One would think that the Eagles having more first downs, 3rd down conversions, total yards, and time of possession, that’d we would be here discussing another Philadelphia Super Bowl victory.
However, none of that was enough to overcome the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s big game. Which is a tough pill to swallow because the Eagles did play a pretty good game. Let’s look at some of the good:
Jalen Hurts Makes History
The Eagles Quarterback set new Super Bowl high-water marks in this one, as the 24-year-old collected more yards rushing than any QB in Super Bowl history. He also became the first QB to rush for three touchdowns as well, in addition to his gaudy 300 yards through the air. Despite a fumble that was returned for a touchdown on a designed run, giving linebacker Nick Bolton a chance to scoop and score, it was a rather clean performance for number 1. Philadelphia absolutely has the right guy under center for both now and the future and that’s certainly a positive going forward. He’ll continue to grow and improve if this season has taught us anything about Hurts’ character or leadership abilities.
AJ Brown (six catches, 96 yards) and Devonta Smith (seven catches, 100 yards) were targeted frequently and helped pace the Philadelphia air raid attack, but it wasn’t the offense that stalled out in this game. It was, surprisingly, the defense.
Gannon and PI?
To be certain, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon did little in way of creative play-calling, but the Eagles defense was soundly outplayed in the second of this game and it proved costly. A defensive front that feasted on QBs all season long couldn’t muster up a single sack. The defensive backs, on the other hand, were eaten up by red-zone motion and creative red-zone offense from Andy Reid. Each time Philly brought more than four on pressures, Patrick Mahomes’ quick decision making with the football thwarted the attack. It was an uninspiring effort, but given credit where credit is due, the Chiefs offensive line did an excellent job of keeping their hobbled star QB upright the entire game.
And then–of course—there’s that defensive pass interference on James Bradberry late in the game that put the final nail in the coffin for Philly.
Here’s the thing: it’s not a matter of whether this is truly “holding” or not, as a closer angle clearly shows Bradberry grabbing a chunk of jersey. We already know that a good amount of pass interference goes uncalled throughout the course of a season. However, to call holding on that play at that moment? It may have changed the complexion of the game.
That defensive holding call bailed the Chiefs out of an incomplete pass. Running back Jerrick McKinnon took a carry to the one-yard line on the next play, forcing the Eagles to take their last timeout. Eventually, the Chiefs set up fourth and eight, taking a timeout with 11 seconds on the game clock. It was a 27-yard field goal, one that Harrison Butker made to give Kansas City a 38-35 lead with eight seconds to go.
Game. Set. Match. The Chiefs are once again champions.
No excuses here though. James Bradberry himself believed that the call was the right one, but was hoping that the official would it let it go. A handful of jersey is always a smoking gun and clearly in this instance, one that the officiating was not in fact going to let slide. It’s a part of that human element in sports and probably won’t be the last time we see an official call something tic-tack in a pivotal time in a game.
It happens, but it doesn’t sting any less and probably won’t for a while, Eagles fans.
