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Super Bowl LVII Scores Big

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire service Report) – Super Bowl LVII earned an average TV audience of 113 million people, the Nielsen Company reported, making it the third most-watched Super Bowl on record and the third most-watched television broadcast of all time.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles came up just shy of the record of 114.4 million viewers, on average, that watched the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015.

Super Bowl LI, the Patriots’ famed 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in February 2017, hit 113.7 million for Fox between network and streaming, making Chiefs-Eagles Fox Sports’ second most-watched broadcast ever.

About 106 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVII on Fox and Fox Deportes, and the other seven million utilized streaming platforms that factored into the total.

It represents a modest bump over last year’s Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, which reported 112.3 million viewers on average.

Rihanna’s halftime show drew an average of 118.7 million viewers, Nielsen reported, making it the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance on record.

The average of seven million streams made Super Bowl LVII the most-streamed Super Bowl to date, Fox said.

Predictably, Kansas City and Philadelphia were the top two metered markets for the broadcast, followed by Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh.

NFL: Top 50 Free Agents for 2023

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Running backs, defensive backs and defensive linemen could be popular when free agency begins in March.

The top players scheduled to become free agents are likely to be heavily considered for the franchise tag this month, including Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, before shopping can officially begin at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on March 15.

Teams face a March 7 deadline for the franchise tag.

Speculative free agents, such as players with looming contract negotiations that could lead to their release or a trade — Raiders quarterback Derek Carr or Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan — are not included.

Field Level Media’s Top 50 unrestricted free agents for 2023:

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
Former MVP isn’t going anywhere. Self-represented and negotiating without an agent, Jackson is using the fully guaranteed $230M deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns last year as his guidepost. Will the Ravens blink? Jackson is 26, but the Ravens might not have the salary cap room to use the exclusive franchise tag, which blocks other teams from negotiating with him, but runs $45 million compared to $32.5 million for the non-exclusive tag.

2. Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Chiefs
Jackson’s former teammate in Baltimore and a member of the same Ravens’ 2018 draft class, Brown has outperformed his draft slot (83rd overall) and contract. Unless general managers wait for the draft, the OT market is slim pickings. Brown has plenty of leverage. Tagged last spring at a value of $16.62 million for 2022, Brown declined a six-year, $139 million deal with a $30.25 million signing bonus last July.

3. Daron Payne, DT, Commanders
The 25-year-old might not make it out of Washington. If he does, a salary of $20 million is highly likely.

4. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
Not going anywhere, the Raiders plan to keep Jacobs after his bounceback 2022 season.

5. Jessie Bates, S, Bengals
All too familiar with the franchise tag ($12.9M last year), Bates held out until Aug. 23 last summer when the two sides couldn’t reach a long-term agreement.

6. Javon Hargrave, DT, Eagles
The ideal fit in Philadelphia’s front after leaving a more restrictive role with the Steelers, Hargrave can command top dollar in free agency after posting a career-best 11 sacks last season.

7. Mike McGlinchey, OT, 49ers
With big contracts clogging the 49ers path to a huge raise for the 28-year-old, McGlinchey will not offer a home-town discount to stay.

8. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
Jones is the priority for the Giants this offseason as stated by the head coach and GM, and could be a tag candidate. Last season, 14 quarterbacks were paid at least $29.7M in total outlay, making the $32.5 million tag rate for Jones look more palatable.

9. Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks
Maybe trust Seahawks GM John Schneider to balance the books, eh? Smith made a measly $3.5 million in 2022, a career year in which he outperformed expectations and Seattle’s ex-QB, Russell Wilson. By the way, Wilson signed a new five-year deal in 2022 that averages $48,517,647 per year.

10. CJ Gardner-Johnson, S, Eagles
A trade heist in 2022 brought Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles for mid-round draft picks. Keeping him won’t be quite as simple with the Jalen Hurts contract around the bend, but Philadelphia has a pair of first-round picks in 2023.

