It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium without an exciting finish.
The site of Super Bowls XLII and XLIX — both involving the Patriots, both decided in the final minutes — didn’t offer the smoothest surface for Super Bowl LVII. Several players were slipping and sliding throughout the evening.
But it again proved a stage for a thrilling finish. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to a second title in four seasons with a 38-35 win over the Eagles, and established a dynasty that may someday rival New England’s.
Mahomes finished with 182 yards on 21-of-27 passing and three touchdown passes.
The Eagles fell short of a second Super Bowl win in six seasons despite taking a 24-14 lead into halftime. They became just the second team in NFL history to lose despite leading by double-digits heading into the half, joining the 2016 Falcons, who lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, who set a Super Bowl record for the most rushing yards (70) and rushing touchdowns (3) by a quarterback, threw for 304 yards, completing 27 of his 37 attempts with a fumble.
The Eagles took charge early, scoring on their first possession. The Chiefs answered with a fumble recovery for a touchdown from linebacker Nick Bolton and touchdown catch by Travis Kelce to stay within 10 heading into halftime.
Kansas City was on shaky ground heading into the second half, especially after it appeared Mahomes suffered an ankle injury late in the second quarter. But Mahomes returned, and the Chiefs thundered back with 21 points, eventually taking a 35-27 lead midway through the fourth, with the last touchdown set up by a 65-yard punt return from Kadarius Toney.
The Eagles tied the game at 35 when Hurts led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a 46-yard pass play to DeVonta Smith and was capped by Hurts’ third rushing touchdown of the night.
The Chiefs’ Harrison Butker nailed the game-winning field goal from the 27 with 8 seconds to go.
Read about Super Bowl 2023:
- Instant analysis: Sorry Patriots fans, but these Chiefs are now a dynasty, too | Ben Volin
- Chiefs 38, Eagles 35: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City roar back to win second title in four seasons
- Rob Gronkowski misses field goal in live Super Bowl commercial
- Meet Leominster’s Noah Gray, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs
Box score | Sign up for Point After, our NFL newsletter | Click here to read more football stories
Eagles’ James Bradberry isn’t arguing late holding call — 11:00 p.m.
James Bradberry wasn’t making any excuses after the game.
The Philadelphia defensive back, who was flagged for defensive holding — a play that set up the game-winning field goal from Kansas City’s Harrison Butker with eight seconds left — bottom-lined it when talking with reporters after the game.
“I pulled on his jersey,” he told reporters. “They called it. I was hoping they would let it ride.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was guarded by Bradberry on the play, was asked if he felt like he was being held on the play.
“Oh yes,” he replied. “One hundred percent. My route was strike in, strike back out. Bradberry is a good player, but I feel like … the call is going to be called.”
Andy Reid’s secret? ‘No panicking.’ — 10:57 p.m.
On Sunday, Andy Reid won his second Super Bowl, and became the third coach to beat his old team in the big game.
The biggest key? “No panicking,” said Reid, despite the 10-point deficit at the half.
“The Eagles are a good football team — we got down in this thing,” he said.
“[But] I thought our defensive line rallied,” Reid added. “We got off the field in the second half, and [our offense was] able to stay on the field in the second half.”
After Mahomes returned to action — “I thought he just needed some time” — Reid said, the Chiefs put up 24 second-quarter points, thanks in large part because of a tweak in their offensive game plan.
“We knew we could run it,” said Reid. “It was just a matter of sustaining drives with it, and mixing things up with some of those little rhythm passes.
“We tried to attack the middle of the field,” he added.
Sorry Patriots fans, but these Chiefs are now a dynasty, too | Instant analysis — 10:55 p.m.
Sorry, Patriots fans. As much as you don’t want to admit it, there is no denying it — Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs are, yes, a dynasty.
The NFL from 2018-22 is officially property of the Kansas City Chiefs. They hosted the AFC Championship game all five years. They went to three Super Bowls. And now they have two Lombardi Trophies after knocking off the 49ers in 2019 and the Eagles on Sunday night.
It’s not a dynasty in the same sense of the 2000s Patriots, 1980s 49ers, or 1970s Steelers. The Chiefs’ window of success is obviously much shorter.
But the Chiefs are absolutely a dynasty, much like the Cowboys of the early 1990s. And unless Reid decides to hang up his whistle, the Chiefs’ dynasty is nowhere close to wrapping up. Mahomes, only 27 and the winner of two MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs, is going to have the Chiefs on top of the AFC for a long time.
The least valuable player? The field. — 10:50 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The field at State Farm Stadium turned into a Super Bowl slip and slide on Sunday night. Players from both teams had a hard time keeping their footing, leading several to change their cleats.
Patrick Mahomes slipped while trying to make a cut, but was able to gain a few more yards. Kansas City receiver Skyy Moore lost his footing on a jet sweep, and running back Isiah Pacheco even slipped during his celebration after scoring a touchdown.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was among the players who changed cleats to get better traction.
