LAS VEGAS -- Patrick Mahomes tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in overtime to lift the Chiefs to a 25-22 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday before a crowd of 61,629 at Allegiant Stadium.
“One thing, he doesn’t like to lose,” Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice said of Mahomes. “I’m grateful to be around him. He doesn’t like to lose. He doesn’t know how to lose. I hope that rubs off on me.”
The victory gives the Chiefs back-to-back Super Bowl titles, after they defeated the Eagles last year, the first in 19 years.
With both defense’s playing tough, field goal kickers the 49ers’ Jake Moody and the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker were left to duel it out Sunday.
Moody made field goals of 55, 53 and 27 yards. Butker made field goals of 28, 57, 24 and 29 yards with three seconds left to force overtime. A blocked extra by Kansas City’s Leo Chenal kept the 49ers from taking a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers took the ball first in overtime, with the scored tied 19-19 and could only add a field goal.
Mahomes picked up a key first down with an 8-yard run on fourth-and-1 and another scramble for 19 yards on third-and-1 to keep the game-winning drive alive.
“Back-to-back is very rare and says a lot about this football team and this organization,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
“You just never know how it’s going to happen,” Mahomes said. “To be able to play three great teams to get to this game, play another great team and win all of those games. It was a true road through the playoffs and we went through it to become champs.”
Mahomes was enjoying the moment.
“It truly is special to say that we are back-to-back champs,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs are the first team since New England 2003-04 to win two in a row. The Chiefs missed a chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls when they lost 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Bucs in Super Bowl 54.
It was the Chiefs third Super Bowl championship in five years and fourth overall. The Chiefs are now tied with the Packers and Giants for fifth on the NFL’s all-time leaderboard. The Steelers and Patriots are atop the list with six Super Bowl titles each, followed by the 49ers and Cowboys with five each.
“I hope people remember not only the greatness on the field, but how we’ve done it,” Mahomes said. “We enjoy every single day. We have fun. It’s hard. It’s not always pretty, but we continue to fight until the very end.”
Mahomes completed 34 of 46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on Sunday. He finished with a 99.3 passer rating.
The 49ers had a strong performance from running back Christian McCaffery, who had 22 carries for 80 yards and caught eight passes for 80 yards.
Behind a stout defensive performance and some razzle-dazzle on offense, the 49ers held a 10-3 lead at halftime.
The Chiefs couldn’t get moving offensively and the frustration spelled over to the sidelines with tight end Travis Kelce ran into coach Andy Reid after he was pulled form the game.
The 49ers came out and moved the ball while running the offense through McCaffery. The 49ers out-gained the Chiefs 125-6 in the first quarter, but didn’t have any points to show for it because of a fumble by McCaffery on their first possession, three penalties on their second possession.
The Chiefs had three-and-outs on their first two possessions as the big game got of to a slow start.
The 49ers added a 55-yard field goal by Jake Moody on their third drive which ended the first quarter and carried over into the second quarter. Moody’s kick was a Super Bowl record, briefly.
The Chiefs finally went on the move when Mahomes hit Hardman for a 53-yard gain. Running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled on the next play as cornerback Deommodore Lenoir ripped the ball out and defensive Javon Hargrave recovered for the 49ers.
After an exchange of punts, the 49ers scored on a gadget play. Purdy lateralled the ball to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who threw it back across the field to McCaffery. He got behind a wall of blockers and ran in from 21 yards out. Moody’s kick made it 10-0.
Jennings, who played at Tennessee, was a highly rated four-star quarterback coming out of Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman High. He was a seventh-round pick by the 49ers in the 2020 NFL draft.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took advantage of the Chiefs being overaggressive. They rushed over to Jennings and couldn’t make it back over to McCaffery.
After Reid sent in personnel grouping that did not include Kelce, he was irate in the second quarter. He was seen screaming at the coach and bumping into him. Running back Jerick McKinnon, who played at Georgia Southern and Sprayberry High, pulled Kelce away from Reid.
“They are passionate players and I love that,” Reid said. “Even if they chest-bump me to the other side of side of the 50. I just love it. I just love it. The guy wants to play. He wants to be in there playing. ... It makes me feel young.”
The Chiefs moved from their 25, picking up four first downs, to get down to the 49ers’ 10-yard line. Butker made a 28-yard field goal. The 49ers ran out the first-half clock .
The Chiefs had the ball to start the third quarter, but Mahomes forced a passed into Kelce that was intercepted by 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown.
The Chiefs forced a punt and Mitch Wishnowsky pinned the kick at the 2-yard line. The Chiefs were stuffed on third down and forced to punt.
On the 49ers next possession, Samuel went down with an injury with 9:10 left in the third quarter as they stalled.
The Chiefs, with some scrambling for Mahomes, put together a nine-play 47-yard drive. Butker made a 57-yard field goal to break Moody’s record which was set earlier in the game of longest made field goal in the Super Bowl. The kick made it 10-6 in favor of the 49ers.
After Ray Ray McCloud III muffed a punt that was recovered by Kansas City’s Jaylen Watson, Mahomes tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game, 13-10.
The 49ers answered with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Brock Purdy tossing a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jennings. The point after attempt was blocked Kansas City’s Leo Chenal to make it 16-13 with 11:22 to play.
Jennings joined Nick Foles as the only players to catch and throw a touchdown pass in the same Super Bowl.
The Chiefs answered with a 12-play, 69-yard drive. Butker added a 24-yard field goal to tie the game 16-16 with 5:46 to play.
Moody made a 53-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 19-16 with 1:53 left.
The Chiefs drove back down and Butker added a 29-yard field goal with :03 left to play.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said he and his team planned on returning to the Super Bowl next year.
“Hell yeah,” Kelce said. “Three-peat, baby!”
The Chiefs finished 15-6 on the season, while the 49ers’ final record was 14-6.
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