11. Jamel Dean, CB, Buccaneers
At 26, the former third-round pick can nearly name his price in a shallow pool of young free agent corners. Cap-strapped Tampa can’t afford to keep him.

12. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
Barkley likes his fit in the Brian Daboll system and the Giants are interested in retaining the former No. 2 overall pick if the price is right. He turned 26 on Feb. 9, but other first-rounders have seen relative or dramatic letdowns on their second NFL contracts. Todd Gurley is only 28 and flat-lined two seasons ago with 6,082 career rushing yards. Ezekiel Elliott turns 28 in July and is showing severe wear and tear.

13. Lavonte David, LB, Buccaneers
Limited capital likely renders the Buccaneers as non-players in the David Sweepstakes, unless he’s willing to go with a team-friendly deal at age 33.

14. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
Depth in the free agency class and upcoming draft takes some of the leverage out of Sanders’ hands. He turns 26 a week after the NFL draft and has low mileage for a four-year pro. In 94 total games over the past seven pro and college seasons since enrolling at Penn State, Sanders has only 975 regular-season carries. By comparison, his predecessor at Penn State — Saquon Barkley — has 954 in 60 NFL games the past five seasons and tore his ACL in 2020.

15. Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
Critical without a steady No. 2 wide receiver, the Cowboys might be willing to look toward the draft for his replacement or let understudy Jake Ferguson (fourth round, 2022) step into the lead role.

16. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Bills
Drafted at 20 years old, Edmunds might not reach the Roquan Smith stratosphere of $20M annually, but $15 million per season isn’t out of the question. That’s too rich for the Bills, who are over the cap and signed linebacker Matt Milano to a new deal.

17. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
Pollard was in the lead role for the Cowboys for only part of his fourth season, which ended at San Francisco in the playoffs due to a broken leg. His calling card is speed, and even with the focus on his physical recovery, there will be teams ready to bet on Pollard being their big-play back next season.

18. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
An undrafted free agent who became a nightmare matchup in the slot, Meyers should benefit from the rising market value for good and sometimes-great wide receivers.

19. James Bradberry, CB, Eagles
Before the holding penalty in Super Bowl LVII, Bradberry had one of the best seasons in pass coverage in the NFL. He’ll be coveted, but too pricey for the Eagles to retain.

20. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers
Proven starter but unproven finisher with an expanding history of injuries. Garoppolo is 44-19 as a starter and the 31-year-old fits as a short-term option for teams potentially in transition (Buccaneers, Jets, Packers).

21. Evan Engram, TE, Jaguars
22. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Colts
23. Jason Kelce, C, Eagles
24. Ben Powers, OG, Ravens
25. Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Broncos
26. Kaleb McGary, OT, Falcons
27. Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Vikings
28. Marcus Peters, CB, Ravens
29. Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
30. David Montgomery, RB, Bears
31. Marcus Davenport, DE, Saints
32. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs
33. Isaiah Wynn, OT, Patriots
34. Isaac Seumalo, OG, Eagles
35. Rodney Hudson, C, Cardinals
36. Jadeveon Clowney, DE-OLB, Browns
37. Brandon Graham, DE, Eagles
38. Fletcher Cox, DT, Eagles
39. Drue Tranquill, LB, Chargers
40. Allen Lazard, WR, Packers
41. Ethan Pocic, C, Browns
42. Dalton Risner, OG, Broncos
43. Cam Sutton, CB, Steelers
44. David Long, LB, Titans
45. Jordan Poyer, S, Bills
46. Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
47. Devin Singletary, CB, Bills
48. Baker Mayfield, QB, Rams
49. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
50. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, N/A

– Field Level Media

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Chiefs Max-Out Super Second Half

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Patrick Mahomes limped off the field at halftime with the Kansas City Chiefs trailing by 10 points.

It turns out there was no need to fret, not with the Super Bowl having a 29-minute halftime.

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Mahomes got treatment during the lengthy break and came out convinced his injured right ankle would hold up. His belief was correct, and he guided the Chiefs to a 38-35 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night in Arizona.

Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left and Mahomes passed for two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Kansas City became just the second team in Super Bowl history to rally from a deficit of 10 or more points.

The Super Bowl title is the third for Kansas City. The Chiefs also won Super Bowl IV (1969 season) and Super Bowl LIV (2019).

Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in four seasons, but he stopped short of calling the Chiefs the rulers of the NFL.

“I’m not going to say dynasty yet,” Mahomes said. “We’re not done.”

Midseason acquisition Kadarius Toney sparked Kansas City by catching a touchdown pass and setting up another score with a long punt return. Travis Kelce and Skyy Moore caught touchdown passes, Isiah Pacheco ran for a score and Nick Bolton returned a fumble for a touchdown for the Chiefs.

The result gave Kansas City coach Andy Reid a victory over the team he coached for 14 seasons from 1999-2012.

“I know that city loves him and that organization loves him,” Kelce said of Reid. “Call it what you want — there is a lot of pride that he has had success in two different organizations, but this is the better one.”

Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts tied a Super Bowl record with three rushing scores and also passed for one touchdown. Hurts was 27-of-38 passing for 304 yards and rushed for 70 while teaming up with Mahomes as the first pair of Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history.

Former Denver Broncos star Terrell Davis rushed for three touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.

Kansas City moved 66 yards on 12 plays for the winning field goal, receiving help from a third-down defensive holding penalty on Philadelphia’s James Bradberry. The cornerback briefly grabbed the jersey of Kansas City wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster.

“It was a holding,” Bradberry said. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declined to criticize the call.

“I know it always appears that it’s one call,” Sirianni said. “That’s not what it is. There are so many plays that contribute to the end result of the game. And today they were better than we were.”

Another key play was a 26-yard scramble by Mahomes, who earlier aggravated his right ankle injury on Kansas City’s final offensive snap of the first half.

“Whenever you aggravate those high ankles, it hurts,” Mahomes said. “It feels like it did the first time. … But you’ve got to play at the end of the day.”

A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and one touchdown and DeVonta Smith had seven receptions for 100 yards for the Eagles.

Teams that trailed by 10 or more points at halftime in the Super Bowl are now 2-26. The New England Patriots were the first team to accomplish it as they recovered from a 25-point hole to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Kansas City took its first lead of the contest at 28-27 when Mahomes completed a 5-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Toney with 12:04 left in the game. That also marked the first time Philadelphia had trailed the entire postseason.

The Chiefs then forced a three-and-out and cashed in big when Toney set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return. He fielded the ball at his 30-yard line and started left before reversing to the right with a wall of teammates blocking. He was stopped at the Eagles 5.

Three plays later, Mahomes had another wide-open target in Moore, who caught a 4-yard scoring pass to give Kansas City an eight-point lead with 9:22 remaining.

Philadelphia quickly responded as Hurts connected with Smith on a 45-yard pass to the Chiefs 2. Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play and then ran in the two-point conversion to tie it at 35 with 5:15 remaining.

Mahomes re-injured his right ankle when tackled with 1:33 left in the first half but he didn’t seem bothered by it when the Chiefs opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Pacheco capped the drive with a 1-yard run with 9:30 left in the third quarter to pull Kansas City within 24-21.

Philadelphia responded with a 17-play, 60-yard drive that took 7:45. Jake Elliott finished it by booting a 33-yard field goal to give the Eagles a six-point lead with 1:45 left in the period.

Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one in the first half to give Philadelphia a 24-14 advantage.

He made one big first-half miscue, dropping the ball while trying to run out of danger. It bounced up to Bolton, who easily scored on a 36-yard fumble return to tie it at 14 with 9:39 left in the half.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Hurts said. “We had a big-time goal in the end, and we came up short. The beautiful part is we experience different agony in life, and we decide how we want to move forward, how we want to learn. My only direction is to rise.”

Mahomes connected on an 18-yard scoring pass to Kelce in the first quarter. The touchdown reception was Kelce’s 16th in the postseason, second all-time behind legendary Jerry Rice (22).

