ESPN Graphic Featuring Jalen Hurts Poorly Received
In a somewhat anticlimactic end to a classic Super Bowl 57, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. This eventuated from a controversial holding call which allowed Kansas City to wind down the clock and kick a field goal while leaving Philadelphia with virtually no time on the clock.
An ESPN graphic posted to Twitter has been negatively received. The graphic, captioned "Patrick Mahomes Did That," appears to depict the Chiefs' quarterback stepping over the Eagles' signal caller, former Alabama standout Jalen Hurts.
Hurts had one of the best quarterback performances in Super Bowl history in defeat. He had 304 passing yards and three rushing scores, which set a record for quarterbacks in the big game.
A number of users replied with a popular photoshopped image of Mahomes swapping jerseys with an official. Various iterations of referee-based memes have been making the rounds on social media platforms in the game's immediate aftermath. Others elected to share more candid thoughts.
"Hurts outplayed [Mahomes] in every way," one user said.
"This might be a top 5 worst graphic of all time," another added.
"This picture is disrespectful to Jalen Hurts, who played a heck of a game. You have presented it as Mahomes was far superior, which is simply untrue. Give respect to Hurts putting together a fantastic performance," said a third. Another user simply put "Disgusting tweet."
Hurts's breakout year was one of the better stories in the NFL this season. The third-year man was an MVP candidate and posted 3,701 yards passing with 22 touchdowns during the regular season.