What We Learned From Super Bowl LVII

Glendale, Arizona (PSF) - After taking a week to process and break down the big game, here are some of the things that we learned from Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Offensive Line Is the Most Important Position Group on a Football Team

Going into the game, the biggest matchup was how the Chiefs offensive line would fare against the Eagles defense line which was by far and away the best in the league and recorded a historic 70 sacks on the season. Many people were worried that the game would turn into much like Super Bowl LV, where Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times and was pressured a Super Bowl record 29 times. Little did they know it that the Chiefs revamped offensive line would not let the Eagles ferocious pass rushers get to Mahomes once, as they only pressured Mahomes seven times throughout the contest.

The Holding Call Against James Bradberry Was Not the Reason Why the Eagles Lost the Game

Many folks, especially Eagles fans want to blame the holding call on James Bradberry late in the fourth quarter as the reason why they lost the game. While you can certainly make the argument for it, these same people will also fail to realize how bad the Eagles defense was in the second half. The Chiefs offense in the second half scored on all four of their drives (TD, TD, TD, game winning FG), Mahomes went 13 of 14 passing with two passing TDs, had no penalties, sacks, and zero negative runs against the best defensive line in the league.

Coaching Matters

Although the saying is cliche, it reigned supreme on the world’s biggest stage and game of the season. Coaching was one of the advantages that the Chiefs had over the Eagles going into the contest, with their head coach Andy Reid, now former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo all having coached in one, if not multiple Super Bowls before. Unlike the Chiefs, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, and now former offensive and defensive coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon all made their Super Bowl coaching debuts. Reid and company outcoached the Eagles staff in the second half, which was ultimately the difference and reason as to why the Chiefs were crowned Super Bowl LVII champions and the Eagles were not.

Super Bowls Are Defined By Moments

When you think about Super Bowls, you think about the moment or moments that defined them. Helmet catch, 28-3, Malcolm Butler’s interception, the Philly Special, you name it. This year’s Super Bowl was no different, with several moments happening which will all go down as some of the best in Super Bowl history. For example, Kadarius Toney’s punt return which is now the longest in Super Bowl history, Mahomes’ 26-yard scramble on a bad ankle to put the Chiefs in field goal range to win the game, the holding call on James Bradberry, and Jalen Hurts’ fumble which led to a Chiefs scoop and score and was one of the biggest deciding factors in the outcome of the game. The team that has more moments is usually the one who ends up winning, as it is no coincidence that the Chiefs won because they had more defining moments than the Eagles.

Andy Reid And Patrick Mahomes Have Cemented Themselves As All Time Greats

Not only are Super Bowls the biggest games for the players and coaches participating in them, but they also play a large part in defining a coach’s and player’s career. This years Super Bowl was no different with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and his now all time quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Going into the contest, a lot of pressure was on the duo in terms of their legacies and how they would be remembered. The last time the two were on the Super Bowl stage, Reid and Mahomes got embarrassed by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9. Reid and Mahomes could not let that happen to themselves again, as they rose to the occasion this time around and won their second Super Bowl title together. 2-1 in Super Bowls is so much different than being 1-2 in the big game, even though the difference is only one. Reid has now cemented himself as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, as Mahomes has done the same at his posistion, at only 27 years old.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach Deserves a Ton of Credit for the Victory

When crediting people for a Super Bowl win, most will first either go to the quarterback or head coach. Most will first not credit the architect of an NFL franchise, the general manager. In fact, you can make the argument that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach played an equal, if not bigger role in the outcome of Super Bowl LVII than his head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Some questioned Veach’s decision of giving Mahomes a 10-year contract worth up to $503M in 2020, only the sixth player to sign a 10-year contract in NFL history and the first one to do so since Michael Vick in 2004. Three years later, the investment has been worth every penny and will look like a bargain in the future with the current quarterback market skyrocketing into the $40-$50M range per season. Not only is Veach ahead of the game when it comes to quarterback contracts, but he has also sent a message to the other 31 general managers in the league that you win in the NFL by building through the draft. Four rookies (George Karlaftis, Trent McDuffie, Isaiah Pacheco, Jaylen Watson) started for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, who are now tied for the most rookies starting in Super Bowl history with the 2016 Atlanta Falcons and 2010 Green Bay Packers. Veach hit a home run with his 2022 class, and will look to keep rounding the bases so he can keep supporting his all-time quarterback and head coach with the proper assets to keep winning Super Bowls and becoming a dynasty.