Super Bowl LVII grades | Yardbarker

Following his newest ankle flareup, Patrick Mahomes accomplished 13 of his last 14 passes to guide a second 10-point comeback in a Tremendous Bowl second half. The 2-time MVP’s 182 passing yards had been a season-low, however his scramble on the third quarter’s opening drive and season-long 26-yard acquire on Kansas Metropolis’s clinching march displayed his worth and his standing as a very powerful participant in Chiefs historical past. The Chiefs (17-3) traded a future Corridor of Fame large receiver and didn’t substitute him with anybody near that stage, and Mahomes limped by way of the playoffs. It nonetheless did not matter. The one NFLer with two MVPs and two rings in his first six seasons, Mahomes simply completed one of the best five-year run to start out a QB1 profession. The Kansas Metropolis icon has work to do to match the all-time greats; he’s on tempo to get there.

CHIEFS OFFENSE GRADE: A 

Jalen Hurts made extra performs than his QB adversary in his first Tremendous Bowl effort. The 2-time nationwide championship recreation starter was prepared for this stage, carrying the Eagles’ run recreation and outdoing Mahomes by way of the air. Hurts’ 374 complete yards and Tremendous Bowl record-tying three dashing TDs pushed the Eagles (16-4) right into a 35-all tie. However Philadelphia’s offense wanted extra firepower after halftime. Its Tremendous Bowl record-matching 17-play drive produced a discipline aim, and though the vaunted Philly O-line allowed solely two hits on Hurts, Eagles backs mixed for 45 dashing yards. Miles Sanders tallied a season-low 16. Whereas Nick Bolton‘s would-be fumble-six on Sanders didn’t rely, Hurts’ miscue keying the linebacker’s recorded TD stung the NFC champs and arrange a comeback.

EAGLES OFFENSE GRADE: B 

Of their earlier Tremendous Bowl journey, the Chiefs folded after halftime in a shocking Buccaneers blowout. Their retooled protection made errors — A.J. Brown beating two DBs for a rating, DeVonta Smith streaking large open to arrange one other — however held off the Eagles. The Chiefs notched a breakpoint of kinds by forcing a fourth-quarter three-and-out, and whereas Chris Jones didn’t take over the sport as he did towards the Bengals, the All-Professional disrupted a Philly floor recreation that didn’t do sufficient. Bolton’s scoop-and-score can be remembered, however the second-year linebacker’s third-down cease of Kenneth Gainwell introduced out the Eagles’ discipline aim unit. After a game-high 9 tackles, the Mizzou product will deservedly be a a lot larger title coming into the 2023 slate.

CHIEFS DEFENSE GRADE: B-minus

Totaling 24 factors, Kansas Metropolis’s second-half offense vexed a Philadelphia protection that ranked within the high eight in yards, factors, and DVOA. An unacceptable discipline floor affected the Eagles’ cross rush, however after a 78-sack romp by way of 19 video games, ending with zero towards a crew with a gimpy QB can be a troublesome ending to abdomen for a deep D-line. The Chiefs solely tried eight third downs, and the Eagles’ miscommunications on Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore’s touchdowns had been inexcusable. Groups with double-digit halftime leads had been beforehand 26-1 in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Whereas this unraveling didn’t match Atlanta’s six years in the past, it reminds of Seattle and San Francisco’s big-stage undoings in Tremendous Bowls XLIX and LIV. Philly’s veteran-laden protection failed Jalen Hurts.

EAGLES DEFENSE GRADE: D 

Reid has a historical past of snazzy goal-line calls — including in Super Bowls — and his play sheet recurrently will increase the hazard defenses face upon encountering Mahomes. Whereas Reid’s “Snow Globe” redux failed, Reid redeemed himself with two late-game gems. Philly’s protection breaking down on Toney and Moore’s short-motion performs highlighted Reid’s genius and allowed for 2 of the best TDs in Tremendous Bowl historical past. Mahomes didn’t become as compromised as his facial expressions throughout these playoffs would counsel, however Reid adjusting to go well with a much less dynamic model of his quarterback provides one other memorable chapter to his Corridor of Fame resume. Steve Spagnuolo additionally earned ring No. 3; Ok.C. bottling up Philly’s backs displays properly on the veteran coordinator.