Kelce also improved to 3-0 all-time in matchups against his older brother Jason, the Eagles’ standout center.

“I’m really, really happy for Trav,” Jason Kelce said. “That team deserves everything it had coming to them. They earned it. … You can’t win them all.”

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVII Preview

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Patrick Mahomes is on the verge of becoming the youngest quarterback to start three Super Bowls, but the Kansas City Chiefs star is more interested in becoming the 13th to earn multiple Super Bowl rings.

Mahomes will be playing in his third Super Bowl in the past four campaigns, and his task on Sunday is to solve the dominant defense of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.

Philadelphia has been backed by 67 percent of the spread-line bets and 68 percent of the handle at BetMGM. The action was similar at BetRivers to begin the week before more money started flowing in on the Chiefs, with the Eagles now drawing 58 and 51 percent, respectively.

Mahomes will be 27 years, 148 days old when he takes the field but is already viewed as an NFL great. He is 1-1 in previous Super Bowls, having beaten the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV and lost 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV one year later.

Philadelphia’s defense, ranked second in the regular season at 301.5 yards allowed per game, will be swimming like sharks around Mahomes.

The Eagles have racked up 78 sacks during the regular season and postseason. That is third-most all-time behind the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Philadelphia will look to corral Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who ranks second all-time in postseason receptions (127) and receiving yardage (1,467) and is tied for second with Rob Gronkowski with 15 postseason touchdown grabs. Jerry Rice leads in all three categories.

Kelce is part of a juicy storyline as he and older brother Jason (the Eagles’ center) will become the first set of brothers to play against one another in Super Bowl history. Both Kelces already own a Super Bowl ring, but Travis is 3-0 in matchups against Jason.

“Whoever wins this one will have the ultimate bragging rights,” Jason Kelce said.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid is looking for his second Super Bowl ring as he faces the organization that fired him in 2012 after 14 seasons. Reid ranks second all-time in postseason victories (21) behind Bill Belichick (31).

The 64-year-old has tried to swat away “Andy Reid Bowl” questions all week. He reached five NFC title games with the Eagles but just one Super Bowl, a 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Also a hot topic is whether the Chiefs can stamp themselves as a dynasty with a second Super Bowl win in four seasons. Reid, not surprisingly, has no interest in the subject.

“I’m not really into all that,” Reid said. “It’s important in our world as coaches and players that you try to get better every day. You’re only as good as your last game, or your next game, I should say. We’re striving to focus on this thing and try not to worry about all that stuff.”

The quarterback matchup between Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts is noteworthy, marking the first Super Bowl in which each team has a Black starting quarterback.

Only three Black quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl: Doug Williams (Super Bowl XXII), Russell Wilson (Super Bowl XLIX) and Mahomes.

“It’s not about me. It’s about the team,” the multi-dimensional Hurts said. “Football is the ultimate team game, and you can’t have one player with the belief that he can succeed without the others around him.”

The Eagles have held steady as a consensus 1.5-point favorite after the spread reached as high as 3.0 points at some major sportsbooks.

PROP PICKS
–Hurts Over 10.5 Rushing Attempts (+100 at BetMGM): This has received the most total bets among player props at the sportsbook. Hurts has averaged 11.5 carries over the past four games. That includes 11 against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game despite the Eagles being in control much of the game. The offseason begins Monday, so look for Philadelphia to use Hurts’ legs to the fullest as it attempts to keep the Chiefs’ defense off balance.

–Travis Kelce Anytime TD (-124 at BetRivers): Kelce has three touchdowns in two playoff games already and will be coveted safety blanket against the Eagles’ ferocious pass rush. Him scoring at least one touchdown on Sunday leads the sportsbook’s player props with 4.5 percent of the total money. Kelce is also among the top 10 most popular plays to score twice, which has drawn 1.3 percent of the money at +575.

