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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbles the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said his team will turn the pain of defeat into “strength” after losing against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
It was the smallest of margins that ultimately condemned the Eagles to the 38-35 loss at State Farm Stadium in Arizona – a controversial holding call against cornerback James Bradberry with around 90 seconds left to play.
That allowed the Chiefs and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes to run down the clock before Harrison Butker kicked the go-ahead field goal.
Soon after, Sirianni had to find the words to console his heartbroken players.
“I just reminded them that all the things we’ve been through in our lives was something that was adversity,” he told reporters. “We’ll overcome this too.
“The type of guys that we have in there – we will use this to motivate us. We will use this pain – will use this failure – to motivate us so we can make it a strength.”
Philadelphia was aiming to win its second Super Bowl after winning its first championship against the New England Patriots five years ago.
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Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters after the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl defeat.
Sunday’s thrilling conclusion to the NFL season saw the league’s two standout teams go toe-to-toe, though it was the Eagles who dominated for much of the game.
They held a 10-point lead in the third quarter and a six-point lead in the fourth, only for an injury-stricken Mahomes to find Kadarius Toney with a touchdown pass with 12 minutes remaining to put the Chiefs in front for the first time.
Moments later, after Toney had produced the longest punt return in Super Bowl history, Mahomes delivered once again to find Skyy Moore with a touchdown pass.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who produced an outstanding display in what was his first Super Bowl appearance, tied the game with a record-breaking third rushing touchdown of the night.
But Chiefs kicker Butker had the final say when he made the winning 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.
On top of his three rushing touchdowns, the 24-year-old Hurts also passed for one score and completed 27 of his 38 passes for 304 yards.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12. The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is dunked with Gatorade after the win.
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Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts reacts after the game.
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Confetti falls after the final whistle.
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Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce embraces his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, during the postgame celebrations. This was the first Super Bowl in history where two brothers played on opposite teams.
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Mahomes celebrates at the end of the game.
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Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicks what proved to be the game-winning field goal.
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A pass soars over the head of Kansas City wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster late in the fourth quarter. Eagles cornerback James Bradberry
was called for holding on the play, setting up the Chiefs' game-winning field goal.
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Hurts scores a two-point conversion to tie the game at 35-35 in the fourth quarter. Hurts finished the game with three rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.
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Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore runs in for a touchdown that gave Kansas City a 34-27 lead in the fourth quarter.
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The Chiefs' Kadarius Toney returned a punt for a Super Bowl-record 65 yards during the fourth quarter. Moore caught his touchdown soon after.
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Mahomes celebrates with Toney after they connected on a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. After the extra point, the Chiefs had their first lead of the game, 28-27.
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Toney eases into the end zone on his touchdown.
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An Eagles fan watches the game in the second half.
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Hurts hands off to running back Kenneth Gainwell in the second half.
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Mahomes is hit by Jordan Davis on a pass play in the third quarter.
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Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni gestures during the second half.
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Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco runs for a 1-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
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Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert pulls in a pass late in the first half. Philadelphia led 24-14 at halftime.
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Mahomes reacts on the bench after he appeared to aggravate an ankle injury near the end of the first half. He came back, however, for the start of the second half.
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Mahomes was in pain after this tackle by T.J. Edwards.
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Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith tries to bring in a pass late in the first half. The officials reviewed the play and ruled that it was not a catch.
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Hurts runs for a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It was Hurts' second rushing touchdown of the first half, and the Eagles led 21-14 after the extra point.
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Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (No. 32) chases down a Hurts fumble, which he ran back for a 36-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
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Hurts throws a pass in the second quarter.
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Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches a 45-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.
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Butker missed a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first half. It bounced off the left upright.
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Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is seen in the second quarter.
Abbie Parr/AP
Travis Kelce catches an 18-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. After the extra point, the game was tied 7-7.
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Kelce celebrates with JuJu Smith-Schuster after the touchdown.
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Fans watch the action during the first quarter.
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Mahomes rolls out of the pocket on his team's opening drive.
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Hurts scores on a quarterback sneak to give the Eagles an early lead.
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Donna Kelce, the mother of Travis and Jason Kelce, wears a jacket showing support for both of her sons' teams.
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The Chiefs take the field before the game.
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Mahomes gets fired up before the game.
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Buffalo Bills safety
Damar Hamlin walks on the sidelines before kickoff. Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during a game against Cincinnati on January 2.
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The Eagles take the field.
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An Eagles fan with a cheesesteak hat gestures at the camera during pregame warmups.
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Sheryl Lee Ralph performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before the game.
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Fans watch teams warm up for the game.
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Hurts runs onto the field for warmups.
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Chiefs fans in Kansas City gather before a Super Bowl watch party in the Power and Light entertainment district.
“Jalen played the best game I’ve seen him play in the two years we’ve been together,” said Sirianni.
“I really thought he was in complete control. He did things with his legs in the run game, he did things with his arm in the pass game, made some unbelievable throws, unbelievable reads. I thought he played outstanding.”
Perhaps the only blemish in Hurts’ performance was a fumble in the second quarter which allowed Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton to run in for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
Hurts, to his credit, responded almost immediately to give his team the lead at halftime.
“I always hold myself to a very high standard in everything that I do,” Hurts told reporters when asked about the turnover. “I try and control the things that I can … It did hurt us.
“You look back and you are going to reflect on the things that maybe you could have done something more. Maybe you could have tried to do something to change the outcome of the game. That’s the way it was.”
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Hurts (center) has enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season with Philadelphia, despite Super Bowl defeat.
Like Sirianni, he is determined to be motivated by the defeat.
“It is a tough feeling to come up short, it is a very tough feeling. But I know the only direction is to rise and that will be the mentality going forward,” Hurts added.
“Look yourself in the mirror and be able to learn from everything. You either win or you learn.”
Little chance, then, that Hurts and the Eagles, who will likely be a new-look team next season, will spend time dwelling on the fumble, nor on the crucial holding call against Bradberry.
Despite the painful loss, this was, thanks to Hurts, the most points scored by a losing team in Super Bowl history.
“I don’t think we know what Jalen’s ceiling is,” said Sirianni. “He left it all out there. He led us to 35 points. I told him I was happy for him.”