NEW ORLEANS — The officiating was a significant storyline leading up to the Super Bowl, largely fueled by social media theories suggesting favoritism toward the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the first quarter, both teams experienced contentious calls, yet ultimately, none of these officiating decisions proved critical, as the Philadelphia Eagles outperformed their opponents, clinching a decisive 40-22 victory on Sunday night.
“I noticed a lot of chatter about the referees before the game,” remarked Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. “There were some questionable calls during the match. Will that be covered in the reports?”
The initial controversial decision arose during the game’s opening drive, where the Eagles seemed poised to convert a fourth-and-2 at midfield. Jalen Hurts completed a 32-yard pass to A.J. Brown, but a penalty was immediately thrown as Brown was accused of pulling cornerback Trent McDuffie’s facemask. Although there was some contact, officiating expert Mike Pereira expressed that this call was unwarranted.
These tight calls, which had often worked in favor of Kansas City in past playoff encounters, incited speculation and were a recurrent topic throughout the week. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous” in a Monday press conference, while the officiating union’s leader described the theories as “insulting.”
On Philadelphia’s subsequent drive, the fortune shifted, as Hurts threw an incomplete pass intended for Dallas Goedert on a crucial third-and-5 from the Kansas City 42. But officials assessed contact on Goedert’s facemask by McDuffie, leading to another penalty that Pereira criticized.
Shortly after, Hurts scored on a 1-yard rush, marking the game’s first touchdown. The Eagles also benefited from a critical penalty against Charles Omenihu for lining up in the neutral zone during another third down, nullifying a sack that would have resulted in a punt.
Notable is that this marked the first instance since the 2000 season where a team converted two fourth or third downs by way of penalty in the opening quarter of a Super Bowl.
Philadelphia was also aided by a dubious late hit call on Saquon Barkley during an incomplete pass on second-and-26, though the team ultimately did not capitalize on this opportunity to score.
In the end, the penalty tally concluded with Kansas City receiving seven penalties for a total of 75 yards, while Philadelphia faced eight penalties for 59 yards. This marked the ninth straight game where the Eagles recorded fewer penalty yards than their opponents.
