New Analysis Shows That Terrible Super Bowl Field Conditions Hurt The Eagles More Than The Chiefs

New Analysis Shows that Terrible Super Bowl Field Conditions Hurt The Eagles More Than The Chiefs

Getty Image / Adam Bow


Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was an instant classic. The Chiefs won on a Harrison Butker field goal with under 10 seconds remaining, 38-35.

It had all you can ask for in a big football game. There were multiple lead changes, great individual efforts, and a dramatic, yet controversial finish.

But, there was one big problem. The playing surface was terrible. Players for both teams were slipping and falling down all game, and while it’s hard to point to a particular instance that completely changed the game, it’s fair to say that the game could have been much different had it not been so slippery.

So, Ollie Connelly of The Guardian charted all the slips on the field and found it affected the Eagles more than the Chiefs.

Watching the game, it seemed to hurt the Eagles more. The team relies on its pass rush to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But, they rarely pressured Patrick Mahomes, and never sacked him. The slippery field clearly affected their get-off. Though, I do wonder why Chiefs players were slipping less than the Eagles.

The NFL is going to have to answer questions about the field for a long time it seems like.