Just like that, the 2022–2023 NFL season has come to an end, and the Kansas City Chiefs are the champions of Super Bowl LVII. 

The Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles with a score of 38-35 to win their third title in franchise history. 

Kickoff was at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Sunday, Feb. 12.

The Super Bowl took place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, which is home to the Arizona Cardinals.

With a capacity of 63,400, the stadium hosted fans at this once-in-a-lifetime event. 

According to NBC Sports, tickets for the game ranged anywhere from $6,291 to $35,555 on the SeatGeek website. 

If fans couldn’t be there in person, the game was broadcast on Fox and streamed on platforms such as FuboTV, Hulu, and Youtube TV.

Super Bowl Sunday

Before kickoff, “Abbott Elementary” actress Sheryl Lee Ralph sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” 

The song was originally written in 1900 as a poem by James Weldon, a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Afterward, Grammy Award winner Babyface sang “America The Beautiful.”

Lastly, country singer Chris Stapleton sang the national anthem.

The pregame festivities were made complete with a historic U.S. Navy flyover piloted by all women.  

The Chiefs won the coin toss and chose to defer, meaning they would receive the ball at the beginning of the second half. 

After the first quarter, the Chiefs and Eagles were tied at 7-7. 

In the second quarter, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes limped off the field but returned after receiving medical attention on the sideline. 

The first half ended with the Eagles up 21-14. 

(Game goes on pause for Rihanna!)

By the end of the third quarter, the Eagles were still in the lead with a score of 27-21. 

With a touchdown pass from Mahomes to Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs took their first lead of the game with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts tied it up 35-35 with his third rushing touchdown of the game.

The final seconds came down to a 27-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.

The Chiefs went up 38-35, and the Eagles were unable to respond with only eight seconds left in the game.

Therefore, the Chiefs became Super Bowl LVII champions.

Mahomes was named the Super Bowl MVP. 

Road to Super Bowl LVII

Leading up to the big game, the AFC and NFC Championship games took place on Jan. 29. 

In the NFC Championship game, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7.

With multiple quarterbacks injured, the 49ers contemplated using running back Christian McCaffrey as the quarterback for part of the game. 

The 49ers continued to play injured quarterback Brock Purdy but ultimately fell short, sending the Eagles to the Super Bowl. 

The Eagles won their first and only Super Bowl title in 2018. 

In the AFC Championship game, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. 

The Chiefs are returning to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons. 

The Chiefs have won the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, in 1970 and 2020. 

Although the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 2022, they will not be in the running for the championship title this year.

More entertainment

This year, Rihanna headlined the Apple Music Halftime Show, performing hits such as “Umbrella” and “Diamonds.” 

During her performance, many people on social media began to speculate that Rihanna was pregnant.

Rihanna’s representative later confirmed that the singer is pregnant with her second child. 

In addition to Rihanna’s 13-minute performance, the commercials provided the extra entertainment that many viewers look forward to. 

In a Dunkin Donuts commercial, Ben Affleck made an appearance with his wife, Jennifer Lopez. 

A PopCorners commercial featured characters from the television show “Breaking Bad.”

Additionally, Ben Stiller appeared in a Pepsi commercial to promote Pepsi Zero Sugar. 

Next season

Now that the season is over, teams will focus on preparing for the upcoming season by selecting new players at the 2023 NFL Draft.

This year’s NFL Draft will take place from April 27–29 in Kansas City, MO. 

According to ESPN, five teams will host international games during the 2023 NFL regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will host games in Germany, while the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars will host games in London.

Although there is usually an annual regular season NFL game held in Mexico City, there will not be one in 2023 due to renovations at Azteca Stadium. 

As the beginning of the 2023-2024 NFL season approaches, fans can anticipate for the first game to kick off on Thursday, Sep. 7.