It’s not the first time this season Kansas City has had footing problems at State Farm Stadium. In their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, first-round pick Trent McDuffie — who had earned a starting job — injured his hamstring when he slipped and end up on injured reserve.
Kicker Harrison Butker also got injured when his plant foot slipped on a kickoff, forcing him to miss games and ultimately change his entire approach to kicking for the remainder of the season.
The NFL spent nearly two years preparing the field for the Super Bowl, the sod grown at a Phoenix farm. It was installed two weeks ago and put outside each day for sunshine. (The grass at State Farm Stadium is on a giant tray that is rolled in and out of the retractable roof stadium.) It cost $800,000 to prepare, according to George Toma, the 94-year-old groundskeeper who has prepared the field for all 57 Super Bowls.
“I believe this is the second best grass we’ve had,” Toma said during Super Bowl week, ranking only the field for the rainy Colts-Bears Super Bowl in 2007 higher. “You have to have a good root system, and this field is very tight.”
‘It was just everybody:’ Mahomes weighs in after win — 10:38 p.m.
A second-half flurry powered the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl in four years.
Kansas City went into halftime trailing 24-14. In addition, Patrick Mahomes was hobbling after appearing to injure his ankle.
But the Chiefs didn’t punt in the second half on the way to a 24-point burst in the second half.
“It was just everybody,” Mahomes said. “We had to step our game up.”
It was a comeback punctuated by the quarterback, who became the first player to win a Super Bowl and a regular-season MVP in the same year since 1999. Mahomes fired a pair of touchdown passes in the second half, and set up kicker Harrison Butker, who converted the game-winning field goal with eight seconds left.
“I told you all this week there was nothing that would keep me off this football field,” Mahomes said.
“That first half, we weren’t ourselves,” said wide receiver Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, who finished with seven catches for 53 yards. “We came in here in the second half and we played Chiefs football. Everyone was doing their job.”
Donna Kelce consoles son Jason after Super Bowl loss — 10:37 p.m.
Detroit Tigers got Mahomes jokes — 10:35 p.m.
Mahomes wins MVP, breaking the curse of Kurt Warner — 10:30 p.m.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes reversed a remarkable trend when he was named Super Bowl MVP following the Chiefs’ win over the Eagles.
Mahomes was named regular-season MVP, playing a sizable role in leading the Chiefs to the cusp of another championship. However, no NFL MVP had won the award and a Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner did it in 1999 — until now.
The last nine players to win MVP and reach the Super Bowl in the same season all lost the big game. Eight of them were quarterbacks.
Here’s the last 10 MVPs to take part in the Super Bowl, and how they fared:
2017: Tom Brady, Patriots — lost in the Super Bowl (Eagles)
2016: Matt Ryan, Falcons — lost in the Super Bowl (Patriots)
2015: Cam Newton, Panthers — lost in the Super Bowl (Broncos)
2013: Peyton Manning, Broncos — lost in the Super Bowl (Seahawks)
2009: Peyton Manning, Colts — lost in the Super Bowl (Saints)
2007: Tom Brady, Patriots — lost in the Super Bowl (Giants)
2005: Shaun Alexander, Seahawks — lost in the Super Bowl (Steelers)
2002: Rich Gannon, Raiders — lost in the Super Bowl (Buccaneers)
2001: Kurt Warner, Rams — lost in the Super Bowl (Patriots)
1999: Kurt Warner, Rams — won in the Super Bowl (Titans)
Andy Reid is chasing Bill Belichick — 10:25 p.m.
By Ben Volin
Andy Reid in a position to pass many of the all-time greats, particularly with Mahomes just 27. After 24 seasons as a head coach — 14 with the Eagles and 10 with the Chiefs — Reid is fifth in coaching wins (269, including postseason), just one behind Tom Landry. Reid’s 22 postseason wins are second-most in NFL history, and his four Super Bowl appearances are tied for fourth-most.
“If you ask Andy about it, he’ll say, ‘I don’t pay attention to that stuff,’ " team owner Clark Hunt said. “But certainly those of us around the organization are aware of it, and we enjoy seeing him move up almost every year it seems, and he’s very deserving of it.”
Soon enough, Reid could even be nipping at Bill Belichick’s heels. Belichick, six years older than Reid, is just 51 regular-season wins (and 9 postseason wins) ahead of Reid. Belichick had 263 wins through his age-64 season, compared with 269 for Reid.
Belichick has a decided advantage in Super Bowls — six rings to two, and nine appearances to four —but who knows how many Reid and Mahomes will rack up over the next decade?
Chiefs win — 10:15 p.m.
It’s over.
Wow! Eagles tie it up with 5:15 to go in fourth — 9:53 p.m.
Chiefs 35, Eagles 35 | 5:15, fourth quarter
The drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:07
The Eagles just responded with a big-time drive of their own, one that was keyed by a 46-yard pass to DeVonta Smith.
After Hurts pushed it into the end zone on the two-point conversion, it’s tied at 35 with 5:15 to go.
