The Kansas City Chiefs celebrating their Super Bowl win. (Photo Erick W. Rasco / Getty Images)
By Joe Curry, Staff Writer
A game that started rather slow became a nail-biter that was decided in the final minutes of overtime. Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs are on their way to solidifying themselves as one of the greatest NFL franchises of all time.
Sunday brought a game that had a lot to say not only about the future of the Chiefs but the future of football. The rally from the Chiefs earned them their second Super Bowl title in a row (the first franchise to accomplish such a feat in almost twenty years) and their third title in as little as five years. The game was also the most-viewed Super Bowl of all time. According to Forbes, it was the most-watched live TV broadcast in any category since the moon landing in 1969.
There are not many noteworthy comments to be made about the first half of the game, or even the first three quarters. Both teams remained scoreless in the first quarter and had a plethora of mistakes where the offenses didn’t do much. The 49ers picked up the first touchdown of the game thanks to a risky play call by Kyle Shannahan that saw Jauan Jennings make a pass to Christian McCaffrey for the first touchdown of the game.
The score was 10-3 at the end of the first half, in favor of the Niners. However, anyone who has been watching Mahomes’ career knows that he and the Chiefs are not afraid of a deficit. Although he threw an interception to start the second half, Mahomes and the offense did not waver. The Chiefs kicked a field goal and also scored the first touchdown of the second half with a 16-yard pass to Marquez Valdez-Scantling, giving them a 13-10 lead at the end of the third quarter.
A long drive from San Francisco resulted in a successful touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings, which made Jennings the first person since Nick Foles to throw and receive a touchdown pass in the same Super Bowl. An impressive defensive effort from the Chiefs resulted in the extra point being blocked though, and field goals from both teams brought the score to 19-19 as regulation came to an end.
The Niners took the ball to start overtime, a move that some have questioned Kyle Shannahan for, given the NFL’s newly instated overtime rule that allows both teams a chance to score. Jake Moody ended their first overtime possession with a field goal.
A skillful drive led by Patrick Mahomes allowed the Chiefs to score the winning touchdown with a three-yard pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left on the clock, making the Chiefs the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs since the Patriots did it in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. It also brings Mahomes closer to Tom Brady’s all-time record of seven Super Bowl wins.
At the age of 28, Mahomes joins Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only three-time award winners. His performance in the game was spectacular, not only thanks to his passing but also due to his 66 rushing yards that placed him with the record for most QB rushing yards in a Super Bowl win.
Fans will be watching the Chiefs next year to see what they can do, as they have set themselves up to become the first franchise to win three Super Bowls in a row and solidify their dynasty just a few years after the end of the Patriots’ run as the NFL powerhouse.
