Jerick McKinnon Cemented Chiefs' Super Bowl Win By Not Scoring Touchdown

After the Kansas City Chiefs were gifted a first down thanks to a questionable defensive holding call with less than two minutes to go in Super Bowl LVII, the game was essentially won. The Philadelphia Eagles had no timeouts and with 1:54 left the Chiefs could run the clock down at their leisure before kicking the game-winning field goal.

However, they still had to run plays to get the clock moving so on first down they handed the ball off to Jerick McKinnon. The Eagles' defense, either deflated or trying to trick McKinnon into giving them a chance, let the running back waltz up to the goal line.

Instead of scoring a touchdown to put the Chiefs up 42-35, McKinnon knelt down at the two-yard line. This sealed the Chiefs' victory.

Why was that play so important? If McKinnon scores there, the Eagles get the ball back with more than 90 seconds to go and down by a touchdown. It is difficult but not impossible to march down the field and score a game-tying touchdown in that timespan. Instead, by kneeling down, McKinnon allowed the Chiefs to bleed the clock down to eight seconds before Harrison Butker hit the game-winner.

It is tremendous situation awareness by McKinnon. How many other running backs would have taken their chance at scoring a Super Bowl touchdown? Most, I would guess. But he kept his head and gets a ring as a result.

Patrick Mahomes won MVP but McKinnon had the play of the game.

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