays that had never been seen in Philadelphia before. The template was right there in front of Gannon and he completely ignored it.

He played man defense when it should have been zone and zone when it should have been man. You don't stop Patrick Mahomes that way.

Andy Reid - and OC Eric Bieniemy - called a masterful game and Gannon had no adjustments. Or answers.

Gannon said when he got here that he didn't have a defensive scheme.

No shit, Sherlock.

I am warming up the car to drive him out of town.

The punt return: Fans and sports media have been saying all year that the play of the Eagles' special teams would come back to bite them in the butt.

Picked a terrific time for it.

As I said on EFB, I have always liked Patrick Mahomes and, had I no particular rooting interest, I would have really enjoyed the game.

I am disappointed with the outcome - I would say deflated but I think that's only allowed in Super Bowls involving the New England Patriots. It still stings. The feeling will probably last for a long time.

I'm disappointed for Jalen Hurts - although I am very glad that he finally shut down the haters who said he wasn't an elite quarterback. At least I hope he has.

Congrats to the Chiefs and their fans - a hard-fought win.

As a Chiefs fan, I would have been upset if Reid and Bieniemy had schemed yet again to get a Chiefs receiver wide open, only to have it thwarted by an official allowing a defender to twice grab the receiver when he was going to leave him behind.

I believe that is the reason why the call was made — Mahomes was perfect during the second half, other than a throw-away when a trick play was sniffed out. Official saw Bradberry bite on move and about to be left in the dust before he grabbed jersey, and then when receiver again broke away, he hooked and grabbed jersey again.

I did feel for Hurts, who certainly played his best game on a huge stage, and Jason Kelce, who has the best podcast with Travis.

Lastly, I cant believe that 2 years and $800k was wasted on that field.

Chiefs on the way to being the new Patriots — all the wins with none of the spying and cheating.

[mellytu74]

As a Chiefs fan, I would have been upset if Reid and Bieniemy had schemed yet again to get a Chiefs receiver wide open, only to have it thwarted by an official allowing a defender to twice grab the receiver when he was going to leave him behind.

I believe that is the reason why the call was made — Mahomes was perfect during the second half, other than a throw-away when a trick play was sniffed out. Official saw Bradberry bite on move and about to be left in the dust before he grabbed jersey, and then when receiver again broke away, he hooked and grabbed jersey again.

Then call it the entire game. Set the parameters early and stick to them.

There were plenty of isolated shots on ESPN's endless post-game showing contact happening on both sides much earlier. All of it let go.

By not calling it earlier, the refs set a standard.

They broke it later - and for all the people (I'm looking at you, Cincinnati fans) who already think there are setups and fixes and nudge-nudge-wink-wink, it only gives more fuel to the fire.

The Chiefs are fun to watch - I think it's a disgrace that Bieniemy never gets a real head coaching shot, while clowns like Gannon get jobs (and lots of luck with THAT, Arizona Cardinals. SNORT).

And, as I said, if I had been an impartial observer, I would have loved the game.

But, I'm not and I didn't. So be it.

But, yeah, that FIELD!!

Guys slipping all over. Veterans saying it's the worst field they ever played on.

Can't believe the $$ figure, either.

[BackInTex]

I am warming up the car to drive him out of town.

Yeah, he took a whole 2 years to bring the Eagles defense to just the #2 defense in the league. Pathetic.

[mellytu74]

I am warming up the car to drive him out of town.

Yeah, he took a whole 2 years to bring the Eagles defense to just the #2 defense in the league. Pathetic.

And failed on the biggest stage with two weeks of prep time and the playbook right in front of him.

We saw his work week in and week out here. There were games where Mister "I Don't Have a Scheme" didn't have a clue, either.

I can only imagine what the stats would've been had Gannon not played Swett and Reddick out of position for the first four games.

The Chiefs scored 38 points in the last game. The Lions scored 35 in the first week.

There was a reason the Eagles brought in Vic Fangio in to help Gannon before the Super Bowl. Maybe they knew he wasn't up to the task, either.

I'm not alone in my dislike of the guy.

[mellytu74]

AND, BiT, for the record....

From the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski, contrasting how James Bradberry stood by his locker and answered questions for close to 30 minutes -and how Gannon didn't bother standing behind his guys (extensively quoted to bypass the paywall - we pay for the paper but I don't think you'd be able to access the link):

"As the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Gannon was under no formal obligation to speak to reporters Sunday night at State Farm Stadium. But given that his defense had allowed 31 points and 158 rushing yards and 6.4 yards per play to the Chiefs, given that Andy Reid had outsmarted him throughout the game’s second half, given that the Eagles never forced a turnover and never sacked Patrick Mahomes — despite Mahomes’ sprained right ankle — it would have reflected well on Gannon to open himself up to some inquiry. Even if he had stood there and recited the same insight-blocking clichés — I wish we had played better, I have to look at the film, You have to give those guys credit — at least he would have been standing there, taking it. Like James Bradberry took it. Like the other players on the Eagles’ defense took it.

“I felt like I only had two options, really,” Bradberry told reporters Tuesday. “I could take responsibility for it, or I could blame it on somebody else. But I try not to live that way. I guess you could say that comes from my mom or the coaches in the past I’ve had, talking about just taking accountability for whatever happens within the game.”

Two weeks ago, in the immediate celebration of the Eagles’ 31-7 victory over the 49ers in the NFC championship game, Jonathan Gannon said to a reporter: “Philly is keeping me. Good, bad, or indifferent, I’m staying here.” On Monday, Jonathan Gannon interviewed to be the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach. On Tuesday, the Cardinals hired him. He is 40, young and ambitious. He performed well, on the whole, over his two seasons with the Eagles, and he might yet perform well as an NFL head coach. There’s no way to know, really, who’s cut out for success in that role, with that much power, and who isn’t.

This much is certain, though: When it came time for him to stand shoulder to shoulder with the men who played under him — with one man, Bradberry, an All-Pro cornerback who played as well for him all season as just about anyone on the Eagles’ defense did — Jonathan Gannon couldn’t wait to get out of town and get to what he hoped would be his next job. Shane Steichen, who on Tuesday went from being the Eagles’ offensive coordinator to the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach, also didn’t talk to any reporters after the Super Bowl. But he did make his way through the locker room to talk to his players. Gannon, by all indications, couldn’t be bothered. Jim Schwartz, Gannon’s predecessor, wouldn’t answer for his and his unit’s play immediately after games, either, including those games when the Eagles’ defense was at its worst. It was wrong when Schwartz did it, just as it is now that Gannon has."

Yeah, he took a whole 2 years to bring the Eagles defense to just the #2 defense in the league. Pathetic.

He couldn't even face Reddick and Bradberry and Hargraves, CJGJ, et al.

He couldn't even respect them in their worst moment - even as one of the reasons for that worst moment.

Pathetic? Damn skippy.

I know you meant it as sarcasm.

I didn't. Pathetic.

[Vandal]

Maybe, after a decade plus of futile play and ineptitude, the Tampa Bay Bucs fans look back and say, "Hey, WE beat Mahomes and Reid in the Super Bowl back in the day."

The fans will smile for a brief moment, then go back to watching futile play and ineptitude.

It's a proven formula!

[BackInTex]

Maybe, after a decade plus of futile play and ineptitude, the Tampa Bay Bucs fans look back and say, "Hey, WE beat Mahomes and Reid in the Super Bowl back in the day."

The fans will smile for a brief moment, then go back to watching futile play and ineptitude.

It's a proven formula!

Proven by New England, pre and post Brady.

[Vandal]

And all other teams in between.