Did Eagles get robbed with late Super Bowl penalty? Not if you ask the man who committed it.
win the Super Bowl, 38-35.
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OPINION: Philadelphia Eagles collapse in second half, costing themselves Super Bowl 57
Why did fans call Super Bowl #rigged?
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.
Travis and Jason Kelce hug after Super Bowl 57, embrace mom DonnaSuper Bowl 57 is the Blackest, most woke Super Bowl ever. Sorry haters!
Instant backlash for Super Bowl referees
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.