–Josh Sweat Over 0.75 Sacks (+110 at DraftKings): Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick has been on an absolute tear with 3.5 sacks in the playoffs following 16 during the regular season. But his -180 odds at Over 0.25 sacks doesn’t portend a great potential payout. With the Chiefs having to prioritize protection Mahomes against Reddick on obvious passing downs, there should be plenty of opportunity for Sweat, who set a career high with 11.0 sacks during the regular season and racked up another 1.5 in the playoff-opening win against the Giants.

INJURY REPORT
The right ankle injury Mahomes sustained against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 21 is healing, but he won’t be 100 percent against the Eagles.

“You won’t know exactly how it is until you get to game day,” Mahomes said this week. “I mean, I definitely move around better than I was moving last week or two weeks ago. So it’s just trying to continue to get the treatment and the rehab and get it as close to 100 percent and then rely on some adrenaline to let me do a little bit extra when I’m on the field.”

The Chiefs overall have a clean bill of health, while the Philadelphia Eagles listed only one player, wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey, on the final injury report ahead of the game.

Covey (hamstring) popped up for the first time Thursday, was limited for two straight days and was listed Friday as questionable for the game.

An undrafted rookie, Covey has rarely seen snaps on offense but serves as Philadelphia’s punt returner. He also returned kicks in Weeks 4, 8, 9 and 10. Covey fielded 33 punts in the regular season for 308 yards with a long of 27. He averaged 9.3 yards.

If Covey can’t play, the Eagles may need to turn to the likes of speedy former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith as a replacement punt returner.

Friday’s news was good for Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who appeared on Thursday’s injury report as a limited participant with a knee issue. The Chiefs said Sneed practiced in full on Friday and gave him no game status designation.

That’s not to say Kansas City is at perfect attendance. Earlier in the week, it placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on injured reserve with a pelvic injury, taking him out of the equation for the Super Bowl.

But that allowed the Chiefs to activate running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) from IR in a corresponding move, and two other wide receivers with previous injury concerns — JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hamstring) — are cleared to play Sunday.

PREDICTION
The NFL might be an offensive league in this era, but most of the recent Super Bowl champions have sported the superior defense. The Chiefs lack a real threat in the backfield, which will force them to rely on the short passing game as a complement to help thwart that pass rush. The Eagles bring more offensive balance to the equation along with variety in the red zone that will pay off in crunch time. –Eagles 28, Chiefs 26

–Field Level Media

Brady Files Retirement Papers

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Tom Brady filed his retirement paperwork with the NFL and NFL Players Association on Friday, several reports said, cementing the seven-time Super Bowl winner’s Feb. 1 announcement that his playing days were over.

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Brady retired last winter, walked it back 40 days later and played one final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers got three seasons with Brady, winning a Super Bowl in his first year on the scene and losing in the playoffs the next two seasons.

Now the bill has come due for Tampa Bay, as it will take a full $35 million dead-cap hit in 2023 as a result of Brady’s retirement.

Had Brady worked with the Bucs on a contract amendment to keep Brady on the books with so-called voidable years and processed his retirement after June 1, they would have been able to split the dead-cap hit between 2023 and 2024. Instead, multiple reports said, all $35 million will be assessed in 2023, putting Tampa Bay nearly $60 million over the salary cap.

 

Injuries a Factor for Super Bowl Week

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PHOENIX – If Super Bowl LVII were being played Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs would be looking thin at wide receiver. But the game against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t until Feb. 12, giving Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney more time to heal in hopes of playing in the big game.

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Hardman (pelvis), Smith-Schuster (knee) and Toney (ankle, hamstring) did not practice this week. The Chiefs’ estimated game status report marked Hardman as doubtful and the other two as questionable.

NFL Network reported Thursday that Hardman was seeking second opinions on his injury to see if there was a way he could play. Hardman missed the second half of the regular season with the injury and was brought back in time for the AFC Championship Game, where he was able to play just 15 offensive snaps.

Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (concussion) and linebacker Willie Gay (shoulder) were also estimated as questionable. Sneed hasn’t practiced this week while Gay was limited each day.

For the Eagles, cornerback Avonte Maddox was among those who sat out practice Friday due to a toe injury.