CHIEFS COACHING GRADE: A-minus

As his choice to go for it on fourth-and-5 on the Chiefs’ 44-yard line finest displayed, Nick Sirianni confirmed constant aggression and properly leaned on Hurts’ legs because the Chiefs minimized the Eagles’ working backs. Hurts’ aerial show additionally showcased play-caller (and potential Colts HC-to-be) Shane Steichen, but when Gannon joins the Cardinals, he’ll exit after a troublesome evening. The Eagles adopted the Jaguars’ and Bengals’ leads in being unable to prey on Mahomes’ harm, regardless of main the NFL by a staggering sack margin. The short-motion performs producing shockingly straightforward scores clearly ding Philly’s teaching effort. The Eagles, regardless of Vic Fangio’s stopover, performed man protection on a season-high 56% of their snaps. Mahomes made them pay, giving Gannon a Matt Patricia-like exit path.

EAGLES COACHING GRADE: C-minus 

Expertise-wise, this isn’t one of the best Chiefs crew of the Mahomes period. Maybe not within the high three. That distinction illustrates how excessive Chiefs flooring have been over the previous 5 years. However this group did profit from two of probably the most ill-timed penalties in NFL historical past. Joseph Ossai‘s out-of-bounds Mahomes shove and James Bradberry’s maintain on JuJu Smith-Schuster had been technically right calls, although the latter whistle deciding a Tremendous Bowl generated pushback from some in the coaching community. Having fast-tracked the AFC kingpins’ last two wins, the penalties can be tethered to this Chiefs championship. Bradberry did admit his mistake, however the whistle turned a top-tier Tremendous Bowl into an anticlimactic season-ender. Unhealthy timing? Sure. Rigged? Yikes. Some good women and men went down with that fan-steered ship this season.

One space the place this Chiefs crew separated from its current predecessors confirmed up Sunday. A tough-charging argument towards drafting a working again excessive or doling out a second contract, Isiah Pacheco punished Eagle tacklers. Touchdown Pacheco within the seventh spherical diminishes the error the Chiefs made with Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Spherical 1. The Eagles’ failure to sufficiently strain Mahomes differs wildly from the Bucs’ Tremendous Bowl LV effort. Brett Veach’s overhaul led to 4 new starters from that ugly evening. Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith defending Mahomes and serving to the pass-happy Chiefs outrush the Eagles (158-115) made an eye-opening assertion. Pacheco, on an NFL-minimum deal by way of 2025, will match completely on an more and more costly roster.

Bludgeoning defenses with its scrum ignitions all season, the Eagles launched it to the lots Sunday. The NFC champs had been 5-0 in changing out of their rugby-like formation. This included two Jalen Hurts dashing TDs. In fact, Isaac Seumalo‘s false begin foiling Philadelphia’s automated chain-mover keyed disastrous outcomes; the shift to third-and-6 preceded Nick Bolton’s goalward dash. Nonetheless, the Eagles had been so profitable right here it was value questioning if they’d attempt to push Hurts in on their two-point strive. The Eagles took full benefit of the NFL permitting gamers to push ball carriers — a 2006 rule change –, however the play’s success charge and scant resemblance to fashionable soccer may warrant the league to revisit the rule within the offseason. 

Veteran NFL reporter Rick Gosselin’s annual particular groups rankings slotted the Eagles 31st and the Chiefs 32nd. Transferring previous a run of regular-season miscues, the Chiefs saved their finest particular groups salvos for the most important spots. After Skyy Moore’s 29-yard punt return arrange Kansas Metropolis’s closeout drive towards Cincinnati, Toney’s 65-yard return broke Jordan Norwood’s Tremendous Bowl file; the 2021 first-round choose’s crisscrossing dash gave the Chiefs a five-yard discipline to traverse. Harm liable to the purpose the Giants gave up on him and the Chiefs wanted to restrict his touches, Toney can’t be thought of a Tyreek Hill alternative. However the Giants transport the Chiefs an elite gadget participant certainly impacted the NFL’s newest championship.

This Chiefs’ championship cost ended each Hurts and Joe Burrow’s third seasons. The Bengals and Eagles now have extension-eligible quarterbacks that can command $50 million-per-year offers. Hurts remodeled his inventory this season and elevated his worth in Philly’s Tremendous Bowl defeat. After the Eagles pursued Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, they settled for constructing the NFL’s finest roster round Hurts’ rookie deal. This acquainted method — one which labored 5 years in the past round Carson Wentz’s rookie pact — will make roster-building more durable for fashionable GM Howie Roseman. With Hurts paid, the Eagles can be unable to flood their crew with vets as they did in 2022. Ditto the Bengals, whose path to paying Burrow will convey extra scrutiny based mostly on their historical past.

