Honestly, if you look back at that night in Glendale, Arizona, it wasn't just a football game. It was a fever dream. The grass was slippery, the halftime show was literally floating in mid-air, and the Kelce brothers were basically taking over the world. But now that we’re a few years removed from the Chiefs vs Eagles Super Bowl (LVII, for those keeping track), the memory of what actually happened on that turf has started to get a bit fuzzy. People talk about the "holding call" like it was the only thing that mattered. It wasn't.
That game was a masterpiece of coaching and a absolute nightmare for defensive coordinators. You had two 14-3 teams that were mirror images of each other. Same record. Same number of points scored during the season. It was eerie.
The Grass Problem Nobody Can Forget
Let’s talk about the field first because it was a disaster. George Toma, the legendary "Sod God" who had worked every single Super Bowl since the first one in 1967, was doing his final game. It was supposed to be his swan song. Instead, players were sliding around like they were on an ice rink. Haason Reddick and the Eagles' historic pass rush, which had 70 sacks in the regular season, were completely neutralized. They couldn't get their footing. It’s one of those "what ifs" that Philly fans still lose sleep over. If the grass holds, does Mahomes get hit more? Maybe. But the Chiefs struggled with it too.
Why the Chiefs vs Eagles Super Bowl Was Won on "Corn Dog"
If you want to know why Andy Reid is a genius, you look at the second half of this game. The Chiefs were down 24-14 at halftime. Mahomes was limping. His high ankle sprain was clearly killing him after he got tackled late in the second quarter. It looked bleak for Kansas City.
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Then the "Corn Dog" happened.
Twice.
The Chiefs noticed that the Eagles' defensive backs were playing aggressively on motion. So, they ran a play where the receiver—first Kadarius Toney, then Skyy Moore—started to motion across the formation, stopped, and then darted back outside. The Eagles' defenders bit so hard they weren't even in the frame when the ball was caught. Two touchdowns. Same play, basically. It was a coaching clinic that turned a 10-point deficit into a lead.
Jalen Hurts Was Better Than You Remember
We have to be fair here: Jalen Hurts played arguably the best game ever by a losing quarterback in the Super Bowl. He ran for three touchdowns. He threw for over 300 yards. He even hit the two-point conversion to tie the game at 35.
The fumble? Yeah, that hurt. Picking up that ball and running it back for a 36-yard touchdown was the play of the game for Nick Bolton. Without that gift, the Eagles probably go up by three scores in the first half. But even with that massive mistake, Hurts didn't blink. He dragged that team back into it.
The Penalty Heard 'Round the World
Alright, let's address the elephant in the room. The James Bradberry holding call on JuJu Smith-Schuster.
There’s about 1:54 left. It’s 3rd and 8. The game is tied. Mahomes throws an incomplete pass, and it looks like the Eagles are going to get the ball back with a chance to win. Then the flag drops.
Social media exploded. People were screaming that the refs "rigged" it or that you "can't call that there." But here’s the thing—Bradberry actually admitted it. He said after the game, "It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide."
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It was a tiny tug, sure. But it was a tug. Because of that first down, the Chiefs were able to bleed the clock down to eight seconds before Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal. It robbed us of a potential overtime, which sucks for fans, but by the book? It was the right call.
The Kelce Bowl Legacy
This was the first time in history two brothers faced off in the Super Bowl. Jason and Travis. Donna Kelce in her half-and-half jersey. It was a marketing dream, but for the family, it was clearly heavy. You could see it in the way they hugged on the field afterward.
Interestingly, as we sit here in 2026, we’ve seen the rematch play out since then. The Eagles finally got some revenge in Super Bowl LIX, beating the Chiefs 40-22, which kind of closed the loop on that rivalry. But LVII remains the higher-quality game. It was 38-35. It was the third-highest scoring Super Bowl ever.
The Real Stats That Mattered
- Total Yards: Eagles outgained the Chiefs 411 to 340.
- Time of Possession: Philly held the ball for nearly 36 minutes.
- The Difference: That one fumble return TD and the Chiefs scoring on every single possession in the second half.
You don't usually lose a game when you have the ball that long and gain that many yards. But the Chiefs were surgical. Mahomes didn't have huge "stat" numbers—only 182 passing yards—but he was efficient. He didn't make mistakes.
What You Should Take Away From This
If you're looking back at the Chiefs vs Eagles Super Bowl to settle a debate with a friend, remember these three things:
- Don't blame the refs alone. The Eagles gave up 24 points in the second half. You can't do that and expect to win, regardless of one penalty.
- Watch the tape on the "Tush Push." This game was one of the first times the world saw how unstoppable that Eagles short-yardage play was. It changed how the NFL is played today.
- Appreciate the efficiency. The Chiefs didn't punt once in the second half. That is incredibly rare against a defense as good as Philly's was that year.
If you want to dive deeper into how those two teams were built, go back and look at the 2022 draft classes for both teams. You'll see guys like Trent McDuffie and Jordan Davis who are now the cornerstones of their respective franchises. It really shows that Super Bowls aren't just won on game day; they're won in the scouting rooms three years prior.