Hurts now has Super Bowl records for most rushing yards by a quarterback (70) and rushing touchdowns (3).
A record night for rookies — 9:50 p.m.
Momentum swings in Chiefs’ direction — 9:40 p.m.
Chiefs 35, Eagles 27
Momentum is firmly in Kansas City’s corner again. The defense forces a three-and-out, and Philadelphia punts for just the second time all day. Toney then returns the Eagles’ punt all the way inside the Philadelphia five-yard line. The Chiefs are set up for success.
Great execution there by Kansas City, who come away with a touchdown after a four-yard touchdown pass to Moore.
The Chiefs are up 35-27 — Kansas City has put 14 straight points on the board. The Chiefs are holding all the cards with 9:22 to go.
Kadarius Toney helps Chiefs take the lead — 9:34 p.m.
Chiefs 28, Eagles 27 | 12:04, fourth quarter
The drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:41
That was a championship drive by Mahomes and the Chiefs, one that gave them a lead for the first time tonight. A five-yard pass play from Mahomes to Kadarius Toney put the capper on a nine-play, 75-yard drive. It’s 28-27 with 12:04 to go in regulation.
Can the Eagles respond with another grind-it-out drive that allows them to regain command? Or can the Chiefs put their stamp on this one with a defensive stop? A key sequence looms for both teams.
End of third quarter: Eagles 27, Chiefs 21 — 9:27 p.m.
Third quarter done: Eagles lead, 27-21
Mahomes: 13-18, 126 yards, 1 TD
Pacheco: 10 carries, 58 yards
Kelce: 5 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD
Hurts: 22-31, 234 yards, 1 TD; 13 carries, 66 yards, 2 TDs
Brown: 4 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD
Jake Elliott nails another FG — 9:22 p.m.
The 33-yard field goal is good, and it’s 27-21 with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
A few quick notes:
• If the Eagles go on to win, that throw from Hurts to Goedert — a 17-yard toss on a third-and-14 — will be remembered as one of the great plays of this game. Dynamite throw and a nice tip-toe job along the sideline by the tight end. (The play was upheld.)
• There was an old joke: The best way to beat Tom Brady? Keep him off the field. The Eagles are taking that very seriously when it comes to Patrick Mahomes. There’s a lot that goes into it, and they have an elite offensive line and continue to pick up third- and fourth-down conversions. But the time of possession right now — 40 to 14 — is really something else.
• There are a lot of different things that go into it — including a slippery field — but it’s worth noting that with two really good front sevens, we just saw our first sack on that last drive.
• If that incomplete catch was ruled a fumble, Nick Bolton is well on his way to winning Super Bowl MVP.
Jalen Hurts makes Super Bowl history — 9:20 p.m.
Jalen Hurts has broken Steve McNair’s record for rushing yards by a quarterback in the Super Bowl.
Hurts has 66 yards rushing with 1:45 to go in the third quarter.
McNair set the record in 2000, with 64 yards in a loss to the Rams.
Gronk misses field goal in live Super Bowl commercial — 9:03 p.m.
Even the advice of Adam Vinatieri wasn’t enough to help Rob Gronkowski make history on live television.
The former Patriots tight end missed a field goal in a live commercial for FanDuel that aired during the third quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Eagles and Chiefs.
Isiah Pacheco scores to bring K.C. closer — 8:57 p.m.
Eagles 24, Chiefs 21 | 9:30, third quarter
The drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:30
Patrick Mahomes was back on the field to start the second half, and led a get-right drive for the Chiefs that ended with a one-yard touchdown run for Pacheco. Ten plays, 75 yards, 5:30. On that sequence, Mahomes didn’t appear to be hindered by the ankle injury, converting on a series of plays were he flashed some positive lateral movement. Excellent sign for Kansas City. It’s 24-21 with 9:30 left in the third quarter.
Two more notes: One, the Chiefs converted their first third-down opportunity of the game on their first drive of the second half. And two, I’ve been on that turf on a couple of occasions for previous Super Bowls. Some of the squishiest turf I’ve ever felt. It’s clearly an issue this evening.
Second half is underway — 8:50 p.m.
Patrick Mahomes is back on the field after suffering what seemed to be a painful ankle injury.
Rihanna soars in halftime performance — 8:45 p.m.
Rihanna began her Super Bowl halftime show hanging high above the field.
She wore a puffy, bright red jumpsuit as she stood on a transparent square that moved her up and down as she hovered in the air over the turf at State Farm Stadium and belted out the lyrics to “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
Read more about her performance here.
First half takeaways, and what to watch in the second half — 8:30 p.m.
The biggest second-half question is if Mahomes will be able to rebound from what looked like a fairly serious ankle injury at the end of the first half.
If he can come back and play at a relatively high level, the Chiefs have a chance. If Chad Henne starts the second half for Kansas City with the Chiefs down by two scores, it spells trouble.
