The Kansas City Chiefs are the Super Bowl LVII champions, having beaten the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in a game that stayed thrilling from the first to the last. This game was historic in many ways, but Patrick Mahomes in particular shone in a big way for the Chiefs, winning his second Super Bowl and his second Super Bowl MVP award.

Super Bowl LVII opened as the Chiefs kicked off to the Eagles, who on their first drive, picked up steady yardage through some great throws (and a great run) from quarterback Jalen Hurts and looked as though they’d taken an early lead through running back Kenneth Gainwell, only for his touchdown to be called back, with video replay showing he’d gone down just short of the goal line. However, Jalen Hurts would open the scoring for the Eagles on the next play, running it in on a quarterback sneak with kicker Jake Elliott converting the extra point to make it 7-0. 

The Chief’s offense was on full display next, with Travis Kelce catching a 20-yard, inch-perfect pass from Mahomes, and then with Isiah Pacheco running for 30 yards. Pacheco would continue to come up big for the Chiefs throughout the game, eventually getting 76 yards by the end of the game.

“The Chiefs running back Isiah [Pacheco] did well,” said Owen Pearson (‘26).

Travis Kelce would shine again for the Chiefs just two plays later, beating his man with a great move, and then smoothly catching Mahomes’s perfect pass over his shoulder, finishing off with a stanky leg celebration, after which Harrison Butker would convert coolly to make it 7-7. This Super Bowl was historic in a special way for Travis Kelce, who, in facing his brother Jason of the Eagles, was part of the first time two brothers faced each other in the Super Bowl.

On the Eagles’ next drive, the Chief’s defense did well to hold them up, and eventually forced a punt out of the Eagles. Minutes later, the Chiefs were held up within field goal range, but Harrison Butker’s 42-yard attempt ricocheted off the left upright to keep the game tied.

On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown connected for one of the best touchdowns of the game. After receiving the ball, Hurts dropped back before launching a 45-yard pass all the way to the edge of the end zone, with Brown expertly fending two Kansas City defenders off to catch the ball, and after Elliott’s extra point, the Eagles were up 14-7. 

In a back-and-forth game, it wasn’t long before the Chiefs equalized in a disastrous moment for the Eagles. After the Eagles’ defense forced the Chiefs to punt, Hurts fumbled under pressure and Nick Bolton recovered the ball and ran it 36 yards for the touchdown.

Just minutes later, though, Hurts would show his worth as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, coming right back to run it 28 yards on fourth down, and then getting his second rushing touchdown of the game to put the Eagles up 21-14. The Eagles would then manage to stop the Chiefs on offense, forcing them to punt, but at what could’ve been a big cost for Kansas City, as Mahomes was sacked on 3rd down and was slow to get up after TJ Edwards caught his bad ankle. Mahomes wouldn’t see action again in the first half, and Elliott was able to give the Eagles a 24-14 lead at the half with a 35-yard field goal.

At the half came a performance for the ages, with Rihanna delivering in a big way in her first solo performance event in seven years with a lineup of some of her best songs, killer choreography, and platforms that carried her anywhere from 15 to 60 feet above the field. 

“I thought [the platforms] were really cool, especially if you were in the stadium and were up really high,” said Tori Holliday (‘25). “Also how she effortlessly promoted Fenty halfway through with the powder was cool!”

In a halftime show that lacked any special guests or costume changes, perhaps the biggest surprise came after the game, in which one of Rihanna’s representatives revealed her pregnancy.

After Rihanna closed out the halftime with her song “Diamonds,” the Chiefs came out strong in the second half, and Mahomes looked better than ever after a few great throws and his 14-yard scramble played a big part in setting up the Chiefs for Pacheco’s eventual 1-yard touchdown run to make it 24-21 for the Chiefs and starting a second half in which the Chiefs would score on every possession.

The Chiefs’ defense shone once again, holding back the Eagles on a promising drive, but Elliott would convert a 33-yard field goal to extend the Eagles’ lead to 27-21.

The Chiefs’ offense would prove unstoppable in the second half, with Mahomes coming up big with a few crucial throws, including a 24-yard throw to Smith-Schuster and a couple of great runs from Pacheco, culminating in a touchdown that looked all too easy as Mahomes threw a pass five yards to a wide open Kadarius Toney to tie the game in the fourth quarter, before Butker converted the extra point to give the Chiefs the lead for the first time all game, 28-27. These great plays from Mahomes were made possible by a sometimes-overlooked offensive line, which was key in enabling Mahomes to have time and space on plays.

“The offensive line for the Chiefs didn’t allow any sacks against the best-rushing defense all year,” said Eli Ritchey (‘25).

The Chiefs quickly put a stop to the Eagles’ attack, forcing them to punt from inside their own 30, but the Siposs’s punt was low and somewhat weak and set Toney up for an incredible 65-yard punt return (the longest in Super Bowl history!), which took the Chiefs all the way to the 5-yard line. The strong defense by the Chiefs in the second half kept the Eagles mostly at bay and was a big factor in the win for the Chiefs.

“The Chiefs’ defense stepped up. They were covered downfield way better so they could rush better,” said Trigg Zanger (‘25).

After Mahomes threw a simple pass to a wide-open Skyy Moore on his left for the touchdown and Butker converted the extra point, the Chiefs extended their lead to 35-27. 

Not to be outdone by Mahomes, Hurts came roaring back with a 45-yard pass to DeVonta Smith on the left, putting the Chiefs on the 1-yard line, before running it in for his third rushing touchdown. Hurts then ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game back up with five minutes left in the game. At the end of the game, Hurts had rushed for 70 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns, setting new records both for the most rushing yards and the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in Super Bowl history. Even outside of his rushing game, Hurts had a phenomenal game by other measures: he completed 70 percent of his passes and threw for 304 yards without giving up any interceptions. 

Despite this stellar performance, some had doubts about Hurts’s performance, especially in the fourth quarter, in which the Eagles would only get on the scoreboard once.

“[Hurts] fell off. I don’t know what happened like the Eagles offense just couldn’t go in the 4th quarter and the Chiefs defense stepped up,” said Zanger.

Still, many could see there were positives to take away for Hurts, despite him eventually losing.

“At the end of the day, he still played really well for his first Super Bowl,” said Pearson.

The Chiefs’ last drive saw supreme offensive skills take them far, but crucially, a holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry brought the Chiefs even deeper into Eagles territory with just under two minutes left. The holding call would prove quite controversial, with many viewers finding the call too harsh, particularly for such a crucial moment.

“I think [the holding] was a bad call,” said Eli Jacobs (‘26). “The only reason the Chiefs won was because of the last call.”

Whether the call was right or not, great time management by the Chiefs and a few kneel downs, even one just feet away from the goal line to waste time, set up Harrison Butker to make a critical 27-yard field goal to take the lead for the Chiefs 38-35 with 8 seconds left. 

Though the Eagles would eventually have enough time to run two plays, a late-game miracle just wasn’t in the cards for them, and as Hurts’s last-ditch throw fell well short of any possible targets, the final whistle blew and the Kansas City Chiefs became Super Bowl champions once again.