Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts outplayed Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 57, but didn't get support from his defense or special teams.
Second thoughts: It takes more than a franchise quarterback to win the Super Bowl
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Super Bowl 57 …
1. Yes, the quarterbacks shone in Super Bowl 57, won by Kansas City over Philadelphia, 38-35. Patrick Mahomes was a deserved MVP after another heroic performance, engineering three touchdowns and a field goal in four possessions after re-injuring a right high ankle sprain at the end of the first half. Jalen Hurts actually outperformed the MVP with three touchdown runs, a two-point conversion, and a touchdown pass. On the surface, this Super Bowl reaffirmed the common belief that you can’t win the NFL championship without a franchise quarterback. And for that reason, you have to figure the Browns are on the right track if they can fix Deshaun Watson this offseason and get him playing like his former self. But to me, the bottom line of this game was that quarterbacks can’t and won’t do it alone. As great as Mahomes is, he needed a defensive touchdown and an easy score set up by a 65-yard punt return to edge the Eagles by three points. Hurts got no such support from his defense and special teams. In the end, complementary football prevailed. The Eagles were the most complete team going in. But the Chiefs played a complete game and won. Barely.
2. Two unforeseen factors aided the Chiefs. First, the deplorably slick field surface in State Farm Stadium neutralized the famed Eagles pass rush. Philadelphia’s linemen spun their wheels all night long. They didn’t touch Mahomes in the pocket. Some of that was due to Mahomes’ quick-release pass game. But it’s a known fact that a slippery field hurts pass rushers more than any position group. The only hits on Mahomes were after his six runs with the ball. Also, Eagles safety Marcus Epps slipped in coverage on Mahomes’ first TD toss to Travis Kelce. So, the Chiefs were able to negotiate the faulty field better. Secondly, the long intermission due to the extended halftime show gave Mahomes extra time to recover from linebacker T.J. Edwards’ tackle, which re-injured Mahomes’ ankle injury right before the first half ended. Peter King of NBC Sports reported that Mahomes had 48 minutes in real time before he took his first snap after the ankle injury. Mahomes said he had treatment on the ankle during halftime. The Chiefs then came out in the second half with three consecutive run plays before Mahomes took his first drop-back in the pivotal first possession of the second half.
3. Game management by the coaches -- not by the quarterbacks – is an incredibly influential factor in close games. I constantly harped on faulty game management by Kevin Stefanski during the Browns season. For much of this game, the Eagles controlled the time of possession and effectively kept Mahomes off the field. But they had a major mental lapse after Kansas City forged ahead, 35-27. Hurts took possession with 9:22 left in the fourth quarter. It might be too much to ask for Hurts to eat up 8 or 9 minutes in a game-tying touchdown drive and leave scant time for Mahomes to win it in regulation. But the aim should have been to tick off as much time as possible. It looked like that was the plan at the start. The Eagles gained 11 yards on three plays for one first down to the Eagles’ 36. After a 1-yard sack and a short completion, they faced third-and-4 at the Eagles 42. No need to panic with 6:07 left. Two-down territory, right? Hurts converted the first down again, to the Chiefs’ 47. Then on first down, Hurts went for the home run. He connected with DeVonta Smith for 45 yards down to the Chiefs’ 2. From there, the Eagles rushed to the line of scrimmage – Why rush? What was the hurry? -- and pushed Hurts over the goal line. Hurts converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 35-35. But there was 5:15 still on the clock. I’m constantly amazed by the haste at which coaches try to score in these situations, especially with magicians like Mahomes having one last chance with the ball to win. Mahomes had no problem taking his team into range for the game-winning field goal. Coach Andy Reid did a masterful job of instructing his players not to run out of bounds or into the end zone at the end, even though the Eagles were conceding a touchdown. When Hurts got the ball back, there were only 6 seconds left.
4. The defensive holding call on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry at the end was an unfortunate call, but the right one. The exchange between FOX analyst Greg Olsen and FOX rules analyst Mike Peirera was probably the highlight of the FOX broadcast. Olsen: “I don’t know. I think on this stage, I think you let them play. Finish this thing out. I don’t love the call.” Peirera: “He grabbed the jersey and pulled it. I think that was a hold.” Olsen: “I get it. I just think in this moment … oh, man, that is a game-altering penalty.” Here’s a thought: Don’t hold. Don’t get beat at the line of scrimmage. No hold. No penalty.
5. Both of the Eagles coordinators could be head coaches by the end of the week. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen reportedly is in Indianapolis to finalize a deal to become the new head coach of the Colts. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the Cleveland native and former St. Ignatius High three-sport star, stayed over in Phoenix to interview for the Cardinals head coach vacancy. Both candidates are close to Browns quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing and it is expected that Petzing could leave the Browns to be Steichen’s – or Gannon’s – offensive coordinator. Stefanski did Petzing a big favor this season by moving him from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach to advance his coaching career. The Browns would replace Petzing internally if he left.