Each team committed a big error: Hurts’s second-quarter fumble led to a Chiefs’ touchdown, while a missed field goal from Harrison Butker allowed the Eagles to take a lead. Not to get too simple here, but in a game that will likely be decided by single digits, the team that commits the fewest errors is going to win this game.
The other key? Aggression. Aggressiveness has been one of the calling cards of the Eagles’ offense. They went for it on fourth down, and it paid off. Kansas City decided to try a field goal when faced with a similar situation, and was off the mark.
Both quarterbacks came into the game with some health questions (more Mahomes and his high-ankle sprain than Hurts), but neither signal-caller appeared to be limited in the early going. Hurts finished the first half with 63 rushing yards, while Mahomes looked like he was moving without a problem until he hobbled off near the end of the first half.
A large part of it is the play of the offensive line, but it’s worth noting that here were no sacks in the first half.
Neither team had much of a ground game going — Isiah Pacheco was the only player who was really successful when it came to specific, designed runs. (That being said, Hurts’s 28-yard pickup on fourth down in the second quarter was one of the biggest plays of the first half.)
One of the things we’ve been hammering over and over again this season is the ability of a world-class offensive line to make a bad quarterback good and a good quarterback great. Hurts is a very good quarterback who is made elite by the best offensive line in the league, as we saw on many occasions in the first half.
The Patriots are set along the interior (the two guard spots and center), but they need to follow Philly’s lead and continue to invest in the offensive line. Not saying Mac Jones will end up the second coming of Hurts, but if New England prioritizes its offensive line (through free agency or the draft), it’ll be a big step in the right direction for the Patriots offense.
Not sure if we should acknowledge the players or the officiating, but there haven’t been as many flags as we’ve expected. (Although that second-quarter false start on the Eagles was followed by the Hurts’s fumble.) Given the fact that Carl Cheffers led the league in average penalties per game this season at 12.59, only TO COME flags in the first half has been a bit of a pleasant surprise.
Good special teams half, with the exception of the 42-yard missed FG attempt from Harrison Butker. (Butker had some issues with the turf in a Week 1 game against the Cardinals in Arizona.) After the miss, the Eagles regained momentum, taking a lead and regaining some momentum. As we said before, in a big game with no expected margin for error, those are the sorts of gaffes that can come back to haunt you.
Kansas City will get the ball to start the second half.
History is on the Eagles’ side — 8:26 p.m.
According to ESPN, teams leading by double-digits at halftime are 26-1 in the Super Bowl.
You may remember that one loss — it was Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots rallied from 18 down to win in OT.
Halftime stat check — 8:20 p.m.
Two quarters are in the books at State Farm Stadium, and the Eagles lead, 24-14.
Jalen Hurts: 17-22, 183 yards, 1 TD; 11 carries, 63 yards, 2 TDs
A.J. Brown: 3 catches, 5 targets, 74 yards, 1 TD
Patrick Mahomes: 8-13, 89 yards, 1 TD
Isiah Pacheco: 5 carries, 28 yards
Travis Kelce: 3 catches, 3 targets, 60 yards, 1 TD
Jake Elliott FG hands Eagles 10-point halftime lead — 8:18 p.m.
Eagles 24, Chiefs 14 | halftime
The drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 1:22
An extraordinary drive — despite the fact that it included a 35-yard catch overturned on review — for the Eagles leads to a 35-yard field goal to make it 24-14 at the end of the half.
Mahomes in pain — 8:04 p.m.
Potentially a big moment here before the end of the half. Mahomes hobbled off after that last possession, and the Eagles will get the ball back at their own 43 (after the punt) with two time outs and a seven-point lead.
Another Hurts TD puts Eagles up in second quarter — 7:53 p.m.
Eagles 21, Chiefs 14 | 2:20, second quarter
The drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:19
Two successful fourth-down conversions were the story of that last drive, one that was capped by a one-yard rushing touchdown from Hurts. The Eagles now hold a 21-14 lead with 2:20 left in the first half.
The Eagles were plugging along throughout the early stages of that last drive, but a big fourth-down pickup by Jalen Hurts with a 28-yard run play (on fourth and 5) really seemed to give Philly life. The Eagles then faced another fourth down a few plays later — fourth and 2 inside the Kansas City 10 — but were bailed out by a call on Derrick Nnadi to give them a fresh set of downs. Love the approach on fourth down by this Eagles’ team. Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.
The guess here is that the Chiefs — who will get the ball to start the second half — will try for one of those old-school wraparound scores to regain control of this one.
Nick Bolton makes it happen — 7:40 p.m.
Eagles 14, Chiefs 14 | 9:39, second quarter
Kansas City had its gaffe with the missed field goal. Now, Philadelphia just handed a touchdown to the Chiefs. A Hurts fumble on third down at the Philly 49-yard line was scooped up by Kansas City’s Nick Bolton, who took it the distance. It’s a tie game with 9:39 to go in the first half. The Eagles, on the cusp of taking control of the game, just opened the door again for the Chiefs.
