Eagles' Nick Sirianni on Bradberry Holding Penalty: 'Not My Job to Make the Call'
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took the high road when asked about a late defensive holding penalty against cornerback James Bradberry that eventually led to the Kansas City Chiefs' 38-35 win in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.
The Chiefs faced a 3rd-and-8 from the Eagles' 15-yard line with 1:54 remaining when quarterback Patrick Mahomes tossed a pass to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The pass fell incomplete, but Eagles cornerback James Bradberry was called for a hold.
Without the penalty, the Chiefs would have left about 1:50 left on the clock after a field-goal attempt, giving the Eagles ample time to tie the game or take the lead.
Instead, the penalty gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs and the chance to nearly run the clock out entirely. Harrison Butker's field goal gave the Chiefs a 38-35 edge with eight seconds left. A last-ditch Eagles Hail Mary attempt then fell incomplete.
Bradberry admitted after the game that he did tug on Smith-Schuster's jersey:
Smith-Schuster was in agreement:
Ultimately, the Eagles' loss didn't come down to one call or player. Philadelphia held a 24-14 halftime lead and could not hold on as all three phases struggled in the second half.
The defense allowed 24 points. Special teams allowed a massive Kadarius Toney punt return to set up a Skyy Moore touchdown. The offense had an untimely three-and-out in between Chief touchdowns.
In the end, the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in four years, but this was still a great season for the Eagles, which have a very bright future with quarterback Jalen Hurts in charge.
