Glendale (USA), (EFE).- Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs won an exciting Super Bowl this Sunday by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in a comeback in the second half (35-38).
This is the second title in four years for the Chiefs who trailed 24-14 at halftime and took the title despite Mahomes again suffering ankle problems.
It was a night of ruthless attacks, smashing offenses, points and points with incredible plays by both teams in a furious matchup between two formidable teams.
Mahomes, already a niche among all-time great quarterbacks, finished 21 of 27 passing for 182 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Facing him, the young Jalen Hurts put up a fascinating battle, sensational with 304 yards (27 of 38 passing) and a touchdown pass but, above all, overwhelming on the run with 70 rushing yards and three ‘touchdowns’ with his seal (record in a Super Bowl).
The Chiefs were overwhelming in a second half in which they got points on all their drives.
Philadelphia dominated the pace during the first half but their defense melted after the break.
The Eagles joined the Atlanta Falcons (2017) as the only team to have lost a Super Bowl after leading by at least 10 points at halftime (26-2 all-time record).
Great start for the Eagles
If there were any questions about how Hurts was going to deal with the pressure of a Super Bowl, the youngster cleared them up immediately. On a fantastic first drive of 75 yards, the quarterback, with astonishing poise, clearly found receiver DeVonta Smith and knew how to alternate him with Philadelphia’s running game.
Hurts capped off his excellent performance by signing the first touchdown for the Eagles (7-0).
The Chiefs did not charge for the hit.
Mahomes, recovered from his ankle problems – he signed an 8-yard carry on his first ‘drive’ -, connected from the beginning with his favorite partner, Travis Kelce.
The Latino runner Isiah Pacheco also appeared but the tie came with the specialty of the Chiefs’ house: a pass from Mahomes and a reception from Kelce (7-7).
Although the defenses slowly recovered, this vibrant first quarter reserved a final surprise when the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker hit the post with a 42-yard field goal.
The strong emotions continued into the second period.
With Philadelphia 45 yards from the end zone, Hurts pulled a very long pass out of his hat that, practically out of the blue, was grabbed by AJ Brown to seal a spectacular ‘touchdown’ (14-7).
Hurts pulled magic with that pass but, five minutes later, he was the protagonist due to a serious error.
With the Eagles at their 45-yard line, the ball slipped out of his hands -the first loss for Hurts in these playoffs- and Nick Bolton gave thanks for such a gift and took advantage of that ‘fumble’ to equalize the score (14-14).
However, Hurts did not lose his conviction, he continued to attack voraciously -both passing and running himself- and his aggressiveness was rewarded with his second ‘touchdown’ (21-14).
The Eagles would still add one more field goal to reach halftime at 24-14, but the worst news for Kansas City in the first half was not the score but Mahomes’ situation.
In his last ‘drive’ before Rihanna took the field for the intermission show, Mahomes was tackled by TJ Edwards in the right ankle, the same one that had him in cotton during the playoffs.
The ‘quarterback’ was slow to get up and, when he did so limping and wincing, the entire State Farm Stadium was silent for an instant.
Extraordinary reaction from Kansas
After trying on and warming up his ankle, Mahomes returned to the field at the restart and made it clear that his physical problems and reduced mobility were not going to prevent him from giving his all.
With a lot of caste -including a reckless 20-yard run- Mahomes pulled off a 10-play drive to start the second half that ended with a score by Pacheco (24-21).
The Eagles nearly shot themselves in the foot with another massive miss for another Kansas City fumble that ended in a touchdown, but the refs ruled it out after review and ruled an incomplete pass.
Saved that moment of chill, Philadelphia took another very long ‘drive’ (nearly eight minutes with 17 plays) and extended its lead with a new field goal on the brink of the last quarter (27-21).
Virtually missing until then, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster stepped up in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs reached the red zone.
That’s where Andy Reid’s board came to light and Kadarius Toney was left completely alone, so much so that he walked in to pocket the ‘touchdown’ after Mahomes’ pass (27-28).
It looked like the Eagles had dominated the night, but with 12 minutes left they were down for the first time in the Super Bowl and also in their entire playoff run.
Philadelphia’s troubles continued.
After getting bogged down on offense, the Eagles kick set off an impressive 65-yard return by Toney, the longest in Super Bowl history, and Kansas City came within 5 yards of another score.
Again, Reid’s strategy stripped one of the best defenses in the league and, with a play similar to the previous one, Skyy Moore penetrated completely alone for the ‘touchdown’ (27-35).
It was a delicate moment for the Eagles but Hurts responded with a forceful slam on the table.
He excelled with a fabulous 45-yard pass to Smith, got the ‘touchdown’ and Hurts himself managed the two-point conversion to tie the game with five minutes left (35-35).
The Chiefs’ experience and clock management shone through in the denouement, burning time until signing a ‘field goal’ with just eight seconds left.
The Eagles looked for a miracle but ended up kneeling against the Chiefs who withstood all odds.
At halftime Rihanna reveals her second pregnancy
After seven years away from the stage, Rihanna returned this Sunday through the front door with a spectacular concert at the Super Bowl where, in addition to reviewing her greatest hits, she surprised her followers by revealing her second pregnancy.
The Barbadian singer started her show at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (USA) from a raised platform where she gently touched her belly, a gesture with which she blew up social media with rumors about a possible pregnancy.
A representative of the artist cleared up the doubts by confirming to the specialized media The Hollywood Reporter that Rihanna is expecting what will be her second child, after the one she had in May 2022 with rapper ASAP Rocky.
Just last Thursday, the singer explained that it was precisely motherhood that gave her the strength to accept the challenge of being the guest star at halftime of the NFL final, a show even more popular than the game itself.
“When you become a mother, something happens that you feel you can do anything,” she said at a press conference where she was sitting and it was not possible to see that she was pregnant again.
In addition to the announcement of the pregnancy, the performance in the Super Bowl that pitted the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs marked the return to the stage of this pop star after seven years dedicated to her makeup company.
Dressed in an intense red jumpsuit and accompanied by dozens of dancers in white, the singer revived her greatest hits on a spectacular stage made up of flying catwalks.
Rihanna brought pop music back to the Super Bowl halftime, taking over from rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, who guest-starred last year.
The one from Barbados, which unlike previous editions did not have any surprise guests, made the audience dance with authentic classics such as “Bitch Better Have My Money”, “We Found Love” and “Work”, which she performed while walking down the street. the central catwalk of the stage.
And “Umbrella” and “Diamonds” were reserved for the final fireworks as he rose again on a flying catwalk where he said goodbye to the public with a fireworks display.
Among the celebrities who enjoyed the concert from the stadium stands were Bradley Cooper, Paul McCartney, LeBron James, Jason Derulo, Billie Eilish and Adele.
Especially viral was the presence of the model Cara Delevingne, who wore a T-shirt with the message “Rihanna’s concert is interrupted by a football game.”
The Weeknd (2021), Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020), Maroon 5 (2019), Justin Timberlake (2018), Lady Gaga (2017), Coldplay (2016), Katy Perry (2015), Bruno Mars (2014) and Beyoncé (2013) round out the recent list of Super Bowl performances.