A.J. Brown puts Eagles up — 7:27 p.m.
Eagles 14, Chiefs 7 | 14:52, second quarter
The drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:32
That was a lightning bolt of a touchdown pass from Hurts to Brown. Hurts had all day to throw, thanks to his offensive line, and lofted an impressive pass for Brown. Brown adjusted when the ball was in the air and beat a pair of defenders for the catch. A 45-yard touchdown pass makes it 14-7 with 14:52 to go in the first half.
The Eagles have absolutely dominated the second quarter this season. That was a great start to the quarter for Philly.
Watch:
End of first quarter: Eagles 7, Chiefs 7 — 7:23 p.m.
Stat check:
Patrick Mahomes: 5-7, 73 yards, 1 TD pass
Travis Kelce: 3 catches, 3 targets, 60 yards, 1 TD
Jalen Hurts: 7-9, 71 yards; 4 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
Butker doinks it off the upright, and we’re still tied — 7:18 p.m.
Philadelphia catches a big break, as Harrison Butker’s 42-yard field goal attempt doinked off an upright — a big miss in a game that should be close. Winning these games on the margins — namely, special teams — is always part of big playoff contests. We’ll see if the miss comes back to haunt Kansas City. The Eagles will take over at their own 32-yard line with 2:24 to go in the first quarter. It’s 7-7.
Chiefs force a stop — 7:10 p.m.
Chiefs get the first stop, and now, there’s a bit of a momentum swing after the initial touchdown from Philly. Kansas City gets the ball at its own 34 with 4:46 left in the first quarter.
All tied up — 7:02 p.m.
Eagles 7, Chiefs 7 | 6:57, first quarter
The drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:12
Dynamite answer by Mahomes and the Chiefs, who took just over three minutes to tie the game at seven. Mahomes found Kelce for an 18-yard pass play with 6:57 to go in the first quarter.
Kelce — who still reminds me of the lead singer in a Rob Gronkowski cover band — exposed some hole in the Philly pass defense on that drive. The Eagles have to make some adjustments if they want to slow the big tight end, the most important skill position player the Chiefs have.
Touchdown, Philly — 6:53 p.m.
Eagles 7, Chiefs 0 | 10:09, 1st quarter
The drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:51
The Eagles were one of the best teams when it came to converting their opening drives, and they just showed why. Not sure why Andy Reid decided to defer to start this one.
Terrific opening sequence for the Eagles, who shook off an early bobble from Miles Sanders to take an early lead on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Hurts. It’s 7-0 with 10:09 left in the first quarter.
Hurts was 4–5 for 54 yards, to go with two carries for 12 yards and a rushing touchdown. Eleven plays, 75 yards, 4:51. Not sure it could have gone much better for the Eagles. Philadelphia has an elite offensive line and enough of a running game to seize control of the game early. We’ll see if the Chiefs — who are now forced to play from behind for the first time this postseason — are able to respond.
Watch:
And we’re off! — 6:44 p.m.
Tell us what you think will happen here.
Chiefs win the coin toss — 6:40 p.m.
Good news for Philadelphia: The winner of the coin toss has lost eight straight Super Bowl games.
Tough break for Philly fans — 6:30 p.m.
By the Associated Press
This is not the moment for the cable to go out in Philly, but here we are.
Comcast spokesperson Jen Bilotta said physical damage that severed fiberoptic cable in the Kensington section of northeast Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon resulted in an outage affecting a few thousand households in the Kensington and Fishtown neighborhoods and some surrounding areas.
She said crews have been “working furiously” for several hours to resolve the problem and some customers have started to come back online — they are hoping to restore service to everyone by kickoff.
The Patriots might not be playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl, but a Navy pilot from Massachusetts will ensure New England will be represented at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
Lt. Jacqueline Drew, who grew up in Waltham, will be part of an all-women team who will conduct a flyover during the national anthem to celebrate 50 years of women serving as Navy pilots.
In 1973, the first eight women entered flight school in Pensacola, Fla., according to the Navy’s website commemorating the golden anniversary.
On Sunday, Drew will fly in a formation that will include two F/A-18F Super Hornets, a F-35C Lightning II, and a EA-18G Growler, the Navy Office of Community Outreach said in a statement.
Tom Brady weighs in — 6:23 p.m.
Looks like the newly retired QB isn’t quite sure what to do with himself.
He had high praise for the quarterbacks, though:
Official Price Prediction — 6:22 p.m.
Both offenses are so special, and both are so good at playing with a lead, which means this one will ultimately be decided on defense. And the Eagles defense will be the group that gets it done today — Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham, and the rest of the Philadelphia front seven will be the difference. That group will overwhelm the Kansas City offensive line and slow a terrific quarterback in Patrick Mahomes (who will also be hobbled just enough by his ankle issue) to allow the Eagles to come away with the win. I’ll say Eagles 28, Chiefs 23.
Local connections in tonight’s game — 6:20 p.m.
