Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, breaking a 24-year curse as he led his team to victory over Philadelphia on Monday morning.
Not since Kurt Warner in 1999 has NFL MVP so much Super Bowl glory that same year, that Mahomes overcame an injury to lead his team to a 38-35 victory in Arizona.
Significantly, Mahomes primarily played the second half on one leg after aggravating the ankle problem that had plagued him in this Finals series.
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Chiefs fans were sweating over Mahomes’ fitness after he limped off the field late in the second quarter.
But described by his coach Andy Reed as “close to Superman,” Mahomes simply went to work in the second half as he overcame a 10-point deficit thanks to his sheer accuracy.
The Chiefs only had four plays in the second half – all leading to a scoring run with three touchdowns and a matching field goal with 11 seconds remaining.
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“What can you say? No. 15 went to work in the second half. It was perfect,” said ESPN’s Louis Reddick.
It was the picture of efficiency.
Everyone said the only way Kansas City could win this game was if the number 15 was magical. In the second half – magical.
“He’s the best player for a reason. That doesn’t take anything away from (Eagles QB) Jalen Hurts who played his absolute tail.”
ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky was left in awe of Mahomes’ dominance in the second half.
He said, “He’s out after 10 minutes, but after 10 minutes, he’s up — just like that, without throwing a drop.”
“Patrick was amazing.
TThey scored 38 points and had 340 yards of offense – they lasted 24 minutes!
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“There was no room for error for them and there never was.”
Mahomes’ stats in the second half showed him completing 12/13 as he remained “calm and in control”.
“They didn’t change football once,” ESPN’s Steve Levy praised.
Mahomes spoke after claiming the Super Bowl MVP, brushing off injury concerns.
“I told you this week, there’s nothing to stop me from getting off this football field,” he said, to big cheers.
“When you have those high ankle sprains, you always aggravate them.”
After capturing his team’s second Super Bowl title in just four years, Mahomes told fans, “We’re not done yet.”
He said, “This is different hits.”
“You appreciate the hard work it took to get here.”
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Chiefs star Orlando Brown called his QB “special.”
“Pat stands here as the MVP, as the Super Bowl champion—it’s the work we put in,” he said.
“He’s got the heart of a warrior…we’re here for a reason, he’s the best in the world for a reason.”
