By Arjit Nair and Dylan Sanichara
On Sunday, January 12, the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles for the Lombardi Trophy. Led by two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, well-known tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Chiefs took home Super Bowl LVII, beating Philadelphia 37-35. The Eagles, who were led by All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry and All-Pro linebacker Haason Reddick, who some consider the number one defense in the NFL, alongside having the number two offense in MVP candidate quarterback Jalen Hurts, fell short.
The game was headlined by what many consider a questionable call by the referees, resulting in the Chiefs gaining yards, ultimately allowing them to seal the win. Patrick Mahomes who has a hall-of-fame worthy career, added another Super Bowl win, Super Bowl MVP and league MVP, becoming the first player to do so since Kurt Warner in 1999.
Each team had their fair share of leaders, both on offense and defense, but a significant difference between the two coaches is years of experience. Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, is now a two-time Super Bowl champion; this was the fourth Super Bowl in which he has participated. Reid has had a position as head coach for 24 seasons, while Eagles head coach, Nick Sirriani, did not only debut in his first Super Bowl but did so in his first season.
Artwork by Sabeena Ramdarie
The Kansas City Chiefs are the winners of Super Bowl LVII, and take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
NHP students made some predictions before the big game.
“I truly believe the Philadelphia Eagles would be victorious on Super Bowl Sunday. Jalen Hurts has the best offensive line allowing him enough time to force passes down the field. His athleticism can allow him to escape the pocket when in trouble and complete on-the-run passes to his incredible weapons. The Chiefs’ front line on defense is strong, but star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a questionable injury that may hinder his performance,'' said sophomore Jash Mody.
“Patrick Mahmoes is that guy. He never fails to shine in the brightest moment. With basically one ankle, he threw for three touchdown passes and ran for forty more yards. I don’t know if there is anything more he can do,” said freshman Lorenzo Rios.
The playoffs nearly mimicked how the NFL regular season went. The 49ers, Bills, Bengals and Cowboys handled their respective opponents, while the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers in a weekend of thrilling games. The Conference championships were similar to the rest of the playoffs as the Eagles continued their dominance with a brutal win over the 49ers and an expected exhilarating re-match of last year's AFC championship. Despite Joe Burrow’s past undefeated record against the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, with a high ankle sprain, found a way to get past last year's Super Bowl runners-up.
“As a lifelong Bills fan, I have been saying this would be our year. Josh Allen played at an MVP-caliber level during the season but didn’t outplay Burrow as I thought he would. Tensions were high between Allen and Diggs on the sideline. Next year looks like a rough ride,” sophomore Cameron Conroy said.
“New year, same results. The Cowboys are just disappointing. Throughout the season, Dak always looks promising, but our team crumbles when it comes to the playoffs. We shouldn't be proud to be America’s team,” sophomore Jason Torres said.