During super bowl LVII, the match was exciting and action packed, with both teams scoring a hand full of touchdowns throughout the game. Despite the action, the ending of the the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona turned into a slippery mess. Players from both teams had a hard time keeping their footing.
In addition to the field, the game also came under fire for the rigged penalties that were called throughout. It was a disaster and left the NFL with a lot of questions that need to be addressed before more moments like this are tainted.
Field Conditions
In a Super Bowl where the Philadelphia Eagles were fighting to win their second championship, the biggest story wasn’t the game itself but rather the field conditions. The field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona was noticeably slippery throughout the game, causing players to change their cleats several times during the first half.
Those problems continued in the third quarter as both teams worked through subpar playing surface conditions. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco slipped in the end zone after scoring a touchdown, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts slipped while attempting a Hail Mary pass and punt returner Kadarius Toney also slipped on the grass during his 65-yard return.
It’s not the first time that field conditions at State Farm Stadium have been an issue. In fact, a number of teams have had to work through similar footing issues over the years.
But the NFL decided to try out a new type of national grass at State Farm Stadium for this year’s Super Bowl, and it didn’t take long for football fans to call it out for its poor performance. Despite spending a lot of money and prep work, the new turf at State Farm Stadium was plagued with issues all game long.
As a result, many players on both teams changed their cleats throughout the game and some even ended up slipping while trying to play. This isn’t the first time that this has happened at State Farm Stadium, but it was definitely more apparent on Sunday.
After the Super Bowl, a number of Eagles players complained about the slippery field, including left tackle Jordan Mailata who said that it was “like playing on a water park.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was quick to point out how much damage the new grass had done to his team. He blamed the field for injuries to kicker Harrison Butker and running back Trent McDuffie during the game.
And the end of the day, it was a rigged penalty that allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to score on their final drive and win the Super Bowl. The controversial holding call on James Bradberry of the Eagles sparked outrage on social media, with fans accusing the NFL of being “rigged” once again.
Rigged Penalties
After a fantastic game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, super bowl 57 ended with a buzzkill. A questionable call soured the entire night.
During the fourth quarter, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an incomplete pass in front of Eagles wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The ball landed on the ground, and the clock stopped. The Eagles got the ball at the Chiefs’ 16-yard line with just under two minutes to go, requiring them to score on a field goal or punt to win the Super Bowl.
A late holding penalty on Eagles’ James Bradberry gave the Chiefs a first down, allowing them to run down the clock and secure a game-winning 27-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with seconds remaining. This put the Chiefs in position to win the NFL’s championship, but it drew the ire of Eagles fans who claimed the game was rigged.
But there’s no evidence the referees rigged this game in any way. The game was a great one, and it should be remembered that the refs are just one piece of the puzzle.
It’s not as though the Eagles had a perfect game, and this wasn’t a matchup between two of the best teams in football, but it was a good game that will be remembered for a long time. Moreover, the play that ended the game was one of the most memorable moments in NFL history.
In fact, it was the most-watched game ever in the United States. But while the Eagles were the clear favorite to win, there was a final moment that left fans with a lot to think about.
A controversial decision by referee Carl Cheffers allowed the Chiefs to take advantage of the situation. After the game, Cheffers was asked by PFWA pool reporter Lindsay Jones about his decision to call the holding penalty on Bradberry.
While Bradberry may have been a bit physical with Mahomes’ incomplete pass, far more egregious infractions go uncalled in most games. And the decision to assess the penalty ensured the Chiefs would get a fresh set of downs at their 11-yard line with 1:48 left in the adjustment of a tied game.
Rigged Ending
It was supposed to be one of the most exciting super bowls in a long time, but it ended on a controversial call that left many fans disappointed. With under two minutes to go in the game, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster that fell incomplete. It looked like the Eagles had held on to their lead, but then a flag for defensive holding was thrown on James Bradberry and the Chiefs were awarded possession of the ball with eight seconds to go.
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Several players from both teams were caught on camera slipping on the natural grass field at State Farm Stadium, which isn’t the normal turf used in NFL games. Fox broadcasters showed a number of players from both teams slipping on the field during a break in the third quarter and reported that some Chiefs players were switching cleats to get better traction on the field.
The rigging of the field during Super Bowl 57 caused a lot of debate on social media and led to some people accusing the NFL of rigging the game in their favor. The NFL has been the target of criticism for a long time, and that trend continued during this year’s big game, as many people believed it was rigged to benefit the Kansas City Chiefs over the Philadelphia Eagles.
This has been a big theme in the officiating world lately, as referees have been accused of making bad calls. The back-to-back controversial endings of the Super Bowl made it a hot topic on Twitter.
In this case, the call was a soft defensive holding flag on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, which gifted the Chiefs a first down on their final drive of the game and ultimately helped them win the game. The Chiefs were able to milk off the remaining time on two knee-downs, setting up Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 27 seconds to play.
Despite the fact that the game had a slippery field and a lot of controversy, the final score was an impressive 38-35 victory for the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a win that pushed the team closer to dynasty status and could prove to be a game changer for them in the future.
Final Score
It was a back-and-forth game that featured Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs battling for the Lombardi Trophy for a second time in four years. However, a controversial holding penalty in the final two minutes effectively ended the game for Philadelphia as Kansas City won 38-35.
It is not unusual for officiating controversies to pop up in NFL games, especially postseason contests like this one, but when it happens at the end of a big game it feels very odd. It is just a bad way to finish a game that is already incredibly emotional.
The Eagles started strong in this game, scoring on their first drive. Jalen Hurts looked comfortable as he picked apart the Chiefs’ defense, and the Eagles got to the Kansas City 5-yard line quickly with a touchdown pass from Hurts.
But the game would be short-lived as the Chiefs scored on their next three possessions, putting the game out of reach in the process. A late defensive penalty put Kansas City in position to win, and a few short plays later, Harrison Butker hit a 27-yard field goal to cap off the comeback.
There were a number of penalties that caused the Chiefs to go from third down to first down on several occasions. Even a defensive holding call by Eagles cornerback James Bradberry on Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was questioned after the game.
Many people felt the field in State Farm Stadium wasn’t prepared correctly, and it was clear that many players from both teams were slipping and sliding on the grass field throughout the game. FOX even showed a number of players from both teams changing their cleats to try to get better traction on the field during the game.
After the game, many people shared their thoughts on social media about how sloppy the field was at Super Bowl 57. Some even blamed the NFL for the poor playing surface.
Hopefully, this game will be remembered for the incredible gameplay instead of the officiating controversies that took place. But the underlying message is that the NFL has a lot of work to do before it can be considered the most fair and honest football league in history.