‘I Was Hoping They Would Let It Slide’: Eagles Cornerback Called For Controversial Holding Penalty

Hank BerrienFebruary 13, 2023

Eagles fans were furious at a critical call made against Philadelphia Eagles during the Super Bowl. However, the player who called for the penalty acknowledged that he had indeed committed the offense.

With 1:54 remaining in the game and the score tied at 35-35, the Kansas City Chiefs were sitting with a third and eight on the Eagles’ 15-yard line. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signaled for wide receiver JuJuSmith-Schuster to turn and head toward the offensive lines. Once the ball was snapped, he zigzagged toward the center of field before turning around and heading toward the sideline. Eagles cornerback James Bradberry reached out and briefly grabbed Smith-Schuster’s jersey before the two headed toward the corner of the endzone. Mahomes attempted to pass the ball over their heads, but Bradberry was flagged for holding. This gave the Chiefs an immediate first down and allowed them to run down the clock to eight seconds before they scored the game-winning field goal.

Here’s right before the jersey pull which also looks like holding too pic.twitter.com/OW5bvE1nsZ

— Pete Scantlebury (@PeteScantlebury) February 13, 2023

Huge Holding Call a href=”https://t.co/rvWkQmG5yV”>pic.twitter.com/rvWkQmG5yV

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliTSP) February 13, 2023

“The receiver went to the inside and he was attempting to release to the outside,” Carl Cheffers is the head refereehttps://www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/2/13/23597435/holding-call-super-bowl-eagles-chiefs-james-bradberry”>explained. “The defender grabbed the jersey with his right hand and restricted him from releasing to the outside. So, therefore, we called defensive holding.”

“It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide,” Bradberry The game was over. Nick Sirianni, Eagles head coach, denied that the call was responsible for the game’s defeat. “It always appears to be one call. … That is not what it is. So many teams contribute to the result of the game. Today they were better.”

However, some ex-NFL players claimed that while the call was technically correct they made a mistake in the timing and place.

Dwight Freeney was a former NFL Pro Bowler. “They have been making that type of contact with receivers the entire game and there hasn’t been a call… then you wait till that moment to call PI is tough.”

They have been making that type of contact with receivers the entire game and there hasn’t been a call… then you wait till that moment to call PI is tough

— Dwight Freeney (@dwightfreeney) February 13, 2023

Pat McAfee was a former NFL punter The harshest criticisms The call, declaring: “That ref making that holding call at that time at that stage at that game? Super Bowl? Huh? Huh? That wins the game. Game over. Kneel it out. Kick a field goal. You got six seconds left on the whole f***ing clock? It’s over. There’s a chance that Butker makes his field goal, then Eagles are available to move, they’ve scored 35 points doing everything, they go down, they kick a field goal, obviously we have an overtime.”

“What I need to say is, hey refs, can’t f***ing call that there. Okay?” McAfee did not stop there. “It’s not about you. Now was there a hold? I guess. If you stop and go frame by frame, he had his hands on him, but nonetheless, at that stage? Come on! We were robbed of a potential overtime game in the Super Bowl!”