Night had handful of memorable moments
Super Bowl will be remembered for events, on, off and above playing field
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a memorable Super Bowl that included plenty of big plays on and off the field. Here’s a look at some top moments:
Chiefs win
Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining to lift the Chiefs to their 38-35 win over the Eagles. The Chiefs have won the Super Bowl in two of the past four seasons and their roll shows no sign of stopping, especially with Patrick Mahomes throwing the passes. Kansas City’s quarterback overcame a sprained ankle to earn Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 182 yards and three touchdowns.
Seeing yellow
James Bradberry’s penalty on the final drive was undeniably a huge moment. The Chiefs were driving and faced third-and-8 at the Eagles 15-yard line with 1:54 remaining when Mahomes threw incomplete to Juju Smith-schuster. But officials flagged Bradberry for defensive holding, which negated the incompletion and, more importantly, gave the Chiefs a first down. Replays showed Bradberry made contact with Smith-schuster, though it didn’t appear to affect the play much. Many fans disagreed with the call. The only person who didn’t seem upset was Bradberry.
“It was a holding. I tugged his jersey,” Bradberry said. “I was hoping they would let it slide.”
Toney emerges
Kadarius Toney’s struggles with injuries and inconsistency prompted the New
York Giants to give up on him midway through his second NFL season. The Chiefs gave him a second chance and he proved he’s no first-round bust. Toney’s 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, the longest return in Super Bowl history, was a particularly big moment.
Bolton’s scoop, score
The first hint it might be the Chiefs’ night came in the second quarter when Hurts fumbled and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up the football and ran 36 yards for the touchdown. It was at a pivotal moment in the evening: The Eagles were ahead 14-7 and driving at midfield when Bolton’s game-changing play occurred.
Hurts so good
Hurts wasn’t victorious in his first Super Bowl appearance, but the young quarterback has no reason to be ashamed. He was phenomenal, setting a Super Bowl record with three rushing touchdowns. On top of that, he completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown.
Slick field
The field at State Farm Stadium may have looked immaculate, but by the second half, it was clear that traction was not great. Said Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata: “It was like playing on a water park.”
Rihanna
Rihanna provided a high-flying halftime performance in Arizona. The nine-time Grammy Award winner began and ended the halftime show suspended high above the field. She wore a puffy, bright red jumpsuit with tight, rubbery garb underneath as she stood on a transparent rectangular platform that raised and lowered as she belted out the lyrics to her hit songs over the turf.
Oh yeah, and to top it off, she did the performance while pregnant, news that was revealed after the show.
Hello Hamlin
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin made it to the Super Bowl. He made three appearances during the week in Arizona, including on the field at State Farm Stadium prior to the game. It’s been a little more than a month since Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati. Sunday’s appearance was another milestone in his remarkable recovery. “I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands,” Hamlin said. “I’m just thankful he gave me a second chance.”