Patrick Mahomes ends decades-long Super Bowl jinx as Chiefs defeat Eagles

Patrick Mahomes overcame a 23-year jinx to lead his Kansas City Chiefs to a stunning comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII.

The Chiefs overturned a 24-14 deficit from half-time in order to claim their second NFL title in four seasons. Thanks to a late field goal, Kansas City beat the Eagles 38-35.

Despite Mahomes’ ankle proving a hindrance, the league’s best quarterback played a beautifully composed game. The bulk of the Chiefs’ offense came in the second half, where Philly’s previously stingy defense could not stop Kansas City.

He finished the game with 21/27 passes completed for 182 Yds, including throwing for three touchdowns. Mahomes’ masterful display and leadership earned him his second Super Bowl MVP, too.

One of the most thrilling Super Bowls of all time also went against the grain of history. By winning his second Super Bowl ring, Patrick Mahomes managed to break some long-standing NFL jinxes.

Patrick Mahomes ends MVP – Super Bowl “curse”

The Chiefs QB became the first regular-season MVP to win the Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999. The (then) St Louis Rams’ QB led “the greatest show on turf” to victory at Super Bowl XXXIV after claiming regular-season MVP Honours in 1999, too.

However, since Warner, no other MVP has gone on to win a ring in the same year – until Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night. So, the NFL’s brightest star managed to break a curse that nine previous MVPs had fallen victim to.

Two years after his triumph in ’99, the jinx got the better of Kurt Warner in 2001, when his Rams lost to the Patriots. In the following season, Rich Gannon won MVP but also came up short in the Super Bowl.

Three years later, in 2005, the curse got to Shaun Alexander. The MVP-winning running back, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, lost the showpiece game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Additionally, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have both suffered the MVP “curse” twice. Brady lost Super Bowls in 2007 and 2017 after winning the award, meanwhile, Manning suffered defeat in 2009 and 2013.

Brady’s loss to the Eagles in 2017 was the most recent instance of the jinx. However, Matt Ryan (2016) and Cam Newton (2015) meant that it was on a three-year hot streak during the 2010s.

Patrick Mahomes has finally brought the trend to an end, though. He also earned a piece of league history at Super Bowl LVII.

Mahomes completes NFL first

Thanks to the Chiefs’ incredible win, Patrick Mahomes is the first QB to ever win the Super Bowl and lead the league in passing yards in the same season.

Kansas City’s field general led the NFL in 2022 with a massive 5250 yards through the air. Additionally, he tallied a league-best 41 passing touchdowns in the regular season, too.

But, once again, Mahomes managed to buck the trend of passing leaders failing at the big game. Prior to KC’s 38-35 win, six QBs who led the league in yards through the air came up short in the Super Bowl. Every other season’s passing leader hadn’t even reached the big game.

The 2022 MVP, therefore, claims a first in NFL history to add to his already glittering resume. Considering he is still just 27 years old, we may see Patrick Mahomes lift the Lombardi a few more times before he calls it quits.

Featured image credit: Getty