Patrick Mahomes vanquished Brock Purdy as the Chiefs beat the 49ers 25-22 in overtime, securing back-to-back Super Bowl victories for the NFL’s newest dynasty
There were many narratives surrounding the game, including the fanfare surrounding Taylor Swift, but it was ultimately the players on the field that shined the brightest at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
The first half was dominated by strong defense as both sides struggled to score. San Francisco needed a trick play to beat the Chiefs’ defense to make the game 10-0 with 4:23 left before halftime. Jauan Jennings became only the second player in Super Bowl history to both catch and throw a touchdown pass, joining Nick Foles in the exclusive group. The Chiefs scored a touchdown and extra point as the first half ended.
During the second half, both teams scored, bringing the scoreboard to 19-19 with a last second field goal from the Chiefs to take the game into overtime. Steve Spagnuolo, Kansas City’s defensive coordinator, stymied the 49ers potent offense, and Patrick Mahomes continued his magical career with a clutch drive to send the game to OT.
This was the first playoff game to feature the new NFL overtime rules, adding another 15-minute period if the standard game ends in a tie. According to the NFL Operations website, this allows for both teams to have at least one possession with three timeouts each, and play will continue until one team comes out on top. Much debate ensued postgame around strategy when it comes to overtime. As opposed to kicking off in overtime, the 49ers chose to get the ball first, a strategy that proved to be their doom.
The Niners offense could only muster a field goal after getting stopped by the Chiefs. Mahomes received the ball with about seven minutes of play left. Finally, with three seconds left on the clock, the Chiefs scored a touchdown, securing them the win.
With the Super Bowl victory, the Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back titles since the 2003-04 New England Patriots. Patrick Mahomes is now 17-14 in games his team trails by double-digits. All other quarterbacks throughout NFL history are 224-1202-5. He won his third Super Bowl MVP award, joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana in that record statistic. Mahomes is only 28 years old, and already has a Hall of Fame resume.
CBS showed Taylor Swift, girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, watching and cheering numerous times throughout the game from her box in the stadium. There was a lot of conversation surrounding her appearance at the game and their relationship, including numerous questions made to Kelce by reporters about a ring – but not the Superbowl Championship ring.
Before the game, Samford junior Noah Stone, spoke on Swift’s prevalence at the game due to her relationship with Kelce.
“It’s [the game] completely scripted towards the Chiefs, because of Taylor Swift,” he said.
The Superbowl would not be complete without a halftime show, and this year Usher took the stage. He performed some of his greatest hits, with appearances by Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
With the NFL season over, fans will have to wait until September 5, 2024, when the Kansas City Chiefs will host the NFL Kickoff Game against a team to be announced.
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