Super Bowl LVII will go down as one of the best games in Super Bowl history, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles putting on a show for the ages. However, a defensive holding call on Eagles’ cornerback James Bradberry wiped away a potentially great finish.
On third-and-8 with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter, Patrick Mahomes threw an incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster. If the play stood, Kansas City would’ve likely settled for a go-ahead field goal with just under two minutes remaining, providing Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense with enough time to go for either a game-tying or game-winning drive.
Instead, Bradberry was called for a defensive holding after NFL officials spotted him tugging on Smith-Schuster’s jersey after he was beaten in man coverage. It provided the Chiefs with an automatic first down, allowing them to drain the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal with under 10 seconds remaining.
Related: JuJu Smith-Schuster trolls Philadelphia Eagles’ James Bradberry
The call came under immediate scrutiny, with many fans on social media blasting the referees for making that decision at a crucial moment. The original camera angle from FOX only made things worse, showing Bradberry briefly snag Smith-Schuster’s jersey.
While the call might’ve wiped out a Super Bowl LVII finish that would be remembered for decades, new footage from NFL Films shows why a flag needed to be thrown.
As stated in Article 6 of the NFL rules, Bradberry grabbed Smith-Schuster’s jersey and that move altered the timing of his route and influenced the outcome of the play. If the Eagles’ No. 2 corner didn’t commit defensive holding, Smith-Schuster gets past him and is left wide open for the game-winning touchdown.
Speaking to reporters minutes after the Super Bowl loss, Bradberry even admitted he grabbed Smith-Schuster’s jersey
“I pulled on his jersey. They called it. I was hoping they would let it ride”
Philadelphia Eagles CB James Bradberry on his defensive holding against JuJu Smith-Schuster
While some will argue that critical situations in the Super Bowl should be more physical, allowing players more freedom to play aggressively with a Lombardi Trophy on the line, NFL officials don’t operate that way. Every play is supposed to be treated the same, whether it happens on a game-winning play in the Super Bowl or on the second snap of a Week 1 contest.
NFL officiating is not better than it’s ever been, despite what commissioner Roger Goodell stated during interviews before the Super Bowl. However, it’s evident the right call was made in this specific moment and the referees weren’t the problem on Sunday.
