Legacy Play

As the confetti fell and the Kansas City Chiefs lifted the Lombardi trophy, Super Bowl 2023-2024 proved to be everything we hoped for and more. The game was packed with drama, big plays, and storylines that will keep us talking for years. But what were the factors of the Super Bowl that made it so interesting, and what conclusions can we gain from it? Welcome to the first Legacy Play Super Bowl review!

MVP

Jauan Jennings

Although the Chiefs won and Patrick Mahomes performed outstandingly, I believe that the real Super Bowl MVP was Juan Jennings of the 49ers. Too often we give these individual awards to players who are only part of the winning team, and I think that was the case in this year’s Super Bowl. Jennings was outstanding. He had 4 catches on 5 targets for 42 yards, coupled with key blocks that were key for the 49ers to stay in the game offensively. He had both a passing and receiving touchdown, becoming only the second player ever to achieve this feat, which goes to show how integral he was in the 49ers offense.

BEST MOMENT

Walk-off TD in Overtime to Win

When it comes to dramatic ways to win an NFL game, let alone a Super Bowl, scoring a walk-off TD in overtime has to be the best. From the confusing decision of the 49ers to take the ball first to Mahomes drive to the end zone and eventual pinpoint pass to the most unlikely hero, Mecole Hardman. An incredible drive by Mahomes, cementing his place among the greats and making the GOAT debate even more contested. To this day, 49er fans are still kicking themselves over taking the ball first, which gave Mahomes the chance to win it all.

WORST MOMENT

Dre Greenlaw

The NFL always has a huge risk for injury considering its high-impact nature, but to get an injury that rules you out from playing the remainder of the Super Bowl due to you running onto the field is arguably the most soul-crushing way to get injured. Spare a thought for Dre Greenlaw, who, upon running onto the pitch after a punt, badly injured his Achilles and was ruled out of the remainder of the game. Imagine all the preparation he must have gone through to get ready for the game, only to then get injured 12 plays into the game. Then he was forced to watch his teammates lose the game. Football can be a cruel sport.

HALF TIME SHOW: HIT OR MISS?

Miss

To be honest, after Rihanna’s halftime show the year before, pretty much everything was going to be a disappointment. As much as I like Usher, the performance was not good. The problem with his show was that, as good as he is, he does not have enough songs that are universally known. This led to the crowd zoning out for most of the performance apart from when Ludacris came onto the stage. The performance itself was not great, and there was pretty much no spectacle associated with it, which is key to a good halftime show. Note to future halftime show organizers, you need to use someone who has a huge amount of universally known songs, like Drake or Beyoncé.