Ex-NFL HC Mike Smith lauds Chiefs' special teams for leading charge in Super Bowl LVII

The Kansas City Chiefs are basking in the glory of their Super Bowl LVII win against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is their second triumph in four years after waiting 50 years between championships. They have a phenomenal quarterback and coach with the right pieces of the jigsaw alongside him.

However, the credit for the victory belongs to all members of the team and not just the offense. Former NFL coach Mike Smith highlighted the role special teams played in the game.

The punt return by Kadarius Toney to the five-yard line gave them seven points and saved time on the clock for their final onslaught. The 65-yard return was the largest in Super Bowl history. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda's "The BallFather Podcast," he said:

"It was a textbook second half, not only on the offensive side, but for what they were able to do in special teams. There was that unbelievable punt return from Kadarius Toney. The Eagles didn't cover it quite well; they were kind of out of their lanes, and he was able to think, changed his direction and man; it was just as good as being a touchdown.

When you ... change field position like that, in a ballgame, even if it's not a touchdown, when you give them first and goal inside the five yard line, it's tough to stop. It's tough to stop those."

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Mike Smith credits offensive adjustments for Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII triumph

At half-time of Super Bowl LVII, the score was 24-14 in favor of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes was limping on his injured ankle.

Andy Reid did an outstanding job in the second half to refocus on the running game and not panicking. That allowed a comeback, which saw them take the lead before they eventually triumphed. Coach Smith said:

"Hats off to the adjustments that the Chiefs made. I think Andy did a really good job at halftime getting his team to refocus. That was obviously something that they weren't afraid to say: 'hey, we're going to be able to go out and still run the ball. We're not going to have to throw it 35 times in the second half.' They were handing it off to Pacheco, who's an outstanding running back. They weren't too worried about it."

As the winningest coach in Atlanta Falcons history, Mike Smith knows good coaching when he sees it. He highlighted that every member, whether offensive, defensive or special teams, came together to make the Super Bowl LVII victory possible for the Kansas City Chiefs.