Super Bowl 57 spent no time kicking into high gear. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs both marched down the field for scores on their first offensive drives. The Eagles and Chiefs were each the top seeds in their conference, but which of the league’s two most elite regular season teams won Super Bowl 57?
Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl 57
The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl 57 in a tightly-contested game that truly showcased the two best teams in the NFL.
The First Quarter
The Eagles’ offense started the game strong with an early touchdown to make the game 7-0. Philadelphia’s attack appeared clinical on their first offensive drive.
On the Eagles’ only third down of the first drive of the game, DeVonta Smith was found running across the field on third-and-five for a first-down conversion. The Eagles converted their second third down of the drive for the first touchdown of Super Bowl 57.
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The Chiefs answered quickly with a touchdown drive of their own. They didn’t face a single third down during their first drive.
Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for 20 yards on the team’s first drive of the game, and Isiah Pacheco scampered for 20 yards during the same drive on the Chiefs’ road to seven points of their own.
The Second Quarter
After Harrison Butker missed a 42-yard field goal, the Eagles scored in just five offensive plays against the Chiefs’ defense. On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Hurts connected with A.J. Brown for a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles’ offensive line was dominating Kansas City’s defensive front.
After a few defensive stops in a row, it looked as if the Eagles were going to dominate the game, but Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense was up to the task. A wacky Hurts fumble turned into a 36-yard touchdown return for Chiefs’ linebacker Nick Bolton.
Immediately after the Chiefs returned the fumble for a touchdown to make the score 14-14, the Eagles responded with a 12-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to make the score 21-14. On the final drive of the second quarter, the Eagles drove 40 yards on eight plays before ending the half. Jake Elliott kicked a 35-yard-yard field goal to make the game 24-14.
The Third Quarter
The Chiefs came out swinging in the third quarter. Down 24-14 heading into the third period, K.C. needed a score on their first offensive drive of the half, and they received exactly that — a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive to make the score 21-24.
Mahomes and the Chiefs went down the field to keep the game within reach, but the feeling of competitiveness didn’t last long. After what initially looked like another Bolton fumble-return touchdown that was reversed on replay, the Eagles had the ball back on a second-and-10. Philly eventually worked the Chiefs to the tune of 17 plays for 60 yards on a drive that ended in three points for the Eagles’ offense.
The Fourth Quarter
The Chiefs’ offensive line stepped up against the Eagles’ defense, leading a nine-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown to put Kansas City up 28-27 late in the second half of the game. Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense scored another touchdown to make it 35-27.
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Philadelphia scored to tie the game at 35-35, but Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field on a 12-play, 66-yard drive to put the Chiefs up 38-35 on a Harrison Butker field goal, which ended up being the game’s final score. The Eagles weren’t afforded enough time to relinquish the Chiefs of their lead and lost the contest, landing Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid their second Lombardi Trophy.