Live coverage: Chiefs beat Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl 57

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 | 1:30 p.m.

Updated Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 | 7:18 p.m.

For the second time in four seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions.

Kansas City outlasted Philadelphia 38-35 in a Super Bowl shootout at State Farm Stadium, pulling ahead for good on a 27-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with eight seconds left. NFL MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes battled through an existing high ankle sprain, one re-aggravated in his final play of the first half, to throw for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 21-for-27 passing.

Kansas City trailed 24-14 at halftime but scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives of the second half. Mahomes, who also had 44 rushing yards on six carries, ran them down to the goal line mere minutes after getting out of the locker room before rookie running back Isiah Pacheco punched in a one-yard touchdown.

Mahomes then threw wide-open short touchdown passes to Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, respectively, at the start of the fourth quarter. The former put them up one while the latter gave them a 35-27 lead.

It felt like the Eagles might be done there, with nine minutes to play, but their offense again rallied as part of a 417-yard day. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was often the best player on the field as he threw for 304 yards and a touchdown in addition to running for three touchdowns and 70 yards on 15 carries.

The one play he’ll forever want back, however, was a second-quarter fumble that Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped for a 36-yard touchdown.

Hurts never got a chance to answer Mahomes late as a controversial holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry followed by a clock-draining slide by Chiefs running back Jerrick McKinnon at the two-yard line set up Butker’s game-winner.

Red and yellow graffiti blanketed the Chiefs after a Eagles Hail Mary fell incomplete on the final play. Kansas City has not only won its second championship under Mahomes and coach Andy Reid, but bounced back from a Super Bowl 55 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two years ago.  

Stay tuned to lasvegassun.com for more coverage of Super Bowl 57 later and read below for live updates from throughout the game.

Eagles strike back

So much for all the Chiefs’ momentum. The Eagles aren’t backing down.

Philadelphia answered the latest Kansas City touchdown in four minutes with Jalen Hurts completing big passes to both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith before punching in his own touchdown on a 1-yard run. The ensing two-point conversion, also by Hurts, makes the score 35-35.

With 374 total yards, Hurts may have a claim to the Super Bowl MVP award regardless of who wins. Patrick Mahomes might have something to say about that though.

Super Bowl 57 is setting up as an all-time shootout, and it’s not done yet.

Chiefs score second-straight touchdown

It’s still a one-score game, but just barely. And the Eagles are running out of time to do something about it.

Kansas City now leads Philadelphia 35-27 with 9:22 to play after scoring a second touchdown in less than three minutes. Kadarius Toney, who scored the first touchdown, also set up the second with a 65-yard punt return to the 4-yard line.

The Chiefs failed to capitalize on their first two plays, but much like Toney on his touchdown, schemed rookie Skyy Moore wide open on the third. Kansas City has outscored Philadelphia 21-3 in the second half but there’s still plenty of time left to play.

Kansas City now on top

The Chiefs have their first lead of Super Bowl 57.

Patrick Mahomes just hit Kadarius Toney for a 5-yard touchdown pass to put Kansas City up 28-27 with 12 minutes to go at State Farm Stadium. Kansas City has scored on both of its second-half drives and run a lot of clock with a more ball-control oriented offense than it typically employs.

The latest drive went 70 yards on nine plays in just less than five minutes. Philadelphia had a similarly fruitful drive on its only possession of the second half but settled for a field goal.

Their inability to get into the end zone since right before the two-minute warning in the first half is the difference so far.

Chiefs on the move again

It’s anyone’s game at State Farm Stadium heading into the fourth quarter.

Kansas City cut its deficit from 10 to 6 in the third quarter, trailing only 27-21 after a 33-yard field goal from Philadelphia’s Jake Elliott. The Chiefs will start the fourth quarter in Eagles’ territory, at the 44-yard line, as their current drive is clicking behind an improved effort on the ground by running back Isiah Pacheco.

The statistics are more in the Eagles’ favor through three quarters of play, but that doesn’t matter much now. A championship is on the line and both teams look capable of claiming it.

Chiefs score to open second half

Never count out Patrick Mahomes, not even when he may be on one leg.

The Chiefs started the second half strong with their MVP quarterback leading them 75 yards down the field on 10 plays to cut the Eagles’ lead to 24-21. Isiah Pacheco ran in a one-yard touchdown on second-and-goal to cap the 5:30 scoring drive.

Mahomes didn’t look 100% but he also seemed recovered from the worst of the tweak to his high ankle sprain. He wasn’t limping around the field like he was at the end of the first half.

He did struggle to push off of it for a pass at one point but then just took off for a 14-yard rush down to the 3-yard line. The Eagles’ offense has been even better than the Chiefs’ today, but it can’t slow down now.

Not with Mahomes applying pressure.

Halftime update

The Eagles showed why they stuck as favorites for two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl in the first half against the Chiefs.

Philadelphia leads 24-14 at halftime after Jake Elliott kicked through its final three points on a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

The score isn’t as lopsided as it could be; the Eagles dominated the Chiefs in the first half.

Take away a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton, and the game doesn’t look so close. Philadelphia has outgained Kansas City 270-128.

And, largely because of the fumble, have held the ball nearly three times longer than the Chiefs’ have. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes will need to work some magic to get his team back in the game, but there’s a question on if he’ll even play in the second half.

