James Bradberry of the Philadelphia Eagles is called on to hold against JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
No one can dispute the fact that NFL officials have been under intense scrutiny this season, none like the crucial call that was lobbed toward the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
On Sunday night, Casey’s breathtaking 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII didn’t seem to work, at least until the game-winning drive. Then Chiefs cornerback James Bradberry was flagged for holding receiver Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster on a third-and-8 incomplete pass, which was overrun by Patrick Mahomes in the end zone.
The penalty gave the Chiefs a first down, allowing them to run out most of the remaining clock before Harrison Booker’s 27-yard, game-winning field goal clinched KC’s second Super Bowl victory in four years.
Clearly, it was an anti-climactic end to a great game. Eagles fans are furious that quarterback Jalen Hurts, who made a stellar play outside of a costly fumble by KC linebacker Nick Bolton for a scoop-and-score, had no real opportunity to tie or win the game .
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But any narrative that suggests or flat out argues that it cost the Eagles the game is completely wrong.
While the Chiefs may have been the beneficiaries of highly questionable decisions by the men in stripes against Cincinnati, there was nothing remotely questionable about the Bradberry call. Unless you’re one of those people who believes officials should leave flags in their pockets at game-deciding moments, that’s a ridiculous thought.
Officials are paid to make decisions on every play, whether that means calling a penalty or setting a flag that isn’t necessary.
Kansas City and Philadelphia were penalized a combined nine times for 47 yards, tied for the second-fewest yardage in 11 postseason games.
Six of those penalties were pre-snap violations, so it’s not like referee Karl Schaefer’s crew was flag-happy after the ball was in play. However, since Bradberry was penalized at a crucial time and unleashed a lot of game-ending drama, the decision became a topic of discussion in the media and on social media, but that doesn’t mean it was the wrong call.
Schafers told a pool reporter after the game that it was “a clear case of jersey grabbing that led to the ban,” which hindered Smith-Schuster from an opportunity to come off his break near the line of scrimmage. Earlier in the game, a clear Jersey was caught over the middle by Eagles’ cornerback Avonte Maddox on a third-down Casey incompletion. This time the officers did not miss.
Replays showed Bradberry put his right hand, then his left, on Smith-Schuster to slow him down as he came out of the break. The Eagles’ cornerback undeniably gave the officials a reason to throw the flag.
“The receiver went in and he was trying to go out,” Schafers said. “The defender grabbed the jersey with his right hand and prevented him from releasing it outside. Hence, we called the defensive catch.
If that explanation does nothing to assuage the outrage of Eagles fans, how come Bradberry admitted he fined Smith-Schuster?
“It was holding,” Bradberry said in the postgame interview. “I pulled his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slip.
Seriously, how often do you see a player flagged for a controversial, game-impacting penalty in a big game that they were guilty of? like never.
The offending player will either shout about the penalty being imposed, perhaps shake his head and say nothing to avoid the penalty being imposed, or politely disagree in a diplomatic manner.
But no one in that situation ever admits to holding out and admits he pulled on the jersey, corroborating what the referee told the pool reporter. They usually choose several ways to suggest their team to loot.
So put any resentment over the penalty flags that put this Super Bowl on the shelf. It’s a completely bogus narrative, one largely rooted in fan desperation to see if Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts can lead a game-tying or game-winning drive.
The truth is that Philadelphia lost the game in many other ways. Most notably giving up a defensive touchdown, Kadarius Toney’s 65-yard punt return that set up another TD to extend the Chiefs’ lead to 35–27, and the NFL’s best pass rush (78 sacks including playoffs) Never put an ankle – Mahomes screwed on the ground.
Yes, the Eagles had more total yards, dominated time of possession and were a spectacular 13-of-20 on third/fourth downs. But a costly turnover, a huge special-teams play and Mahomes being a second-half wizard more than offset all the good things Philly did to give themselves a shot at winning the game.
Kansas City hoisted another Lombardi trophy because it was the better team in clutch moments. The Eagles had lost the game long before the last penalty flag hit the ground.
To believe otherwise is to deny reality.
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This article was originally published in the Florida Times-Union: Controversial penalty call long before Eagles lost Super Bowl to Casey
