The Kansas City Chiefs eked out a 38-35 victory at Super Bowl LVII on Sunday with just eight seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter.
A late penalty on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry was the backdrop as the Chiefs tried to run down the clock before they made an attempt to break the 35-35 tie. The gamble paid off, and as quarterback Patrick Mahomes took a knee, place kicker Harrison Butker delivered a field goal with eight seconds to spare.
Harrison Butker drills it. #Chiefs 38, #Eagles 35 with 8 seconds to play. pic.twitter.com/L4pFCC8NE2
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) February 13, 2023
But even as the Chiefs celebrated their victory, Eagles fans took to Twitter to complain about the holding call against Bradberry — that put them in position to take the lead.
“One of the best super bowls I’ve watched ruined by the refs,” @timthetatman tweeted.
“We had 58 amazing minutes of the game, then the refs decided to pick the winner. #Chiefs win the Super Bowl 38-35,” Doc Kleiman added.
“The fact that the two best teams in the league were throwing haymakers at each other for 58 minutes only for the refs to basically decide the game is really a tragedy. No professional sports season should end like this,” Brett Kollman complained.
The fact that the two best teams in the league were throwing haymakers at each other for 58 minutes only for the refs to basically decide the game is really a tragedy.
No professional sports season should end like this.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) February 13, 2023
Brenden Deeg added, “Letting the refs dictate one of the best Super Bowls of all time is a sick joke.”
“Can’t believe this epic game ends like that. What garbage. And I didn’t even care who won. I just didn’t want the refs deciding it with ticky tack garbage,” Jon Ledyard tweeted.
Benjamin Allbright pointed out the fact that while he felt the holding call had been excessive, the end result may have been the same regardless. “It’s not the Chiefs’ fault that the refs made that laughable call, and they may have won anyway. Congrats to them. But what a poor way for an otherwise great game to end,” he said.
It's not the Chiefs' fault that the refs made that laughable call, and they may have won anyway.
Congrats to them.
But what a poor way for an otherwise great game to end.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) February 13, 2023
And Allbright may have been correct — the Chiefs outscored the Eagles by a wide margin in the second half of the game.
CHIEFS MAKE IT LOOK EASY 😮
KC has outscored the Eagles 21-3 in the second half
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/5bPriYbD1S
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 13, 2023