Chiefs defeat Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII

The Kansas City Chiefs held on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 on Sunday, claiming their second NFL championship in four seasons by winning Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.

The Eagles began the game with the ball, running off a 11-play, four-minute drive to take a 7-0 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the first quarter. The Chiefs answered with an even faster 6-play drive — ending with an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce — to tie the game 7-7 just past the midpoint of the first quarter. Philadelphia committed offensive pass interference on its next possession, giving Kansas City an assist on a three-and-out. Kansas City drove to the Eagles’ 24-yard line before their next drive stalled, but Harrison Butker’s 42-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. The first quarter ended with the score still tied.

But on the first play of the second quarter, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts found A.J. Brown for a 45-yard touchdown strike to make the score 14-7 — and then the Eagles forced a three-and-out after Isiah Pacheco was stuffed on a first-down run. Philadelphia got past midfield — but on a third-and-5, Hurts fumbled the ball while under pressure. Linebacker Nick Bolton scooped it up, returning it 36 yards for a touchdown that tied the game 14-14 with just under 10 minutes left in the half. But the Eagles then converted two fourth downs on their next drive, which ended with a four-yard Hurts touchdown run — and a 21-14 lead with 2:20 left in the first half.

The Chiefs could get nothing going — and even worse, on third-and-15, Mahomes was tackled and came off the field limping as the Kansas City punted the ball away. The Eagles had to settle for a field goal, giving them a 24-14 lead at halftime.

Mahomes came back on the field as Kansas City took the ball to start the third quarter. The Chiefs leaned on the running game as they drove 75 yards on 10 plays, scoring on a Pacheco touchdown run to narrow the Eagles’ lead to 24-21. On the first play of the next Philadelphia drive, it appeared that L’Jarius Sneed forced a fumble on a completed pass to Miles Sanders — and once again, Bolton ran it in for a score. But on review, officials decided that it was an incomplete pass. Philadelphia moved the ball all the way to the Kansas City 15-yard line before the Chiefs could force a field goal that extended the Eagles’ lead to 27-21 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter.

Kansas City replied with a nine-play, 75-yard drive leading to a 5-yard walk-in touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney that gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the game. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Toney returned the Philadelphia punt 65 yards to the Eagles’ 5-yard line — and three plays later, the Chiefs were ahead 35-27 after wide receiver Skyy Moore had a four-yard walk-in touchdown catch.

But on the next drive, the Eagles made a huge play. Hurts found Devonta Smith open down the left sideline for a 45-yard pass to the Kansas City two-yard line. After Hurts ran in a touchdown (and a two-point conversion), the game was tied 28-28 with 5:15 left on the clock. Kansas City got to the Philadelphia 17-yard line with a 26-yard Mahomes scramble at the two-minute warning.

Thanks to a third-down defensive holding call against Philadelphia, the Chiefs were able to wind down the clock to 11 seconds, when Harrison Butkler kicked a 27-yard field goal to seal the 38-35 win.