If you’re a Patriots fan and looking for someone to root for today, there aren’t a lot of possibilities. But Kansas City does have some connections:
• Joe Thuney was an absolute rock along the New England offensive line for the first five seasons of his career, helping clear the way on the way to Super Bowl wins in 2016 and 2018. One of the nicest and most low-key guys in the New England locker room, the third-round pick out of North Carolina State is going for his third Super Bowl win, and first with the Chiefs.
• The Kansas City coaching staff does have some New England ties. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen is a native of Quincy, while defensive coordinator Serve Spagnuolo is from Whitinsville, got his bachelors from Springfield College and his masters from UMass. And Brendan Daly, Kansas City’s linebackers coach, was with New England from 2014-2018, the last three years as the Patriots’ defensive line coach.
And don’t forget about Leominster’s Noah Gray, a backup tight end for Kansas City. Trevor Hass has more here.
Can Patrick Mahomes reverse the curse of Kurt Warner? — 6:15 p.m.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is looking to reverse a remarkable trend today. Call it the Curse of Kurt Warner.
Mahomes was named MVP on the heels of an impressive regular season, playing a sizable role in leading the Chiefs to the cusp of another championship. However, no NFL MVP has won the award and a Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner did it in 1999. The last nine players to win MVP and reach the Super Bowl in the same season all lost the big game. Eight of them were quarterbacks.
Here’s the last 10 MVPs to take part in the Super Bowl, and how they fared:
2017: Tom Brady, Patriots — lost in the Super Bowl (Eagles)
2016: Matt Ryan, Falcons — lost in the Super Bowl (Patriots)
2015: Cam Newton, Panthers — lost in the Super Bowl (Broncos)
2013: Peyton Manning, Broncos — lost in the Super Bowl (Seahawks)
2009: Peyton Manning, Colts — lost in the Super Bowl (Saints)
2007: Tom Brady, Patriots — lost in the Super Bowl (Giants)
2005: Shaun Alexander, Seahawks — lost in the Super Bowl (Steelers)
2002: Rich Gannon, Raiders — lost in the Super Bowl (Buccaneers)
2001: Kurt Warner, Rams — lost in the Super Bowl (Patriots)
1999: Kurt Warner, Rams — won in the Super Bowl (Titans)
On the Super Bowl officiating crew — 6:10 p.m.
Carl Cheffers will work as the lead official. The 62-year-old Cheffers will be the Super Bowl referee for the second time in three seasons and third time overall — he was the referee for Super Bowls LII and LV.
Having assumed the job in 2008, Cheffers is the NFL’s second longest-tenured referee, trailing only Jerome Boger.
According to NFLpenalties.com, Cheffers’s crew led the league in average penalties per game at 12.59. But Cheffers will not lead his own crew in the Super Bowl; it’ll be an all-star crew of officials.
Here’s the rest of the crew: Umpire Roy Ellison, line judge Jeff Bergman, down judge Jerod Phillips, field judge John Jenkins, side judge Eugene Hall, back judge Dino Paganelli, replay official Mark Butterworth.
What to know about the jerseys — 6:05 p.m.
Two interesting notes on jersey selection:
Today will be the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career that he’ll be wearing a white jersey for a playoff game. In his previous 13 postseason games, he’s worn red.
Color scheme matters. White jerseys are good luck in the Super Bowl, at least over the last decade-plus. Over the past 18 games, teams wearing white have gone 15-3.
Rob Gronkowski will return to the football field this weekend. Well, sort of. — 6:00 p.m.
Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says he’s fully retired from football.
Well, with one exception.
Gronkowski, who stepped away from the NFL a second time after the 2021 season, is returning to the field on Super Bowl Sunday to attempt a 25-yard field goal as part of a live commercial for online gambling company FanDuel.
The spot will air during the third quarter of Sunday’s game from an undisclosed location in Arizona. If Gronkowski makes the kick, FanDuel users will get to split a prize pool of $10 million in free bets.
The Chiefs’ red zone offense is one trick after another, and the Eagles have to be ready for anything — 5:50 p.m.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has plenty to worry about leading up to Sunday. Not only does he have to come up with a plan to stop Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl, he also has to prepare for “Ferrari Right,” “Hungry Pig,” “Black Pearl,” “Slot Machine,” “Bloated Tebow,” and much more.
The names sound like Derek Zoolander’s runway looks but instead are the Chiefs’ trick plays inside the red zone.
“They really test your rules, test your eye discipline,” Gannon said. “They’ll give you stuff that you just can’t practice, and then they’ve got big-time players. It’s really tough.”
📸 Spotted: Damar Hamlin at the Super Bowl — 5:40 p.m.
Weather or not, State Farm Stadium has a retractable roof — 5:35 p.m.
When it comes to weather, it looks like it’ll be smooth sailing. State Farm Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LVII, has a retractable roof.
It sounds like it’ll be open, because conditions are expected to be mild. According to Accuweather, it’s expected to be 65 and partly sunny in Arizona on Sunday afternoon.
