Joel Wilson – Staff Writer

jnw5443@psu.edu

On Sunday night, Patrick Mahomes won his second Super Bowl ring in State Farm Stadium. This is especially fitting as Mahomes is featured in numerous State Farm advertisements.

From a superficial statistical standpoint, the Philadelphia Eagles should have won the game. This season, the Eagles went 16-1 when Jalen Hurts started at quarterback and went 0-2 in both games he missed. It would have appeared that fortune favored Philadelphia’s side.

The Eagles were the best team in the league when they started the game with possession of the ball. The Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, allowing Jalen Hurts to run the ball into the end zone for an early Eagles lead.

Both teams traded blows throughout the first half. For its impact on the game, the most important of these blows came in the form of a loose ball recovered by Chief’s LB Nick Bolton, which he took to the house to tie the game. This was Philadelphia’s first turnover of the postseason and contributed mightily in their defeat.

The situation was grim for Kansas City going into halftime. The Eagles were ahead 24-14, and Patrick Mahomes had gotten up from a tackle with a limp. Earlier in the postseason, Mahomes had sustained an ankle injury, so seeing this possibly be reagitated alarmed Chief fans all over the country.

Usually, NFL halftimes are 13 minutes. Due to the halftime show, the Super Bowl’s halftime was 30 minutes. This gave the Chiefs ample time to regroup and plan.

Mahomes emerged from the tunnel ready to compete. The Chiefs proceeded to score on each of their possessions in the second half.

The most important of these was, obviously, the game winning field goal. With just under 2 minutes remaining in regulation and the score knotted at 35, Mahomes threw an incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Philadelphia TE was called for holding on former Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster. This gave Kansas City a fresh set of downs and a boost of confidence. 

Because there was minimal time remaining, the Chiefs ran the clock down with a series of kneels. A mere 11 seconds remained on the clock when Harrison Butker came in for a 27-yard field goal attempt. 

There was a satisfying sense of poetic justice in that moment for the Chiefs and their fans. In week 1, Butker suffered an injury at State Farm Stadium when he slipped on the grass during a kickoff. With an entire season and postseason behind him, Butker positioned himself to complete the story and lead his team to victory. The kick was good. Had the loose ball in the first half not been returned for a touchdown, this field goal would have been inconsequential.

After the kickoff return, 6 seconds remained in regulation. Jalen Hurts took the snap and reeled back, looking for any potential receiver down field. He looked to the heavens and threw with all his might. Despite his best efforts, his throw found only grass. The Kansas City Chiefs had won the Super Bowl. 

With this loss, the city of Philadelphia has become the first city in sporting history to lose 3 championships in the span of 3 months. The Los Angeles Football Club defeated the Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup, the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, and the Kansas City Chiefs triumphed over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. It is a record of infamy. 

On the opposite side of the coin, the last week has treated Patrick Mahomes phenomenally. The 27-year-old not only won NFL MVP, but also the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the Super Bowl MVP award. With his second ring secured, Mahomes returns to a hero’s welcome from his wife and children. A confetti-filled championship parade through Kansas City and an offseason filled with the satisfaction of victory await him and his teammates.