The 2023 Super Bowl marks the end of an amazing season. After multiple months, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs were the last ones standing, fighting for the legendary Vince Lombardi trophy. It was also the first time two brothers—Travis and Jason Kelce—faced each other in the Super Bowl, making it a special finale for years to come. 

Making this Super Bowl even more special was the fact that two generational quarterbacks were facing off. Jalen Hurts was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 14-3 record, topping the National Football Conference East. Additionally, with the Philadelphia Eagles having one of the highest total points scored in a season in franchise history —447— and being three sacks short of the record for most sacks in a NFL season by a team, many thought that the Eagles would win another Super Bowl. However, the Eagles underestimated the Chiefs’ Ace-in-the-Hole: Patrick Mahomes, the NFL MVP. 

The Chiefs had to win a tough game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Conference Championship, who had beaten them the year before in the Conference Championship. With Mahomes also sustaining an injury in the Divisional round, many thought the Bengals would win over the Chiefs. However, doubting a future all-time quarterback in Mahomes proved costly, and the Chiefs beat the Bengals 23-20.

In the starting seconds of the first quarter, Justin Reid unnecessarily hit DeVonta Smith of the Eagles out of bounds, starting a mild scuffle. This was great foreshadowing for the rest of the game, as the Eagles and Chiefs would battle it out, putting their hearts and souls into the game. The first half of the game was loaded with offensive possessions and touchdowns, as seemingly neither team was able to stop the other. Hurts was impressive in the first half, recording 183 passing yards and one touchdown. Statistically, it was one of the best performances in history from a quarterback in the Super Bowl, and for his efforts, the Eagles were up 24-14 at the half. 

After a touchdown by the Chiefs and a field goal by the Eagles in the third quarter—a relatively uneventful quarter that was filled with many great defensive plays—the Chiefs entered the fourth quarter down 21-27. And, in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, disaster struck for the Eagles. A wide open Kadarius Toney— Wide Receiver for the Chiefs—caught a pass by Mahomes in the end zone. After a completed field goal on the touchdown, the Chiefs went up 28-27. 

The Eagles did not answer in the next three minutes, and were forced to punt. The punt fell in the hands of Toney, who took the ball 65 yards down to inside the 10-yard line, something absolutely unheard of in Super Bowl history. In fact, this is the first time a player has had a 65-yard punt return in NFL history. With the ball being inside the Eagles 10-yard line, the Chiefs scored a touchdown and the accompanying extra point, making it 35-27 in their favor, guaranteeing the Chiefs a win.

The Eagles did keep it close, scoring a touchdown with five minutes left to play, and then converting on a 2-point drive attempt to tie the game up at 35-35. The Chiefs then drove the ball to Philadelphia’s 20-yard line and were facing a third down. On the next play, Mahomes’ pass to JuJu Smith was incomplete, but then a holding call against the Eagles gave the Chiefs a first down. The Chiefs then proceeded to burn nearly all of the time left on the clock by kneeling for two straight plays. They ultimately ended up putting up a 27-yard field goal attempt in the dying seconds of the game, converting, and making it 38-35. This left the Eagles with eight seconds to score a touchdown or a field goal. So Hurts went for a Hail Mary pass, which came up well short of any Eagles players. Just like that, the Chiefs were once more Super Bowl champions, winning their second Super Bowl in four years. 

It all came down to the Eagles playing noticeably worse in the third and early fourth quarters, allowing the Chiefs to perform a remarkable comeback. Nonetheless, this was a great Super Bowl packed with fantastic offensive and defensive plays that will be remembered for years to come.