- The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 to win Super Bowl LVII.
- With the game tied in the final minutes, Eagles cornerback James Bradberry was called for a hold that allowed the Chiefs to seal their win.
PHOENIX — The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions once again.
At State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Chiefs came back from a 24-14 halftime deficit against the Philadelphia Eagles to lift the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years.
It was a hotly contested game throughout, but after brilliant feats of athleticism controlled the action for 58 minutes, the final two were spoiled a bit by a soft call from the referees.
After the Eagles tied the game at 35-35 with five minutes left, the Chiefs were driving for a late go-ahead field goal.
Facing 3rd-and-8 from the Eagles' 15-yard line with just 1:54 remaining, Patrick Mahomes overthrew JuJu Smith-Schuster. For a moment, it looked like the Eagles defense had done enough to get the ball back with time to rally once again.
But Philadelphia cornerback James Bradberry, who was covering Smith-Schuster on the play, was flagged for a holding penalty after a quick grab at his jersey.
You can judge the call for yourself here.
—Arye Pulli (@AryePulliTSP) February 13, 2023
Greg Olsen, who was calling the game for Fox, wasn't too pleased with the call.
"James Bradberry, they're going to say that he grabs him. He had his left hand on his back. I don't know."
—Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) February 13, 2023
The call was crucial to the final moments of the game. With the penalty, the Chiefs picked up a free first down, and were able to drain the clock until just eight seconds remained before kicking the go-ahead field goal.
Had the penalty not been called, the Chiefs would have faced 4th and 8, and needed to kick the field goal with just under two minutes still left on the clock. If the flag stays in the referee's pocket, the Eagles would likely have gotten the ball back, trailing by three with one drive to determine which side would be champions.
Instead, the Eagles got possession back with just six seconds left, and their desperate final play fell sadly to the ground.
—Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) February 13, 2023
While the penalty wasn't well-received by some watching the game, especially Eagles supporters, referee Carl Cheffers stood by the call after the game.
"It was a clear case of a jersey grab that caused restriction," Cheffers said. "There was no debate."
Bradberry also didn't disagree with the call, owning to the penalty in the Eagles locker room after the game.
—Ben Volin (@BenVolin) February 13, 2023
Ultimately, this feels like one of those moments where if the rule was technically broken, it was still light, and in the context of the moment, it a frustrating way to end what had been a thrilling Super Bowl. Even NBA star LeBron James, in attendance in Arizona, believed so.
—LeBron James (@KingJames) February 13, 2023
Regardless of Bradberry's grab, the ball was going over Smith-Schuster, and giving the Eagles one more possession to tie or win the game in the final minutes would have made for a thrilling finish befitting the rest of the game.
Instead, the Eagles were left wondering what might have been.