Super Bowl LVII: a game that lived up to hyped up expectations

Photo by ESPN

Featuring headline-worthy quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes of the Eagles and Chiefs respectively, this Super Bowl was an offensive battle first and foremost. 

These last couple months have blessed watchers with excellent sports, particularly in the biggest of games. 

The World Cup final in December is heavily thought of as the best match in the history of soccer, and our football’s game on Feb. 12 was no different. Super Bowl LVII was an absolute treat, aptly putting the final touches on an enthralling set of playoff games this season. 

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, both of whom entered host venue Glendale, Ariz., as the No. 1 seeds from the National Football Conference and American Football Conference respectively, had proved themselves as the two best teams in the entire National Football League. With both teams spearheaded by elite modern quarterbacks with virtually complete skill sets — Patrick Mahomes for Kansas City and Jalen Hurts for Philadelphia — individual offensive talent was on display in abundance. 

I expected this game to be an offensive slugfest, with both teams exchanging punches throughout the four quarters until one eventually pulled away near the end of the fourth. 

The scoreline, which could have made such a prediction seem accurate, was not indicative of the course of the game over its four quarters. The Eagles were dominant for the first half, with a 24-14 lead after 30 minutes. A crucial unforced fumble from quarterback Jalen Hurts in the beginning of the second half tilted momentum in the Chiefs’ favor. 

Though superstar Kansas City quarterback Mahomes had been struggling with an ankle injury in the buildup to the Super Bowl, he looked perfectly fit in the second half — a couple of blistering runs to gain key yardage for the Chiefs were instrumental in their comeback. 

A theme for Kansas City in games prior to the Super Bowl was the lack of protection and time Mahomes received in advance to releasing the ball to his wide receivers. However, the Kansas City offensive line stepped up massively, giving Mahomes the time and space to pick out difficult passes with his impressive arm. 

I came into this game anticipating that mistakes on both ends of the ball would determine the flow of the game in key moments. When Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker missed a chip-shot field goal that denied the Chiefs a key three points at that stage of the game, I thought Kansas City’s momentum for the rest of the game would be halted. 

However, I was wrong. Standout quality on defense, particularly from linebacker Nick Bolton, along with the offensive brilliance the Chiefs made Philadelphia’s territorial dominance insignificant. 

The Eagles ended the game with more yards, time in possession of the ball and efficiency on third down than the Chiefs. 

With a final score of 38-35, the Super Bowl provided constant drama and sheer standout talent on display on a plethora of key occasions, making it among the most memorable ever to be played.