On Kansas City’s last offensive play, T.J. Edwards tackled him around the ankles and the quarterback limped off the field appearing to have reaggravated the high ankle sprain he was nursing. Chad Henne warmed up on the sideline, but Philadelphia held the ball until Elliott’s field goal.

Stay tuned.

Eagles bounce back from turnover

Jalen Hurts found some quick redemption from a fumble that the Chiefs returned for a touchdown earlier in the second quarter.

Hurts ran in his second touchdown of the game, a two-yarder, to put the Eagles back on top 21-14. Philadelphia took only 12 plays for the answer, going 71 yards on 7:19 of game time.

Hurts has been terrific other than the fumble, gaining 61 yards on the ground on 10 carries as well as completing 13 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have 2:20 to answer and tie the game back up before halftime.

Chiefs’ defense gets in on the scoring

Things seemed to be going against the Chiefs, until suddenly they weren’t.

Kansas City tied the game up with Philadelphia at 14-14 after a 36-yard fumble recovery touchdown from linebacker Nick Bolton. The Eagles were supposed to have a 3^rd-and-1 around midfield but guard Isaac Seumalo committed a false start.

That led to a rush by quarterback Jalen Hurts that went awry. Bolton met Hurts in the fumble, and the latter tried to do too much to lead to the ball hitting on the ground.

It bounced right into Bolton’s hands, and there was nothing but open field ahead of him for the touchdown.

Eagles’ stars connect on long touchdown

Eagles top receiver A.J. Brown had been quiet during the playoffs. No more.

On the first play of the second quarter, Brown broke loose on a post and caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts. It's 14-7 Eagles less than 10 seconds into the second frame.

The margin shouldn’t be that large but Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker doinked a 41-yard field goal attempt off the upright. Mahomes is understandably the quarterback who drew all the headlines coming into the Super Bowl, but for now, Hurts is hanging right with him.

Chiefs score even faster than the Eagles on their first drive

The Chiefs didn’t stay down for long. It took them all of three minutes to tie Super Bowl 57 at 7-7 in the first quarter at State Farm Stadium.

Tight end Travis Kelce beat the Eagles’ defense and caught an 18-yard touchdown pass over his shoulder from Patrick Mahomes. Kelce had one other catch on the drive, racking up 28 total receiving yards, while running back Isiah Pacheco logged 29 rushing yards on three carries.

Kansas City needed only six plays to travel the 75 yards to the end zone. It’s been a while since there’s been a Super Bowl shootout, but early on, this game is showing signs of it.

Eagles score first

Score one for the Eagles’ offense — literally.

The Chiefs’ defense looked like they couldn’t keep up with the Eagles’ pace in the first drive of Super Bowl 57. Philadelphia went 75 yards on 11 plays in less than five minutes to go up 7-0 on Kansas City.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts snuck in a one-yard touchdown for the first score. Kansas City got Philadelphia in a third-and-5 to start the game, but was on its heels after that.

DeVonta Smith caught three passes for 41 yards, including one he broke a tackle to take down to the 11-yard line. Kenneth Gainwell appeared to score a touchdown shortly after, but replay revealed he was down at the 1-yard line.

With a new set of downs, Hurts capitalized on the next play.

PREGAME

The Philadelphia Eagles’ busses pulled up to State Farm Stadium a little more than four hours before kickoff of Super Bowl 57 and created a wave of fans drifting in their direction.

Those in green swung their arms and yelled “Go Birds.” Some in red booed but took their phones out to get a picture anyway.

Super Bowls are known for having a somewhat subdued gameday atmosphere as a result of its corporate environment. But this year might be a little different.

Both the Eagles’ and the Kansas City Chiefs’ fans appear to have flocked to the desert in full force for what projections are tabbing as the most traveled-to Super Bowl since the COVID-19 pandemic struck before the 2020-2021 season. It could change before kickoff at 3:30, but for now, Super Bowl 57 feels like a particularly raucous one.

The stadium isn’t even that full two hours before kickoff as many fans take it in the tailgate experience outside, which includes a live performance by the Black Keys. Maybe they’re even stopping by the BetMGM sports book on the premises to put in a wager.

Like most sports books, that shop is holding strong with the Eagles as a 1.5-point favorite despite reports of late money coming in on the Chiefs. No matter what the line closes, this year’s game for the Vince Lombardi Trophy shapes up as one of the most evenly-matched in history.

The Chiefs have a slight edge on offense, almost entirely because of MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The big question is whether Mahomes, who suffered a high ankle sprain in a divisional round win over the Jaguars, and his receivers are fully healthy.

The Eagles have a more sizable edge on defense where they have difference-makers at every level and statistically one of the best pass rushes in NFL history. Whether Kansas City can block the likes of Hasson Reddick and Josh Sweat consistently will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.

Eagles’ fans have been shouting about their defense all week and carried the same attitude into the stadium. The Chiefs’ contingent has been quieter so far, but all they really need to do is point to their widespread Mahomes’ jerseys to express their own confidence.

It’s a terrific matchup to finish off the NFL season, and there will be no shortage of support in either team’s corner.

Stay tuned to lasvegassun.com for live coverage from throughout Super Bowl 57.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or