Super Bowl LVII: Harrison Butker's late field goal lifts Kansas City to victory over Eagles

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Patrick Mahomes cemented his place as the best football player on the planet with a brilliant, gutsy performance. When his teammates needed him to put on a Superman cape and lead them to another Super Bowl victory, Mahomes delivered.

He aggravated his right ankle injury late in the first half and left the field limping badly, but it didn’t slow down the NFL MVP.

Mahomes brought Kansas City back from a 10-point halftime deficit, threw two of his three touchdown passes in the second half and led KC on a championship-winning scoring drive at the end of the game.

Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining gave Kansas City a 38-35 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday night in Super Bowl LVII in front of 67,827 fans at State Farm Stadium.

Mahomes was named the game’s MVP after leading Kansas City to its second Super Bowl victory in four years. “I’m not going to say dynasty yet,” he said, “but we’re not done.”

Not as long as Mahomes is in a Kansas City uniform. This was his third trip here in four years, and losing to Tampa Bay two years ago ate at him.

The storylines all week had been Mahomes and Jalen Hurts making history as the first Black quarterbacks to face off in the Super Bowl, Andy Reid coaching his current team against his former team, and Travis and Jason Kelce becoming the first brothers to compete against each other on this stage.

The quarterbacks certainly put on a show. Hurts accounted for all four of the Eagles’ touchdowns, throwing for one and tying a Super Bowl record by rushing for three, along with a two-point conversion run. Reid earned his second Super Bowl title as a head coach and Travis now has two rings, one more than Jason.

“This is unbelievable,” said Reid, who dismissed talk that this could be his last game.

The Eagles dominated the first half and took a 24-14 lead. Kansas City ruled the second half, scoring on all four of its possessions against one of the best defenses in the league.

Mahomes completed 21 of 27 passes for 182 yards, going 13-for-14 after halftime for 93 yards. He became the seventh quarterback to be named MVP and win the Super Bowl in the same season. The last nine players to earn MVP honors and reach the Super Bowl the same year had lost in the big game.

“He wants to be the greatest player ever,” Reid said. “The great quarterbacks make everyone around them better, including the head coach.”

Making Mahomes’ performance more special was how he overcame “a lot of soreness” in his ankle.

He originally suffered a high right ankle sprain in the divisional round against Jacksonville. On Sunday, he was tackled around the right ankle by T.J. Edwards with about 1 1⁄2 minutes left in the first half and appeared to be in serious pain.

Mahomes said he didn’t take a pain-killing shot but got treatment and retaped at halftime and came out raring to go.

“You’re in the Super Bowl. You can worry about getting it healthy in the offseason,” he said. “I fought through and we were able to win the game.”

Kelce caught six passes for 81 yards and a touchdown and rookie running back Isiah Pacheco rushed for 76 yards and a score for Kansas City. Linebacker Nick Bolton had a 36-yard scoop-and-score touchdown after a fumble by Hurts.

Hurts was 27-for-38 for 304 yards, and his 70 rushing yards were the most by a quarterback in the Super Bowl.

Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith had seven catches for 100 yards. A.J. Brown had six grabs for 96 yards and a touchdown.

KC scored two touchdowns in less than three minutes in the fourth quarter, and former Giants first-round pick Kadarius Toney played a huge part in both.

Toney, whom the Giants traded to Kansas City at midseason, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes with 12:04 left that put Kansas City on top for the first time at 28-27.

After Kansas City’s defense forced a three-and-out, Toney returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles’ 5-yard line. On third down, Mahomes threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Skye Moore. Butker’s extra point gave Kansas City a 35-27 lead with 9:22 left.

The Eagles tied it on the next possession, though, as Hurts scored on a 2-yard run and ran for the two-point conversion with 5:15 left.

It was winning time for Mahomes. Bum ankle and all, he scrambled 26 yards to the Eagles’ 17 with about 2 1⁄2 minutes left.

Pacheco rushed for 2 yards on first down and Mahomes passed to JuJu Smith-Schuster on second down for no gain. Mahomes threw incomplete on third down, but former Giant James Bradberry was flagged for defensive holding, giving Kansas City a first down at the 11.

“It was a holding,” Bradberry said. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”

Jerick McKinnon ran 9 yards and intentionally slid short of the end zone to keep the clock going, with the Eagles calling their final timeout. Mahomes kneeled twice to set up Butker and leave the Eagles with as little time left as possible.

Philadelphia got the ball back at its own 36, Hurts threw incomplete and Kansas City celebrated a dramatic and hard-fought Super Bowl victory.

“It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” Mahomes said. “I appreciate it because of the failures. The failure of losing the Super Bowl, losing the AFC championship. It gives you a greater appreciation to be standing here as a champion.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.