Maddox was seen wearing a boot on his left foot at practice, but the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Eagles are holding him out as a precautionary measure and he will be able to play in the Super Bowl.

Maddox has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season. He missed four games in November and early December when a hamstring injury sent him to injured reserve.

He suffered what was reported to be a “significant” toe injury Christmas Eve against the Dallas Cowboys and missed the final two regular-season games, plus Philadelphia’s divisional round win over the New York Giants. He returned for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game and had three tackles, one for a loss.

 

Tom Brady Packs It In, For Good

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TAMPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Former New England Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is retiring “for good” after 23 seasons in the NFL. Brady, 45, had announced his retirement on the same exact day (Feb. 1) last year, but reversed his decision six weeks later, claiming he had “unfinished business.”

His return to Tampa Bay came after his break-up with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, the world famous model from Brazil.

Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Brady’s final season ended in the Bucs’ 31-14 play-off defeat last month.

“I’m retiring – for good,” he said in an emotional video posted to his social media accounts. “I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first.

“It won’t be long-winded. You only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used mine up last year.

“Thank you so much to every single one of you for supporting me – my family, my friends, my team-mates, my competitors. I could go on forever – there’s too many. Thank you for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn’t change a thing. Love you all.”

 

Butker Kicks KC Chiefs to Super Bowl

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Harrison Butker kicked the Kansas City Chiefs back to the NFL Super Bowl.

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Butker made a 45-yard field goal with three seconds remaining and the Chiefs beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC Championship Game for the third time in the past four seasons on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes had 326 passing yards and two touchdowns and set up the game-winning kick on a scramble to his right with eight seconds left in the game. As he crossed the sideline, Mahomes was shoved by Joseph Ossai, resulting in a 15-yard penalty to set up Butker’s game-winning kick.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, tight end Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and Kansas City’s defense had two interceptions and five sacks of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

In a 20-20 tie, Burrow and the Bengals took over at their own 12-yard line with 2:30 to play, but defensive tackle Chris Jones’ second sack of the game forced Cincinnati to punt to rookie Skyy Moore, who caught the ball at the 18 with 35 seconds left and returned it to Kansas City’s 47.

The Bengals pounced on their first takeaway and recovered momentum in the final minute of the third quarter. From the shotgun, Mahomes faked a handoff to Isiah Pacheco but as he twisted his body to the right, he lost control of the ball. Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard came up with the ball at Kansas City’s 45.

The drive appeared to stall quickly but the Bengals went for it on fourth-and-6, and Burrow went deep for WR Ja’Marr Chase, who hauled the ball in at the 6. Two plays later, running back Samaje Perine churned into the end zone for a 2-yard score and knotted the game at 20 with 13:30 remaining.

A hobbled Mahomes operated most of the second half without multiple key receivers due to injuries. He found Valdes-Scantling one step into the center of the end zone to put the Chiefs up 20-13, hooking up on third-and-10 for a 19-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the third quarter. The 11-play drive covered 77 yards and was extended on a 7-yard connection to Valdes-Scantling on the previous third down.

Higgins hauled in 27-yard touchdown from Burrow to the tie the game at 13. On third-and-6, Burrow lofted a pass to the front, right corner of the end zone where Higgins elevated over Chiefs rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson for the score.

Three of Kansas City’s top receivers — Mecole Hardman (pelvis), Kadarius Toney (ankle) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) — exited with injuries in the first half.

Evan McPherson connected on his second field goal as time expired in the second quarter to bring the Bengals within seven points, 13-6.

Burrow was sacked four times before his fifth completion in the first half and faced constant pressure in the pocket. He was picked off three plays after the Chiefs jumped ahead 13-3 with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

On a fourth-and-1 rollout, Kelce caught his 15th career postseason TD, which tied him for second all-time with Rob Gronkowski.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia is Super Bowl Bound

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns, Haason Reddick delivered a huge performance and the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl after posting a 31-7 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

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Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown as the top-seeded Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl in five years and fourth overall. Boston Scott tacked on a rushing score while Reddick had two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Second-seeded San Francisco was left without firepower after rookie quarterback Brock Purdy injured his right elbow in the first quarter after a blow from Reddick. He later re-entered the game in the third quarter after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.

