Super Bowl LVII Was Everything Fans and Bettors Hoped For

Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs won an exciting Super Bowl LVII this Sunday by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half, taking the Big Game 38-35. The team won their second title in four years, a testament to an unstoppable group of athletes determined to leave its mark on the football world.

There were more than a few times when it seemed like the Chiefs wouldn’t pull it off. They trailed 24-14 at the end of the first half before putting up a solid performance on both offense and defense in the second half. Despite Mahomes again dealing with an ankle injury, he proved more capable of leading his team to another Super Bowl title.

Known as one of the best QBs in modern NFL history, Mahomes completed 21 out of 27 passes for 182 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. As the Chiefs played in the second half, they were very aggressive, scoring on all of their drives. 

Jalen Hurts, who threw 304 yards and scored a touchdown against the Chiefs, put in a strong performance for the Eagles. In addition to his ability as a skilled passer, he also rushed for 70 yards and scored three touchdowns, a broken record in the Super Bowl. 

While Philadelphia led the way in the first half, their defense melted away after the intermission. This became brutally obvious toward the end, and the Chiefs were waiting, ready to jump.

Eagles Open Up A Great Show

If there were doubts about how Hurts would handle the pressure of the Super Bowl, he answered them right away. The offense scored the first touchdown as Philly went ahead 7-0 on the first drive from 75 yards. The QB had no trouble finding receiver DeVonta Smith, who could convert it with a superior Philadelphia running game. 

His first drive was successful, as he recovered an 8-yard run. However, the Chiefs scored with a great move from Mahomes, which was a combination of him with his favorite teammate, Travis Kelce, and a turn by Isiah Pacheco.

Mahomes made a great pass to Kelce, and the Chiefs evened the score. Despite the fact that the defense made it hard to move the ball for both sides, Kansas City managed to score one more time in the first quarter, leaving the Eagles frustrated.

In the end, it looked as if the tide of the game was about to turn after Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker botched a 42-yarder. It then took Philadelphia about 45 yards to score a dramatic touchdown but Hurts connected with AJ Brown on an amazing drop to move the Eagles ahead.

With that pass, he may have seemed like the magician of the game, but five minutes later, he found himself at the center of attention for a big mistake. With the Eagles on their own 45-yard line, he let the ball get loose.

Chiefs’ linebacker Nick Bolton took advantage of the mistake and pounced on it. He picked up the ball and used it to rekindle the Chiefs’ fire.

Hurts, however, did not seem upset by the outcome, as he continued to attack aggressively, both on the ground and in the air, and his hard work was rewarded with his second TD as the Eagles moved ahead 21-14. 

However, it wasn’t the score that caused Kansas City the most concern in the first half, but the situation that Mahomes was in. It is the same thing that caused him problems during the postseason when he performed with his right ankle screaming at him to give it a break. When he took a particularly hard tackle, the entire State Farm stadium was quiet as his followers rose from their seats.

Extraordinary Reaction By Kansas

After a little time with the medical crew and a much-needed halftime intermission, Mahomes took the field to start the second half. True to form, he didn’t let his recent medical problems stand in the way of a stellar performance. 

With a lot of scrambling, Mahomes pulled off a 10-play drive to start the second half, ending with a Pacheco TD to make it 24-21. The Eagles almost shot themselves in the foot with another big fumble that ended in a touchdown. However, after a review of the play, the refs ruled the pass incomplete, much to the relief of the Eagles.

Philadelphia recovered and had another long drive that took almost eight minutes in the quarter to extend their advantage. They then scored another field goal to increase their lead at the start of the quarter. 

The Chiefs were on a path to losing 27-21, but receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster came alive in the fourth quarter, setting up an offensive attack for the Chiefs. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid showed off his play-making skills in a big way. Philly’s defense fell for his bag of tricks and left wide receiver Kadarius Toney completely alone. He was so alone that he could walk into the end zone to put the Chiefs ahead 28-27. 

If the Eagles had felt comfortable with their performance until now, they were about to be in for a rude awakening. After running into a frustratingly difficult defensive line and more Chiefs points, they were able to find a hole off a 65-yard return by Toney. 

Kansas Holds Strong

However, Kansas City wasn’t going to give up an inch. Reid’s offense was too much for one of the best defenses in the league. On a play similar to the previous scoring drive, Skyy Moore was standing alone for the touchdown on the opposite side of the end zone. The Chiefs now led 35-27.

It was a crucial moment for the Eagles, but Hurts responded with fierce determination. He added another incredible 45-yard pass to Smith for a TD, and Hurts picked up the two-point conversion that tied the game at 35 with five minutes left. 

The Chiefs’ now relied on discipline and clock management to land the death blow. The offense burned precious seconds off the clock until only eight remained. It was all the Chiefs needed for a field goal. The Eagles looked for a miracle but didn’t find it, and the Chiefs walked away with the championship.

Super Bowl Bettors Make History

NFL players weren’t the only ones setting records in the Big Game. Bettors also made history, reportedly wagering over $16 billion. The final numbers are still coming in, but if that’s accurate, it will be more than double the amount from last year. 

The lines were close leading up to the game, but the Eagles were slightly ahead. That didn’t stop bettors from backing the Chiefs, though; a lot of the money went on Mahomes and Kansas City. 

From moneyline bets to the over/under, the action was non-stop. This was the first time a Super Bowl was played in a state with legal sports betting. Next year, the championship will be decided in Nevada, and it’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s winner. For future bettors, the lines are already on the board, with the Chiefs leading as the favorites.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.