On Feb. 12, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl 57. It was a game defined by a high-powered offense, a slippery field, and a controversial holding penalty thrown against the Eagles.
That holding penalty, occurring with under two minutes to go in the game on a crucial 3rd and 8, set the Chiefs up with a run-out-the-clock winning scenario. By simply kneeling on consecutive plays, the Chiefs were able to kick up a field goal to secure the win with just seconds left on the clock.
Despite the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell’s recent Twitter claim that officiating in the league has never been better, many prominent NFL voices spoke out against the penalty – many arguing that the penalty was not a correct call.
Cincinnati Bengals tight end CJ Uzomah took to Twitter to voice his anger, calling the penalty eerily similar to the one that occurred near the end of last year’s Super Bowl, one that Uzomah and the Bengals lost.
“Are you kidding me? Another SUPER suspect holding call deciding the end of the SuperBowl,” Uzomah wrote.
Uzomah was not alone in his disliking of the penalty, with countless other NFL media faces and players taking to Twitter to voice similar anger.
Pat McAfee, host of the Pat McAfee show and former NFL punter also took to Twitter during the game to voice his anger.
“THESE REFS. CAN’T HAVE IT,” McAfee wrote following the controversial holding penalty.
One of the more popular arguments against the penalty stated that at that point in such a close Super Bowl, no penalty should be called unless it is blatantly obvious and that calling questionable penalties at this point in big games only sparks controversy.
Despite the anger shown by the NFL community, Eagles corner James Bradberry, who the penalty was called on, admitted to said penalty.
“I pulled on his jersey. They called it. I was hoping they would let it ride,” Bradyberry said to a reporter shortly after the game.
This admittance silenced many of the arguments relating to whether there was a holding penalty in the first place, but it only fueled the fire for those who believed that even if there was a holding penalty, it should not be called on a Super Bowl-deciding third down unless it is glaringly obvious.
Nonetheless, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl and regular season MVP, is now a two-time Super Bowl champion. Despite the controversy, it’s clear that Mahomes is one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history, having garnered 2 MVPs, 3 Super Bowl appearances and 2 Super Bowl wins despite being just 27 years old.