Purdy was 4-of-4 passing for 23 yards but threw just two short passes after returning despite the 49ers facing a large deficit. Johnson completed 7 of 13 passes for 74 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and one score.

Philadelphia outgained San Francisco 269 to 164. The Eagles will face either the Cincinnati Bengals or the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.

The Eagles drove 66 yards on 11 plays on their first drive with Sanders ending it with a 6-yard scoring run.

On the sixth play after San Francisco took over, Reddick slammed into Purdy’s right arm. The ball slipped out of Purdy’s hand and was knocked up field by his wrist before being recovered by Philadelphia’s Linval Joseph at the Eagles’ 44-yard line.

Johnson took over on San Francisco’s next possession when Purdy determined he couldn’t throw the ball.

The 49ers tied the game in the second quarter when McCaffrey powered his way to a 23-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles regained the lead when Sanders rumbled through a big hole on a 13-yard run with 1:36 left.

On San Francisco’s next possession, Johnson took his eyes off a shotgun snap and dropped the ball, and Reddick recovered at the 49ers’ 30. Three plays later, Scott scored on a 10-yard run to give Philadelphia a 21-7 advantage 16 seconds before halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Johnson threw an incomplete pass and hit his head on the turf after a hit from Philadelphia’s Ndamukong Suh. He exited the game. Purdy finished the drive with a handoff and then returned for San Francisco’s next offensive drive.

The 49ers went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Eagles. Philadelphia received help from a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty while driving 91 yards on 15 plays, with Hurts scoring on a 1-yard keeper to make it 28-7 with 43 seconds left in the period.

Jake Elliott added a 31-yard field goal with 5:17 left in the game.

AFC Championship: Bengals at Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – In the playoffs, there’s no passer like Patrick Mahomes at home.

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Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Bengals in the AFC Championship game Sunday in a repeat of the 2021 title game that sent Joe Burrow and Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. But there’s a significant twist.

Mahomes plans to play with a sprained right ankle and has lost three games in a row to the Bengals, including 27-24 on Dec. 4. His health and the groundswell of support for Burrow has the Chiefs as the underdog in the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ career.

Mahomes has been at his best on the big stage with 32 touchdowns (28 TD passes, four rushing) and three interceptions in 10 career home playoff starts.

The tug of war for bettors has been evident since Sunday night, when most books had the Chiefs as favorites — by 2 or 3 points — only to see the Bengals favored by 2 as a consensus by midday Monday. But with Mahomes’ status firmed up by the Chiefs and video evidence to support, the public forced a wild swing that had Kansas City favored by a point.

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Burrow, mind you, is 19-5 against the spread in his last 24 games as an underdog. Cincinnati is 9-0 in its last nine as an underdog.

As of Friday morning, the Chiefs were a 1.5-point favorite and a low money line to win outright (-118 at FanDuel). By Sunday, the spread went to (-2).

The initial sprain forced him out of the Chiefs’ divisional playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He returned to the game with limited mobility, completing 22 of 30 passes for a season-low 195 yards with two touchdowns and was not sacked.

He’s 9-3 in 12 career playoff games with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Mahomes said the injury isn’t as severe as his 2019 high ankle sprain or a toe injury two seasons ago, when he finished the season in a Super Bowl defeat at the hands of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. The difference will be in physical limitations on his right ankle and plant leg throwing from the pocket.

Cincinnati has a 10-game winning streak and its most recent loss was to Cleveland on Halloween. Burrow would tie Russell Wilson for most wins (six) by a quarterback in their first three seasons if he can knock off the Chiefs again.

“He’s got an edge to him,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Burrow. “I like that in our quarterback.”

He hasn’t been intercepted in his past three playoff games. In three starts against the Chiefs, Burrow has nine TDs (one rushing), one interception and a combined passer rating of 121.