Mike Florio reveals how NFL blamed Chiefs and Eagles players for slippery conditions in Super Bowl LVII - “Not wearing the right shoes”
One of the most controversial storylines from Super Bowl LVII that continues to linger deep in the 2023 NFL offseason is the terrible field conditions during the game. State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, played host to the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. While the stadium offers a beautiful location, the grass wasn't up to the standards.
The biggest complaint about the field during Super Bowl LVII is that the grass was extremely slick. This resulted in many players slipping and falling, unable to find their footing despite their best efforts. Many around the NFL have wondered how such a thing could happen during a sporting event of such massive proportions.
According to Mike Florio in a recent article for NBC Sports, the NFL front office has explained, or an excuse, as to why the players kept slipping during Super Bowl LVII:
"The NFL has an unofficial excuse for the situation, one that has been communicated when owners ask about it. Per a league source, the league blames the players for not wearing the right shoes. [The Eagles changed their cleats — and it didn’t seem to matter].
"The manner in which the field was torn up during the game shows that, regardless of whether the teams were able to properly adjust, the field never, ever should have been in that condition."
It's an interesting angle if the rumors are true that the NFL is directly blaming the players for simply wearing the wrong type of shoes. As Mike Florio pointed out, the Eagles even attempted to change their cleats during Super Bowl LVII, but it didn't seem to help with the major slipping issue. Regardless of whose fault it was, it clearly made a significant impact on the way the game was played.
Eagles feel disadvantaged from slick field at Super Bowl LVII
The Philadelphia Eagles had a historic 2022 NFL season in terms of applying a pass rush to opposing quarterbacks. This includes totaling 70 sacks as a team, the third-most in any season in NFL history.
The slick field at Super Bowl LVII apparently played a major role in slowing down this pass rush aimed at Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Eagles defensive lineman Brandon Graham recently discussed this issue on a Sports Take appearance:
"You need that traction to be able to get off the block and we were slipping a lot. I don't make excuses. I just know that, that's what was being talked about, us trying to get out of our own head a little bit too. I'm telling you that O-line, they got blessed, I'll say that."
While it's impossible to know how the game would have played out on a different surface, the Eagles uncharacteristically recorded zero sacks. It's also important to note that Mahomes played the game on an injured ankle.
Revisionist history would suggest that the Eagles would have likely recorded some sacks on a better field, but that doesn't necessarily mean the outcome of the game would have changed. Mahomes helped the Chiefs to an epic second-half comeback to take down Jalen Hurts' Eagles.