Super Bowl LVII Recap: The First Battle of Two Black Quarterbacks

Another exciting NFL season ends with a miraculous Super Bowl in Glendale, AZ. The Philadelphia Eagles faced the Kansas City Chiefs to see who would hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. More importantly, it was the first time in Super Bowl history to feature two African-American quarterbacks starting.

Former Washington Commander Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, held the trophy before the game.

The Philadelphia Eagles were led by third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts’ inaccuracy last year caused some concern for many fans and analysts. However, his development in 2022 and the addition of Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown elevated him to arguably the best quarterback in the league. Hurts was second in voting for the Most Valuable Player award. Who did he trail? Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes’s start to his career has been nothing shy of admirable. His accolades and records in just five seasons have placed him in the conversation for the greatest quarterback. Mahomes is the NFL’s all-time leader in regular season and postseason passer ratings.

Hurts and Mahomes showed out in Super Bowl LVII, ending with the third-highest-scoring matchup in the game’s history.

The Eagles opened up the game with a touchdown drive capped off by a one-yard run by Hurts. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith had three catches on the drive, moving Philadelphia down the field in a hurry. The Chiefs responded with a touchdown of their own, with Mahomes linking up twice with the unguardable tight end Travis Kelce, including the 18-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Kansas City drove down the field once again, but a missed field goal by kicker Harrison Butker kept the game tied at seven. The Eagles capitalized by scoring a touchdown of their own after Hurts found wide receiver Brown for a 45-yard touchdown to go up 14-7. Philadelphia got the ball back, but a fumble by Hurts led to a defensive touchdown for Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton. The Eagles did not let this phase them, as they had another long touchdown drive to go up 21-14. Hurts had a 28-yard run on fourth-and-five and a four-yard touchdown run. After a big punt return, the Eagles added a field goal to their halftime lead.

It didn’t look good for the Chiefs, whose fans had to see their quarterback limp off the field and grimace in pain. However, Mahomes returned with a touchdown drive to open up the second half, making incredible plays to show why he’s the MVP. The Eagles looked like they were about to crumble under pressure, as running back Miles Sanders appeared to fumble the ball for another defensive touchdown. Philadelphia got the call in their favor and drove down to advance their lead to 27-21.

But Mahomes showed why teams need to score seven against him and not three. He immediately drove down the field to give Kansas City their first lead of the game of 28-27. Another stalled drive by Philadelphia gave the Chiefs a chance to add to their lead. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney set the record for the largest punt return in Super Bowl history with a 65-yard return to give Kansas City great field position. With this ball so close to the end zone, the Chiefs capitalized by going ahead by eight.

Hurts refused to lie down, hooking up with wide receivers Smith and Brown to push Philadelphia down the field and tie up the game at 35. Unfortunately, the Eagles left too much time for Mahomes, who marched down the field with five minutes left to score the game-winning field goal.

Mahomes won his second Super Bowl MVP, making him the first player since 1999 to win MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. Some argue Hurts should have received the honor despite the loss. This was a testament to the impeccable performances of both quarterbacks, much to the delight of the Black audience watching this Super Bowl.

Washington quarterback Williams spoke about the impact of two Black quarterbacks facing each other in the year’s biggest game.

“I would have to say this is a big moment for the NFL,” Williams said in an interview with TODAY. “I think that’s the most important thing, is the National Football League. But of course, for Black America, this is a huge moment for sports fans. Even some that are not sports fans who know what has transpired over the years and the fact that something didn’t happen over the years.”