The focus across the NFL may be on the upcoming season, but Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith can't help but look back to February's Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs produced another incredible comeback in the big game thanks to Patrick Mahomes, as the Eagles lost 38-35 despite leading by 10 points at halftime. The fourth quarter produced many memorable moments as the momentum swung in favour of the Chiefs, but Smith can't help but reflect on a personal mistake.
With 5:46 left on the clock, the Eagles trailed 35-27 and quarterback Jalen Hurts stepped back and fired a dime to Smith who found himself wide open on the left sideline. Smith sprinted towards the end zone but lost his footing when making the catch and stepped out of bounds.
The Eagles gained 45 yards in this play, and Hurts rushed into the end zone anyway, before taking it upon himself to score a two-point conversion to tie the game. Even though the Eagles still scored on that drive, Smith feels partly responsible for their loss as his mistake cost them valuable time.
Smith was asked about the Super Bowl defeat, and what he'd do if he had the power to change one moment from the game. "The last catch I had," Smith told Fox News Digital. "If I went ahead and scored, we would’ve had more time when we had the ball on the last possession to go do some things that we needed to do."
The Eagles lost after Harrison Butker successfully converted his field goal attempt as the clock ticked down to zero, and the NFC champions were devastated as they rued multiple mistakes. Smith's clumsy footing was one of them, but James Bradberry made a costly error which essentially handed the Chiefs victory.
With 1:54 left in the fourth quarter the Chiefs were desperate on third down as they looked to get within field goal range. A completion would've offered them the chance to kick for the win, but a miss would've seen them punt and allow the Eagles one final drive before overtime.
James Bradberry's hold wrapped up the Super Bowl and allowed Kansas City Chiefs to win (2023 Getty Images)Mahomes' pass was incomplete and Eagles fans erupted, that was until a flag was thrown onto the field. Officials hit Bradberry with a hold on Juju Smith-Schuster, and the Chiefs not only moved into range, they had a fresh set of downs. They ran down the clock and Butker kicked for the win, although to his credit Bradberry did admit that he was caught red-handed.
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"I pulled on his jersey. They called it. I was hoping they would let it ride," he said. The season may be over, but Smith is hopeful for the next campaign as the Eagles plan to build on their close run. "Every year’s different. We can’t sit up here and bank on what we did," he added. "It’s a new year, new team.
"No team is ever the same the following year, so we have to put things together the right way and try to get back to where we were and finish it the right way. We have to build on what we did, and continue to do things the right way. We do things how we did last year, and do it even better, I think we’ll get to where we want to be."
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