After an entire season of preparation and insane storylines for all 32 NFL teams, the stage for Super Bowl LVII is finally set: the young NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles versus the proven AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. Now, how did we get here?
The NFC Championship game kicked off the doubleheader, between the Eagles and the hot San Francisco 49ers, who ended their regular season on a 10-game win streak after beginning 3-4. This game started out with an unbelievable drive by the Eagles, converting a 4th down with a controversial 29-yard Devonta Smith one-handed snag. This led to an easy Miles Sander touchdown run for 6 yards to allow Philly to lead 7-0. For the 49ers, this game started and ended in disaster, as on the 6th play of their drive, Haason Reddick snuck around the offensive line and hit Brock Purdy's arm as he tried to throw the ball. This caused a fumble, recovered by the Eagles. This also caused the Cinderella-story quarterback to run to the sideline, leaving the game with a nerve injury.
However, the 49ers relatively kept up for the rest of the 1st half. After 5 straight punts from both sides, 49ers runningback Christian McCaffrey pulled off an epic 23-yard run to tie the game, as well as to try to give San Francisco spirit in the game. However, the Eagles would "answer with a 13-yard Sanders touchdown run, a Reddick fumble recovery off a muffed snap by Johnson, and a Boston Scott 10-yard touchdown run in the final 8:29 of the first half to make it 21-7 at halftime". From there, the Philadelphia Eagles found themselves in complete control, leading to absolute dominance in the second half and winning the game 31-7.
Nick Shook from NFL.com would state the 49ers lost due to a lack of discipline. Shook writes, "What the 49ers and their fans should also admit -- perhaps through gritted teeth -- is that they simply didn't play well enough to win. The 11 penalties bought the Eagles countless second chances, upon which they largely capitalized, but San Francisco wasn't disciplined enough to stop the Eagles, even if the numbers don't reflect it." To reflect this, with around 4 minutes left in the game, 49ers offensive lineman Trent Williams slammed Eagles safety K'Von Wallace to the ground during a scuffle between the two teams. This would all help the Eagles go to their 4th Super Bowl appearance, their first since their polarizing Super Bowl LII run in 2018.
While Philadelphia residents would flock to the streets and light the city on fire, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts would sing the iconic fight song for the franchise.
The talk of the AFC Championship game was whether or not possible MVP Patrick Mahomes would be playing 100%, having suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round. This didn't shake Mahomes at all, however, as he still threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns. Unlike the NFC title game, the Cincinnati Bengals and Chiefs stayed slow-paced throughout the game. The Chiefs defensive line seemed to have a bounty on Bengals QB Joe Burrow, getting to him frequently. AS USA explains, "The high octane shootout we all expected got off to a slow start as the KC defense pressured Cincy QB Joe Burrow from the first possession onwards." A 14-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce would allow the Chiefs to lead 13-3 early, before the Bengals got a late-quarter field goal to cut the score to 13-6.
Coming out of halftime, the Bengals seemed to wake up. On their first offensive drive of the second half, they scored a touchdown off a 27-yard pass to receiver Tee Higgins to tie the game 13-13. AS USA recalls, "Kansas City would not take too long to respond. They punched back on the next possession as Mahomes led an 11 play, 77 yard drive that ended with a 19 yard dart over the middle to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the go ahead touchdown." Before the Chiefs could drive down the field, to try to take advantage of a 3-and-out from the Bengals, the football slipped out of Mahomes' hands and was recovered by the Bengals. With this, the Bengals would tie the game at 20 a-piece with a Samaje Perine running touchdown.
Here's where the issues began for most fans. After Burrow threw a tipped interception on their next drive, and another back-to-back series of punts for each team, NFL fans began to flock to Twitter. "The Bengals punted the ball away to Kansas City with the game tied at 20," The New York Post explains. "Chiefs receiver Skyy Moore took the punt return 29 yards to right near midfield — but Cincinnati fans contested that officials missed an illegal block in the back that would have negated the huge gain." The next horrific sight for the Bengals came when defensive end Joseph Ossai would be given an Unnecessary Roughness call for hitting Patrick Mahomes after he was already ruled out of bounds.
This wasn't all for the outrage. The Chiefs earlier would run a play on 3rd and 9, which seemed to result in a Cincinnati defensive stop that was crucial to try to send the game to overtime. The play would be called dead due to a clock issue, where the game clock did not stop after an incomplete pass on 2nd down. The New York Post states, "Then, they gave the Chiefs a second chance to run the play. And while Cincinnati ended up getting yet another stop, Bengals cornerback (and notable loudmouth) Eli Apple was called for defensive holding, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs." Talk of the NFL being "fixed" and "scripted" would return.
The Kansas City Chiefs will return to the Super Bowl for the third time in five years, due to a last-minute Harrison Butker field goal to win the game 23-20. Mahomes would finally get his first career win against Joe Burrow as well, finally ending the "Burrowhead" argument.
Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval would get in on the Joe Burrow versus Mahomes argument ahead of the game, in a bizarre Twitter video. Pureval signed a fake declaration calling Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium "Burrowhead", and stating Joe Burrow was asked to take a paternity test to "see if he is Mahomes' father". All Tight End Travis Kelce had to say about the situation was, “I’ve got some wise words for that Cincinnati mayor. Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!”
Super Bowl LVII features two powerhouse teams, with multiple storylines behind them this season. Can the Eagles finish off a historically great season to win their second Lombardi trophy? Can Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs finally solidify themselves as a dynasty? Does Jalen Hurts have what it takes to win the big game? How will Chiefs coach Andy Reid do, against his former team?
And more importantly, who will win the "Kelce Bowl"? ESPN states, "Philadelphia center Jason Kelce and Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce will become the first brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl." The brothers are both considered the best in the league at their respective positions, and each has one ring with their respective teams.
Another fun fact that goes to show how far football has come since its creation, this Super Bowl will be the first two black starting quarterbacks will play against each other, between Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes. CNN writes, "Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl, leading the then-Washington Redskins to victory in 1988, and was followed by Russell Wilson for the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Mahomes in 2020, while others have started and lost the big game."
Super Bowl LVII will kick off on February 12, 2023, at 6:30 PM EST, in Glendale, AZ.
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