For the record, the roof has been open for the previous two Super Bowls at State Farm Stadium — the Patriots’ dramatic 28-24 win over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX, as well as the Giants’ 17-14 win over New England in Super Bowl XLII. A Cardinals’ spokesman said earlier in the week that if the forecast plays out as predicted, the roof will be open for Chiefs-Eagles.
Will the most well-rounded team win the Super Bowl? Or will the best quarterback? — 5:25 p.m.
By Chad Finn
With a victory Sunday, the Eagles have a chance to be remembered as one of the most dominating teams in recent NFL lore. Under justifiably cocky 41-year-old coach Nick Sirianni, they went 14-3 in the regular season with a plus-133 point differential. They’ve won their two playoff games over the Giants and 49ers by a combined 69-14 score. Their pass rush nearly set an NFL record for sacks. Their running game is the best in the league, diverse and relentless, accumulating 2,509 yards at 4.6 yards per carry in the regular season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the league’s most well-rounded young stars. Sure, they did not play a challenging regular-season schedule, but neither did, oh, the 2016 Patriots or the undefeated 1972 Dolphins. If the Eagles win, history will remember them as a force.
But the Chiefs, who also went 14-3 in the regular season, have Patrick Mahomes, and how fortunate are they? He’s 27 years old and six seasons into his career, and if he retired tomorrow to go run a beet farm with Aaron Rodgers, he’d probably still get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Chiefs are 64-16 in the regular season in his 80 career starts. He’s already thrown 192 touchdown passes — as many as Hall of Famer Bob Griese and more than Canton enshrinees Troy Aikman and Joe Namath. In concert with his offensive genius of a coach, 64-year-old former Eagles boss Andy Reid, he’s made five Pro Bowls, won two Most Valuable Player awards, and has led the Chiefs to five conference title games, three Super Bowls, and one Super Bowl win. He has a chance to be the second-greatest quarterback of all time after you-know-who.
Read the rest of Finn’s Unconventional Preview here.
Inactives: See who Chiefs, Eagles will be without — 5:15 p.m.
Malcolm Butler tells tales of his two very different Super Bowl experiences — 5:10 p.m.
Eight years after his game-sealing interception in Super Bowl XLIX, a visit to Arizona is still a trip down memory lane for former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler.
“I saw the stadium and my heart just started racing,” Butler said Friday. “I’m thinking about when I was on the bus with [Rob Gronkowski] and [Julian Edelman], and I’m like, ‘Damn, they’re really going to play in the Super Bowl, and I’m not going to play.’ I remember sitting down at media day and no one was at my table. But, boom, I ended up playing in the game.”
Butler, an undrafted rookie in 2014, hadn’t played much that season. He was inactive for four games and did not log a single defensive snap in five others.
On a critical play in the final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks, though, the 24-year-old Butler was on the field — and delivered. He intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass at the goal line to preserve New England’s 28-24 victory and instantly become a franchise hero.
“Life changed a lot after that,” Butler told Nicole Yang this week.
2023 Super Bowl: Betting odds and props to watch — 5:00 p.m.
This has been one of the most eventful betting lines in the run-up to the Super Bowl, as the narrow spread has gone back and forth over the course of the week. As of Sunday morning, the Eagles were a 1.5-point favorite — that was after it opened with Kansas City as a 1-point favorite, then swung to a pick ‘em, then Philadelphia was a 1-point favorite, and then it went back to a pick ‘em (per Bet Online). Then, the Eagles went from being a one-point favorite to a 1.5 this morning.
As for the total points, that opened at 51, went to 49.5, and then 50.5. As of this morning, the number was 51.
Here are some of our other favorite wagers, via Odds Shark:
Super Bowl MVP: For an award traditionally given to the winning quarterback, the odds obviously favor both Jalen Hurts (+100) and Patrick Mahomes (+135).
But if you are feeling adventurous — and if you believe in the NFL setting things up to reward a great storyline, there are some other intriguing possibilities. How about Travis Kelce (+1100)? Two slightly under-the-radar choices include receiver A.J. Brown (+1600) and pass rusher Haason Reddick (+4000).
The color of the Gatorade that will be poured on the winning coach: Orange started the week as the clear favorite for a few reasons, including the fact that orange has been dumped on the winning coach five times since Super Bowl XXXV. But those numbers have swung pretty dramatically, and as of Sunday morning, yellow tops the board at -145.
How long it will take Chris Stapleton to sing the national anthem: The over/under is set at 2:02. In the last 16 Super Bowls, the anthem has gone over the oddsmaker’s set time on nine occasions and under it six times, with one push.
Opening coin toss: This is, understandably, a pick ‘em. But Odds Shark notes that in the last 10 years, tails has come up six times.
