The match was played in the last seconds. The Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes overcoming a painful ankle, won the third Super Bowl in their history, beating (38-35) the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday February 12 in Glendale, Arizona, after a of the most beautiful finals in history and an exceptional duel with the other quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
It was a 24m kick from Harrison Butker that delivered the Missouri team, 8 seconds from the end and after a breathless suspense. The Kansas City Chiefs succeed the Los Angeles Rams. One more consecration for Mahomes, who confirms to be a credible heir to Tom Brady in the NFL, even if with this second ring, he is still far from the seven titles of his glorious elder, recently retired.
Led by the score for three quarters, the Chiefs went through all the emotions in this match, hanging on the fate of Mahomes when, just before the break, he again hurt his right ankle, already abused by a sprain during the play-offs. His grimace of pain indeed left fear of an inability to continue the match.
But he came back in the third quarter, managing to revive his team with a 12-meter run which then allowed running-back Isiah Pacheco to finish the job to reduce the score (24-21).
Rihanna, the moment suspended
The suspense quickly resumed its rights because, opposite, Jalen Hurts had just struck the spirits for his first experience at this stage, at 24 years old. After opening the scoring in the first quarter and then finding A.J. Brown in the end zone, on a 41-yard long pass wonder, he made his only mistake of the match by losing a ball while alone, allowing Kansas City to equalize against by Nick Bolton (14-14).
But he reacted immediately, coming up the field almost single-handedly to put the Eagles back in front (21-14), becoming the first quarterback in history to score two rushing touchdowns and one passing in a Super Bowl.
A feat achieved before halftime, whose show was provided by Rihanna. All dressed in red, suspended by cables on a platform lowered onto a long stage placed in the center of the field, the singer chained her hits, including Umbrella and Work, surrounded by around fifty dancers. Then the Barbadian artist, pregnant with her second child, went up there for her finale, on the chorus of Diamonds in the Sky. This round belly was the surprise announced by the singer in recent days, before a show which, moreover, did not count any, with a very sober performance, not to say lazy, and no guests.
Unbearable last quarter
But it was on the pitch that the show was really, with the duel between Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes continuing into the second act. It was the first time that two African-Americans opposed this key position in the high mass of American football.
In the unbearable last quarter, Mahomes found Kadarius Toney on a throw, to finally give the Chiefs the lead (28-27). Which made the break when their quarterback found Skyy Moore for his third passing touchdown, after a fantastic comeback from Toney, again him, in the middle of 60 m (35-27).
Folded match? Not the least in the world, because Hurts had not said his last word by making his third touchdown on the run (a record for a quarterback in a Finals), before converting it by two points by going into the net again. goal (35-35). A feat, however, in vain, since Harrison Butker's kick would send the Chiefs to paradise.
