A late Philadelphia Eagles penalty sent fans and social media into a frenzy, lamenting the referees and accusing the NFL of rigging Super Bowl 57.
But the player called for holding, cornerback James Bradberry, said afterward it was the correct call.
“It was a holding,” Bradberry told reporters in the locker room after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”
That didn’t stop fans of the Eagles — and ones who were neutral for the big game — from becoming outraged when the holding call allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock Sunday and win the Super Bowl, 38-35.
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Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had the ball 15 yards from the end zone with 1:54 on the clock and Super Bowl 57 tied at 35.
On third-and-8, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback took the shotgun snap and looked left. Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat won his pass rush and was breathing down Mahomes’ neck.
The Super Bowl MVP had to get rid of the ball and tossed a prayer to the end zone. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster could not run under it. The Eagles, regardless of whether the Chiefs took the lead on a field goal, would get another chance to tie the game — or perhaps put together a game-winning drive.
Then Mahomes pointed. A yellow flag lay on the field. It was on the Eagles.
Ballgame.
The call was holding on Bradberry, who was guarding Smith-Schuster on that play.
The flag resulted in an automatic first down for the Chiefs, meaning they could run the clock. It was the first defensive holding call of the game for both teams.
The Eagles’ sideline stood in shock.
Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon picked up a first down and slid down at the 1-yard line. Mahomes knelt twice before kicker Harrison Butker came out to finish the job — and drive a stake through the collective heart of Philadelphia.
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The call will be the subject of Philadelphians’ ire for eternity.
Bradberry, who was part of a secondary that helped the defense finish the regular season fourth in takeaways, put his hands on Smith-Schuster as the receiver turned upfield on his route toward the end zone.
FOX analyst Greg Olsen lamented it was a ticky-tacky call.
“It was a clear case of a jersey grab that caused restriction,” referee Carl Cheffers told the pool reporter after the game.
Smith-Schuster went to the inside and attempted to release to the outside, Cheffers said. Bradberry grabbed Smith-Schuster’s jersey with his right hand and restricted him from releasing to the outside.
“That’s what we’re looking for, those kind of restrictions in those kind of routes that put the receiver at a disadvantage,” Cheffers said.
Instead of receiving possession with more than 90 seconds on the clock, the Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts had eight seconds on the clock after Butker’s 27-yard field goal. It wasn’t enough time, and the Chiefs became Super Bowl champions.
Fans swiftly reacted on social media, calling out the referees and once again accusing the NFL of rigging the Super Bowl.
“They called it, and that’s the way this goes,” Eagles center Jason Kelce said. “I’ve said this before, I’m never going to be somebody who puts blame or anything on officials. That’s a hard job. They make a call. It is what it is.”
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