2023 Super Bowl facts and trivia — 4:55 p.m.
A few numbers worth remembering going into today’s game:
▪ Andy Reid, who coached the Eagles before joining the Chiefs, will become the fifth coach to face his former team in a Super Bowl. Former coaches are 2-2 in Super Bowls against their old teams, with the latest matchup coming in Super Bowl XLIX when Pete Carroll and the Seahawks were upended by the Patriots.
▪ According to ESPN Stats & Information, this will be the seventh Super Bowl to feature a starting quarterback who led the regular season in passing yards. Good luck to Mahomes, because each of the previous six lost: Tom Brady (2017), Peyton Manning (2013), Tom Brady (2007), Rich Gannon (2002), Kurt Warner (2001), Dan Marino (1984).
▪ The Eagles are the fifth team to win both the divisional playoff and conference championship by at least 21 points. According to ESPN Stats & Information, each of the previous four teams won the Super Bowl.
▪ This will mark the first year two Black quarterbacks will meet in the Super Bowl. Mahomes could become the first Black quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls.
▪ This also will be the first Super Bowl in which brothers will face each other: Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia offensive lineman Jason Kelce will have some happy parents in the stands.
There’s always a Patriots connection — 4:50 p.m.
As Dan Shaughnessy noted, this will be the first Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Arizona that won’t include the Patriots. Both of those games have been two of the most dramatic championship games in the recent history of the NFL.
▪ In February 2008, the Giants shocked the previously unbeaten Patriots, 21-17, in Super Bowl XLII.
▪ On Feb. 1, 2015, New England edged the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, 28-24.
This will be the fourth Super Bowl played in Arizona. On Jan. 28, 1996, the Cowboys beat the Steelers 27-17 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Andy Reid has the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl. And he could soon be nipping at Bill Belichick’s heels. — 4:40 p.m.
By Ben Volin
Since Patrick Mahomes became starting quarterback five years ago, 65-year-old Andy Reid and the Chiefs have dominated the NFL to the tune of a 64-18 record (.780), 10 postseason wins, five AFC Championship games, three Super Bowls, and at least one title.
It has put Reid in a position to pass many of the all-time greats, particularly with Mahomes just 27. After 24 seasons as a head coach — 14 with the Eagles and 10 with the Chiefs — Reid is fifth in coaching wins (268, including postseason), just two behind Tom Landry. Reid’s 21 postseason wins are second-most in NFL history, and his four Super Bowl appearances are tied for fourth-most.
Soon enough, Reid could even be nipping at Bill Belichick’s heels. Belichick, six years older than Reid, is just 51 regular-season wins (and 10 postseason wins) ahead of Reid. Belichick had 263 wins through his age-64 season, compared with 268 (and possibly 269) for Reid.
Belichick has a decided advantage in Super Bowls — six rings to one, and nine appearances to four —but who knows how many Reid and Mahomes will rack up over the next decade?
How the Eagles and Chiefs got to the Super Bowl — 4:30 p.m.
The Eagles were the best team in the NFC from the start, racing to an 8-0 record on the way to a 14-3 regular-season finish. The No. 1 seed in the conference, Philadelphia has been led by a defense that finished with a franchise-record 70 sacks and an offense that features quarterback Jalen Hurts (15 rushing TDs in the regular and postseason, the most by a QB in a single season in NFL history) and three pass catchers — A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert — who had 700 or more receiving yards in the regular season.
The Chiefs had an uncharacteristically slow start and were 4-2 after a mid-October loss to the Bills. Buoyed in large part by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City ripped off 10 wins in its last 11 games on the way to the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Mahomes, considered the leading candidate for MVP, led the league in passing yards (5,250) and passing touchdowns (41).
Pregame reading list — 4:25 p.m.
Best way to get ready for tonight? Load up on snacks, make sure the DVR is set, and check out our pregame reading list.
- Christopher L. Gasper: Everything is on the line (actually, on the offensive and defensive lines of the Chiefs and Eagles) in the Super Bowl
- Ben Volin: The Chiefs’ red zone offense is one trick after another, and the Eagles have to be ready for anything
- Ben Volin: Andy Reid has the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl. And he could soon be nipping at Bill Belichick’s heels.
- Nicole Yang: Ex-Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler tells tales of his two very different Super Bowl experiences
- Chad Finn: Will the most well-rounded team win the Super Bowl? Or will the best quarterback?
- Jim McBride: It’s been a week of sibling revelry for Jason and Travis Kelce at the Super Bowl
- Nicole Yang: Rob Gronkowski will return to the football field this weekend. Well, sort of.
- Nicole Yang: ‘Radio Row’ lacks a New England presence, other Patriots-related thoughts from Super Bowl week
Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday! — 4:20 p.m.
Hello, and welcome to Super Bowl Sunday! It’s the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles — the first time in five years it’ll be a matchup of the two No. 1 seeds.
The Chiefs will be trying for their second title in four years, while the Eagles are eyeing a second Super Bowl win in six seasons.
Keep it here all evening ling as we provide the pregame news and analysis, the in-game updates, and postgame quotes of note.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social. Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram at @katiemac.sports.