Super Bowl LVII: Aussie Arryn Siposs roasted by Eagles fans after punt howler
Philadelphia fans have turned on Australian punter Arryn Siposs, calling for the former AFL player’s head after his costly fourth quarter punt in Super Bowl LVII.
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Philadelphia fans have turned on Australian punter Arryn Siposs after the former St Kilda player’s meek punt in the fourth quarter proved costly as the Eagles let a Super Bowl victory slip.
On a historic day for Australians in the NFL, with fellow Aussie Jordan Mailata anchoring a dominant Eagles offensive line, Siposs’ howler helped gift Kansas City its second Super Bowl in four seasons as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs ran away with a 38-35 victory in Arizona.
Siposs and Mailata sat on the cusp of becoming the first Aussies to play in and win a Super Bowl and the 28-game ex-AFL star was part of the match-turning moment - though not in a good way.
Called to the field to punt Philadelphia out of danger while trailing 28-27 in Monday’s NFL decider, Siposs sent a 37-yard floater into the hands of Kansas City return man Kadarius Toney.
Toney caught the short punt and quickly cut across field, before weaving his way through the Eagles’ special teams unit to run out inside the 10-yard line.
To his credit, Siposs shrugged off the poor punt to chase down and tackle Toney before the end zone. However, the 65-yard return - the longest in Super Bowl history - set-up NFL MVP Mahomes to find a wide-open Skye Moore for the game-breaking Chiefs touchdown soon after.
CALLED IT. ABSOLUTELY CALLED IT.
— Wade (@PegMeDannyRic) February 13, 2023
BOTCHED THAT PUNT AND ALLOWED THAT MASSIVE RETURN.
THANK YOU SIPOSS. https://t.co/OFtwS3TX15
Philly D gave up 24 points in the 2nd half, didn’t sack a hobbled Mahomes once, Siposs with maybe the worst punt in SB history & KC scored on every possession in the 2nd half. Call at the end was soft but correct #boohoo
— Anthony Hatza (@Hatza23) February 13, 2023
That punt by Siposs was pathetic. Changed the outcome of the game. We need to upgrade at Punter
— AJ (@Aj_Marshall17) February 13, 2023
I said the same thing… why did Siposs get activated
— Phillies + Rams (@BloodyRamsHorn) February 13, 2023
Shit kick by Siposs, probably get cut for that ðŸ‘
— joeyjoey joey (@joeyjoeyjoey7) February 13, 2023
Need a punter badly in the off-season. Siposs hurt us bad
— Elijah (@elijah1248) February 13, 2023
Good to see that Aaryn Siposs lived up to the St Kilda moniker of blowing it.
— Alex Docherty (@TheAlexDocherty) February 13, 2023
siposs lost us the game
— GLYNN CADMAN (@glynn_cadman) February 13, 2023
Siposs had hoped to make history alongside Mailata as the first Australians to win a Super Bowl; instead he will be etched in NFL memory as the punter whose kick may have cost Philly its second championship.
Signed and cut by Philadelphia four times before being installed as the starter, Siposs was activated off Injured Reserve just days out from the Super Bowl and confirmed to play less than 48 hours before kickoff.
In the first quarter, the 30-year-old Victorian had opened his Super Bowl account with a 57-yard bomb to pin the Chiefs back in their own half – a perfect presentation of his punting skills.
But with the commentary team singing his praises as a former St Kilda star in the AFL, Siposs’s second punt will long haunt him.
The Eagles marched down the field and tied the game at 35-all soon after the Aussie’s howler, but Mahomes and the Chiefs had the last laugh.
Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker knocked over a simple 27-yard field goal at the death to secure the Chiefs their third Super Bowl championship.
It was a disappointing end for Siposs and Mailata, two men unwanted by their respective codes who were on the cusp of history in America.
Mailata was turned away by the NRL and briefly considered life as a labourer, before downing tools to move to the US where he went from practice squad project player to one of the best left tackles in the NFL.
From Rabbitohs outcast to prospective Super Bowl champion, the 166kg, 203cm behemoth from Bankstown anchored the best offensive line in the NFL this season.
Mailata was the man moving players with ease on Monday, allowing Eagles QB Jalen Hurts to make crucial plays.
Hurts became the first QB in history to rush for two touchdowns in the first half of a Super Bowl as the Eagles opened up a 21-14 lead at the major break, thanks in large part to the work of Mailata and the offensive line.
Chiefs defensive end Frank Clarke entered the Super Bowl as the leading sack specialist in the post-season, needing three QB takedowns to set a new NFL record.
He profiled as the second-most dangerous player behind Kansas City’s star QB Mahomes, but Clarke was almost unsighted as Mailata and co. worked the danger man into the dirt at the line of scrimmage.
The Chiefs had just 8min 6sec of possession in the first half – the second-lowest in Super Bowl history – and the Eagles looked destined to run away with the contest.
Instead, Australia will have to wait to crown its first Super Bowl-winning champion.
Jesse Williams earned a ring with Seattle in 2013, however he spent the season on IR and never played a down for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Originally published as Super Bowl LVII: Aussie Arryn Siposs roasted by Eagles fans after punt howler
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