The Kansas City Chiefs won their third Super Bowl title in five years and became the first back-to-back NFL champions in almost 20 years on Sunday. It didn’t come easy however, as the team was forced into overtime by the San Francisco 49ers but eventually came through, 25-22.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had the game-winning pass with a three-yard toss to Mecole Hardman to seal the victory. Mahomes finished the game with 34 completions on 46 attempts with two touchdowns and an interception.
After the game, Mahomes was named the Super Bowl MVP, his second in a row. This was the first time since Terry Bradshaw in 1979/1980 that a player had won back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs.
At just 28, Mahomes becomes the sixth quarterback in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls. The only comparable player at this stage of their career is Tom Brady, who had three Super Bowl wins by the age of 30. Based on Mahomes form, there is no telling how many rings he way have by the end of his career
The 34-year-old Travis Kelce had a rough first half but made some crucial plays in the second to help his team to the win. He ended with 93 yards in total on 9 catches.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman also had a stand out game. He had the second-most receiving yards, catching three passes for 57 yards, including the longest play of the game; a 52-yard reception. Hardman has been great against the 49ers in the past, with four touchdowns against them in the last two seasons.
The 49ers will be disappointed with yet another deep postseason run that ended in a loss. San Francisco has made it to the NFC Championship game in four of their last five seasons.
In 2019 they lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl 21-20. Then in 2021, they qualified for the NFC Championship game which they lost to the LA Rams 20-17. Last season they once again reached the NFC title game but were dominated by the Eagles 31-7.
This year seemed different with the 49ers entering the Super Bowl as slight favourites. With arguably the most star studded team they’ve ever had, they looked like they would finally break through and win a Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for them they just couldn’t hang on to the ball, resulting in four turnovers. The first came on just the game’s fifth play, when San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey fumbled the ball in a scoring position.
The biggest turnover came off the hands of punt-returner Darrell Luter Jr who mishandled a punt deep in San Francisco territory. The Chiefs were able to cash in, when Mahomes floated a touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling which put them ahead.
Despite Brock Purdy trying his best in the final quarter, San Francisco couldn’t break free, ending regulation tied at 19.
Even starting with the ball in overtime and getting deep into Chiefs territory couldn’t seal the deal. On 4th down at the Chiefs 9-yard line the 49ers decided to kick a field goal and take the lead, 22-19.
From there the game became a duel between Mahomes and the San Francisco defense. Tice Mahomes was able to pick up important first downs when his team needed it the most. Finally he found Hardmen in the back of the end zone to complete yet another Super Bowl win.
High-Profile Celebrities On Show
This year’s Super Bowl attracted an incredible amount of interest, with a record television audience over 115 million. As the first Super Bowl held in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, there were a number of celebrities in attendance.
Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the awards ceremony which was held on Thursday. Music superstar Taylor Swift who is in a relationship with tight end Travis Kelce from the Chiefs was seen cheering on her significant other in the crowd.
Some other notable celebrities to make it to the big show were rap mogul Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Paul Rudd, Jeff Bloomberg and Lana Del Ray.
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