When the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs met on the field of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Feb. 11, no one knew what Super Bowl LVIII’s outcome would be. The nation was torn; the 49ers had played a phenomenal season and were the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but the Chiefs were defending champions and gearing up to win the repeat of Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw the final touchdown during overtime to achieve a 25-22 victory, solidifying the Chiefs’ third Super Bowl win in four years and their second against the 49ers.
After performances by Andra Day, Reba McEntyre, and Post Malone, Kansas City won the coin toss and deferred, choosing to defend first and kicking off to the 49ers. An uneventful first quarter followed, consisting of back-and-forth drives, during which each team fumbled the ball once and no points were scored.
Things began to ramp up in the second quarter when the 49ers kicker Jake Moody kicked a 55-yard field goal, setting the record for the longest field goal ever completed in a Super Bowl. After the field goal, the Chiefs pushed their way up the field, eventually reaching the 49ers nine-yard line but fumbled the ball and returned possession to the 49ers.
With 4:23 left in the quarter, the 49ers scored the first touchdown of the game after a 67-yard touchdown drive and kicked the extra point to bring the score to 10-0. This was achieved by a pass from 49ers wide receiver Juaun Jennings to running back Christian McCaffrey, who has been one of the 49ers’ star players this season.
To end the first half, Harrison Butker kicked a 28-yard field goal to bring the score to 10-3, the 49ers having the advantage but the Chiefs having possession of the ball at the beginning of the second half.
After the halftime show performed by Usher, the Chiefs began the third quarter with possession. However, Mahomes threw the ball to Ji’Ayir Brown on the 49ers for an interception by San Francisco.
After a few back-and-forths, the Chiefs scored a 57-yard field goal kicked by Butker to bring the score to 10-6. This broke the previous record, set in the same game by Moody of the longest completed field goal in any Super Bowl.
The Chiefs punted to the 25-yard line and the ball bounced on the ground and was recovered by Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, giving them possession again. The Chiefs then scored a touchdown on a 16-yard throw from Mahomes to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Butker kicked the extra point to bring the score to 13-10 with 2:28 remaining in the quarter.
The fourth quarter began with a score of 13-10 with the Chiefs in the lead. With 11:27 remaining, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Jennings, bringing the score to 16-13. The extra point was blocked by Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal.
The Chiefs then kicked another 24-yard field goal by Butker to tie the score at 16-16. The 49ers then scored another field goal to bring the score to 19-16. Though only 10 seconds were remaining in the game, Butker kicked a 29-yard field goal to re-tie the score at 19-19.
During overtime, the 49ers possessed the ball first and scored a field goal, bringing the score to 22-19. Then, Mahomes passed to Mecole Hardman to get the final touchdown and a 25-22 victory.
The Chiefs’ overtime victory was partially due to the new overtime rules; the NFL recently mandated that both teams are guaranteed at least one possession, and the 49ers chose first possession. The players then admitted they did not know the rules had changed, still under the assumption they could win with a touchdown on their initial drive.
The game was a record-breaker in a number of ways; both kickers made the longest completed field goals in Super Bowl history at 55 and 57 yards. It was also the most-watched program in American television history at 123.4 million viewers and the longest Super Bowl in history at 74 minutes and 57 seconds.
It was also an important game for the Chiefs; they became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since 2004 and won their third Super Bowl in five years, solidifying their status as a dynasty. Mahomes also won MVP for the third time.
