The Philadelphia Eagles ultimately fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, but while so much of the talk is on the holding call on James Bradberry at the end of the game — a call Bradberry himself has admitted was correct — we shouldn’t lose sight of Jalen Hurts’ outstanding performance.
The Eagles quarterback delivered arguably the best Super Bowl performance by a losing quarterback in the past 22 years, and if not for one really bad — and also particularly unlucky — play, he might be waking up today as the Super Bowl MVP.
Hurts finished the game with five big-time throws, tied for the second-most in a Super Bowl since the 2001 season (we have full-season grades for 2006 onward, but we have graded every Super Bowl since 2001). His 92.9 passing grade was the best mark ever earned by a quarterback in that span.
Highest PFF passing grades in the Super Bowl (2001-2022)
| Rank | Name | Season | PFF passing grade |
| 1 | Jalen Hurts | 2022 | 92.9 |
| 2 | Aaron Rodgers | 2010 | 91.7 |
| 3 | Eli Manning | 2011 | 91.1 |
| 4 | Nick Foles | 2017 | 90.7 |
| 5 | Russell Wilson | 2013 | 90.3 |
| 6 | Joe Flacco | 2012 | 86.5 |
| 7 | Drew Brees | 2009 | 83.9 |
| 8 | Ben Roethlisberger | 2008 | 83.9 |
| 9 | Tom Brady | 2017 | 83.1 |
| 10 | Eli Manning | 2007 | 81.4 |
From dimes downfield to throws threaded between defenders, this was exactly the type of game critics thought Hurts wasn’t capable of as a passer, and he did all while breaking records as a runner.
His 70 rushing yards and three scores were both Super Bowl records for a quarterback; 45 of those yards came after contact, and 10 of his 15 carries went for a first down or touchdown.
Complete or incomplete… Jalen Hurts is out here throwing dimes ????
pic.twitter.com/wb3MXP97U4— PFF (@PFF) February 13, 2023
But it was also on a run play that Hurts had the biggest negative of the night, one that ultimately made the difference between the Chiefs needing to kick the field goal rather than score a touchdown at the end of the game.
Facing a third-and-9 with 9:48 left in the second quarter, Hurts dropped the ball while trying to avoid linebacker Nick Bolton on a QB draw.
That was the bad part. The luck part came when the ball ricocheted off of his right foot, bouncing up in the air for an easy scoop-and-score for Bolton.
CHIEFS TIE IT BACK UP WITH A SCOOP AND SCORE
????: #SBLVII on FOX
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/3uHVnyCwfW— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
Had that play not happened, the Eagles very well might have gone on to score on that drive and make the comeback even tougher for the Chiefs. Instead, it allowed the Chiefs back into the game, giving Patrick Mahomes the opportunity to do Patrick Mahomes things and produce a 90.4 PFF grade in the second half to steal the game — and a Super Bowl MVP — away from Hurts.
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