The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers went head to head in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The best active quarterback in the league in Patrick Mahomes versus an up-and-comer in Brock Purdy. It ended up being a defensive battle with special teams and field position playing a huge role. It came down to overtime and the Chiefs won it 25-22 with a walk-off touchdown.
The 49ers lost the coin toss and the Chiefs elected to defer to the second half. Brock Purdy and the 49ers started the game off with the ball on offense and immediately started driving down the field at 10 yards a clip before Christian McCaffrey fumbled the football away.
The 49ers defense held strong and forced a three-and-out to quickly give their offense the ball. Once again the 49ers offense was gaining yards at will, but multiple penalties doomed their second drive of the game. Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense started deep on their own end after a 54-yard punt. They went three-and-out again with Mahomes getting sacked by Chase Young.
The Chiefs had a 61-yard punt of their own to flip the field. Both special teams units continued to be the difference in the game. Purdy completed a couple big passes, including one to WR Ray-Ray McCloud to extend the drive to end the first quarter scoreless. Jake Moody hit the longest field goal in Super Bowl history from 55 yards out to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead.
Patrick Mahomes completed a 52-yard pass to WR Mecole Hardman Jr., but Isiah Pacheco fumbled the football away in the red zone with DT Javon Hargrave recovering. The defensive battle continued with a pair of punts, but the 49ers lost LB Dre Greenlaw to injury. It was a non-contact achilles injury as he was running back on the field. The 49ers quickly got into the red zone with the help of a personal foul penalty on L’Jarius Sneed and they punched it into the end zone on a double pass to McCaffrey.
With the pressure on, down 10-0, Mahomes put together an impressive drive to end the first half, but they stalled out in the red zone and Harrison Butker tacked on three to end the half.
The Chiefs got the ball to start the second half and Pacheco fumbled a pitch for a large loss. Mahomes overthrew his receiver and the pass was intercepted by rookie CB Ji’Ayir Brown. The 49ers were forced to punt, but pinned the ball on the two-yard line. The 49ers started out the half with a nice edge in the field position battle. The Chiefs got back into questionable field goal range and Butker broke Moody’s record with a 57-yard boot.
McCloud was involved in a muffed punt that deflected off his teammate’s foot and the Chiefs scored one play later to give them their first lead of the game at 13-10. Mahomes completed a pass to WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard touchdown to end the third quarter.
Purdy completed a much-needed 20-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk to start the fourth quarter and the 49ers went on to score with a pass to WR Jauan Jennings. He fought through extra contact and continued his great Super Bowl, having completed the pass on the trick play earlier. Moody missed the PAT to keep the score 16-13.
Mahomes and the Chiefs marched down the field and got multiple chances from within the five-yard line, but Hargrave sacked Mahomes to force a field goal and tie the game up at 16-16 with just over five minutes remaining. The 49ers drove down into field goal range and reached the two-minute warning on third down and Moody ended up kicking a 53-yard field goal.
Mahomes got the ball back with 1:53 and two timeouts down by three points, the exact situation you want an all-world quarterback to be in. He drove down the field into field goal range with plenty of time to try to win the game with a touchdown, but they fell short and tied the game up with a field goal.
The 49ers won the coin toss and elected to receive in the new overtime rules in which each team is guaranteed an opportunity to possess the ball. Purdy and McCaffrey drove the ball down into the red zone, but were forced into another field goal to take a 22-19 lead.
The Chiefs were forced into an early fourth-and-short to either extend their drive or lose the Super Bowl. Mahomes scrambled and slid to convert. Mahomes played very safe football with short high-percentage passes and then scrambled when it mattered to get the Chiefs into scoring position. Mahomes found Hardman in the end zone in the flat to score and end the game.
A pair of ex-Steelers get a Super Bowl ring.
