A costly holding call against the Eagles late in Super Bowl LVII evoked quite a reaction from NFL fans on social media, as the Chiefs capitalized on the opportunity to pull out a 38–35 victory in Glendale.
With the game tied, 35-35, with just under two minutes remaining, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked to convert on a third-and-8 with a pass attempt to receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Initially, the play appeared to end with an incompletion after the ball sailed over Smith-Schuster’s head with Eagles cornerback James Bradberry in coverage.
However, the situation quickly turned dire for Philadelphia after the officials threw a penalty flag on Bradberry for defensive holding. The huge call gave the Chiefs a first down and allowed them to run the clock down, setting up kicker Harrison Butker for a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation to seal the win.
Given the timing and circumstances surrounding the penalty, several fans and NFL players—past and present—took to Twitter to debate whether or not the flag should’ve been thrown. And while those debates will likely rage on in the days and weeks to come, Sunday night’s result will forever be remembered as victory that brought Kansas City its second Super Bowl in four seasons.