In early March 2022, the Chiefs started negotiations on a 3rd Tyreek Hill deal. On March 17, the Raiders traded for Davante Adams and gave him a record-setting $28 million-per-year extension. This immediately led to Hill altering his worth level and the Chiefs balking. Kansas Metropolis buying and selling Hill to Miami altered its equation. The Chiefs’ plan to alternate the period’s premier deep menace for receiver depth and first-round cornerback Trent McDuffie gave approach to a dominant Hill season in Miami. The commerce stays a raffle; Hill outpaced each Chiefs wideout by a minimum of 750 yards. Mahomes threw deep at a career-low charge (8.2%) this season, however Kansas Metropolis discovered a brand new path to a championship. Smith-Schuster’s six Tremendous Bowl catches (and seminal non-catch) completed this route.

The thought to swap a top-three NFL wideout for a platter of succesful however unremarkable veterans positioned a heavy burden on Kelce. The Hill-Kelce tag crew is among the finest pass-catching duos in NFL annals; it totaled 4 1,000-1,000 seasons and was important to Mahomes’ fast rise. The Chiefs wanted A-plus Kelce to justify their choice to depend on Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling at receiver. Their 33-year-old tight finish delivered. Kelce tacked on 257 receiving yards and 4 TDs within the playoffs, ending the season with a mixed complete of 1,595 yards and 16 scores. Kelce’s 16 playoff TDs now path solely Jerry Rice (22). Contemplating the circumstances, this season was Kelce’s masterpiece. It eliminated any doubt about first-ballot Corridor of Fame standing.

Howie Roseman rebuilt the Eagles after a disastrous 2020 led to Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz’s departures. Whereas the 2022 Government of the 12 months infused this Eagles version with a bevy of younger expertise, veteran stalwarts supplemented it. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, and Brandon Graham signify 4 of the best gamers in crew historical past. The Kelce-Cox-Johnson trio has earned 12 mixed All-Professional honors. Johnson and Kelce added to their respective ledgers this 12 months. The 4 Tremendous Bowl LII starters are all a minimum of 32, with Kelce turning 35 this season. This Eagles crew benefited enormously from its growing old greats. Of the 4, solely Johnson is a lock to be again. 

Fired after 2011’s failed “Dream Staff” experiment and a 4-12 2012 season, Andy Reid has steered the Chiefs to 9 playoff berths in 10 seasons. Ending this season three wins away from No. 4 all-time (Tom Landry, at 250), Reid grew to become the thirteenth head coach to win a number of Tremendous Bowls. Kansas Metropolis hiring Reid in 2013 proved a coup, instantly reviving a downtrodden franchise. In an AFC oozing quarterback expertise, Mahomes possesses an annual benefit over his rivals. Reid’s retirement rumblings ran counter to how the 14-year Eagles chief addressed this matter again in 2020 when he stated he can be open to teaching previous 70. Fortuitously for the Chiefs, their 64-year-old HC brushed off retirement talk postgame. This operation would look fairly totally different with out this century’s most achieved offensive innovator.

Going from a crew properly off the contender radar after the 2020 season to a No. 1-seeded outfit two years later, the Roseman-era Eagles have journeyed to Tremendous Bowls with practically two totally totally different rosters. The GM establishing one other contender appears a certainty. The crew can push hefty Hurts cap numbers — coming by way of his seemingly extension — past 2023 because it did with Wentz’s contract. Whereas the Eagles have a number of free-agent starters, solely DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson is a high precedence. The NFC’s QB panorama — one which misplaced Tom Brady and would possibly lastly lose Aaron Rodgers, darkness-driven decision pending — pales compared to the Chiefs’ neighborhood. The NFC’s current state and the Eagles’ roster-building repute could even make them a greater wager to be again right here in comparison with the champs.

As might be anticipated, the Chiefs exit the NFL’s 103rd season favored to win Super Bowl LVIII . Not restructuring Mahomes’ contract this 12 months, the Chiefs assembled a champion regardless of their QB’s cap determine spiking from $7.4 million to $35.8M. Navigating that and profitable a title with out Tyreek Hill will make sustaining this excellence simpler. The champs will once more have an Orlando Brown franchise tag choice to make, and the way a lot much less will Smith-Schuster really take to remain in Kansas Metropolis? In any other case, the crew is in nice form. Eight offensive starters are beneath contract, and its younger secondary ought to enhance. How Kelce appears at 34 could be the crew’s high variable, as a deeper AFC contender glut seemingly awaits. No matter rivals’ strikes, the Chiefs can be safe of their spot because the 2023 frontrunners.