Top 8 Takeaways from Super Bowl LVII

What did we learn

Super Bowl LVII went down to the wire, and the battle-tested Chiefs came through. What did we learn from this Super Bowl?

1) Jalen Hurts is the real deal

Aside from a costly fumble, Hurts had a stellar performance. Hurts became the first player in NFL history to rush for three touchdowns and throw for another in a Super Bowl. His 70 rushing yards also set an all-time Super Bowl record for a quarterback. Hurts made some incredible throws, and while that fumble was horrible, I think he solidified himself as the third-best quarterback in the game after Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow.

Jalen Hurts Says He Wants To Learn And Grow After Heartbreak Loss In Super Bowl LVII I CBS Sports

2) Time of possession is an overrated stat

The Eagles seemed like they always had the ball. Many said that was the key to the game, but people always forget that if you own time of possession, you need to score to make it worthwhile. The Eagles had the fumble that allowed an easy Chiefs touchdown and had to settle for a field goal once. In the second half, the Chiefs seemed to score at will.

3) Less pageantry, please

Do we need two national anthems and God Bless America played before the game? Overkill is the name of the game at the Super Bowl, and it makes me miss the days of Up with People at halftime and just one song before the game. Rhianna’s halftime performance included her grabbing herself and then sniffing her fingers! Come on, NFL; you can do better than that, can’t you? Don’t even get me started on the day-long pregame show. It got so bad that I watched a female reporter almost choke to death eating chicken wings because they were so hot!

4) Coaching matters

Andy Reid and his staff, especially defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo were the difference in this game. The Eagles dominated in the first half and led 24-14 at halftime. The Chiefs dominated the second half. The Chiefs halftime adjustments on defense gave the Eagles troubles in the second half. The offensive game plan from start to finish was a masterpiece by Andy Reid. His use of motion got the Eagles out of position so much that it was mind-blowing.

Patrick Mahomes leads game-winning drive & Chiefs win Super Bowl 57

5) The Field conditions were atrocious

Come on, NFL! The field in Arizona was an issue all of this season, and the NFL did nothing about it, and it did affect the game on Sunday. Players were constantly slipping and falling, and like I said, the NFL knew this would be an issue, and they did nothing about it. The turf was the worst seen in a Super Bowl since Super Bowl 23 in Miami, where field conditions were so bad that 49ers offensive lineman Steve Wallace and Bengals defensive lineman suffered injuries partly do to the field conditions.

6) The officiating was good until…..

This was a clean and well-officiated game until the end! That’s when James Bradberry was called for holding, basically ending the game. Did Bradberry grab? Yes, was it blatant? Not really, but it was a fair call. My only issue was that worse defensive holding was allowed to go on during the game. The ball from Mahomes was well overthrown. Was it a call that should have been made in that situation? Probably not. A great ending was ruined, and the game was won on that call. Remember how they always tell us how an offensive lineman holds on every play, the same could be said by a quick grab and let go by a defensive back.

7) Patrick Mahomes gets it done

Mahomes had not played well in his previous two Super Bowl appearances; two bad interceptions marred even the Super Bowl he won. This game was Mahomes at his best as he let the game come to him more, and he didn’t force anything. Mahomes has become a much scarier quarterback this season as he has learned to let the game come to him.

8) Being battle-tested was a thing

The eagles coasted into the Super Bowl without really being tested. The Chiefs, at the same time in the past 400 days, had to play the Bengals 4 times all games decided by three points and the Bills twice in games also decided at the end.

Patrick Mahomes speaks with the ‘NFL on FOX’ crew after Chiefs’ win vs. Eagles in Super Bowl LVII