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Super Bowl 58 was filled with trick plays, emotional outbursts, and several memorable moments. The Kansas City Chiefs wound up defeating the San Francisco 49ers by the final score of 25-22 in a rematch of Super Bowl 54.
The 49ers held a 10-3 lead at the end of the first half, while several self-inflicted wounds kept the Chiefs off the board for the majority of the opening two quarters. Kansas City was finally able to march down into opposing territory and connect on a 28-yard field goal with less than 30 seconds left as the team hoped to gain some momentum heading into halftime.
The Chiefs scored 10 unanswered points to open the second half, gaining a 13-10 edge. San Francisco responded with a touchdown to re-take the lead, although a blocked extra point gave them a mere three-point advantage. Both teams traded field goals for the remainder of regulation, sending the game to overtime as the score was tied at 19.
Although the 49ers opened with a field goal, their defense was unable to slow down quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense. They drove inside the 10-yard line before a pass to Mecole Hardman gave Kansas City the win, 25-22.
Check out an in-depth recap of the game as it unfolded, resulting in Mahomes earning the third championship of his career.
First Quarter
After the Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred, the 49ers started with the ball at their own 25-yard line following a touchback on the opening kickoff. San Francisco picked up three first downs to enter Kansas City's territory, although running back Christian McCaffrey fumbled on a two-yard carry. Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis recovered the loose ball, giving Kansas City its first possession of the evening.
The Chiefs had previously scored on the opening possession in each of their previous eight postseason games, per the broadcast. That wasn't the case against San Francisco, as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks' unit forced a punt after three plays.
Both teams traded punts on the next two possessions, showing why they owned the No. 2 and No. 3-ranked scoring defenses during the regular season. San Francisco's defensive stop was punctuated by Chase Young, who took down Mahomes to record the first sack of the game.
The 49ers put together another strong drive, setting themselves up at the Chiefs' 37-yard line to end the quarter. Although the score was knotted 0-0, momentum seemed to be swinging in San Francisco's favor as head coach Kyle Shanahan's team outgained Kansas City 125-16 in the opening quarter.
Facing a third down, the 49ers headed into the second quarter with a prime opportunity to put up points.
Second Quarter
Quarterback Brock Purdy fired a ball into the end zone intended for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, although Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie narrowly broke the pass up with his right hand to keep the 49ers off the board. The game didn't remain scoreless for much longer though, as rookie kicker Jake Moody nailed a Super Bowl-record 55-yard field goal for the first points of the game which gave San Francisco a 3-0 lead.
The Chiefs appeared to be close to getting on the board as well after Mahomes fired a 52-yard bomb that was caught by Mecole Hardman and set the team up in the 49ers' red zone. The excitement was short-lived however, as running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled on the very next play to give San Francisco the ball back. Travis Kelce, who wasn't on the field during the fumble, was seen yelling in the face of head coach Andy Reid on the sidelines before he was pulled away by his teammates.
The 49ers' defense took a hit, as linebacker Dre Greenlaw injured himself while running onto the field after the possession change. He was eventually carted off, leaving San Francisco without one of its veteran defenders.
Purdy and the 49ers' offense weren't able to capitalize on the turnover, as Kansas City's defense forced another punt. The Chiefs didn't fare much better on the ensuing possession, unable to overcome an intentional grounding penalty by Mahomes on first down before sending punter Tommy Townsend back onto the field.
San Francisco got creative on the next drive, going 67 yards into the end zone to register the first touchdown of the game. McCaffrey was responsible for the score, as he caught a pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings and scampered 21 yards for a touchdown that gave the 49ers a 10-0 advantage.
It took nearly 30 minutes of game time, but the Chiefs were able to score their first points thanks to a 28-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. Kansas City got to San Francisco's nine-yard line following several impressive third-down conversions, although a sack from defensive lineman Arik Armstead ensured that the Chiefs didn't come away with a touchdown.
At the half, the 49ers led 10-3. Shanahan likely stressed to his team not to rest on their laurels, as the Chiefs erased second-half deficits in each of their two previous Super Bowl wins.
Third Quarter
Kansas City got off to a horrendous start to the second half. A miscommunication between Mahomes and Pacheco nearly led to another lost fumble before the running back scooped up the ball, conceding 12 yards in the process. The two-time MVP followed it up with a costly error two plays later, firing a deep pass that was picked off by 49ers rookie safety Ji'Ayir Brown.
Although San Francisco wasn't able to capitalize on the excellent field position, a punt from Mitch Wishnowsky pinned Kansas City at its own two-yard line. The Chiefs went three-and-out yet again, sending Townsend back onto the field.
The 49ers struggled to move the ball once more, as injuries began to pile up. Following an incompletion by Purdy, Samuel went down and grabbed his left leg. He was eventually able to return.
After initially failing to move the chains, the Chiefs were able to open the second half scoring thanks to Mahomes gashing San Francisco's defense on the ground. This was highlighted by a 22-yard run from the quarterback to set Kansas City up in opposing territory. Moody's field goal record was short-lived, as Butker nailed a 57-yard try to put the Chiefs within four points of San Francisco.
Both teams traded punts, although 49ers rookie Darrell Luter couldn't field the ball cleanly as it bounced off his foot. Kansas City recovered the ball, setting the Chiefs up at San Francisco's 16-yard line. Mahomes immediately made the 49ers pay for their mistake, finding Marquez Valdes-Scantling wide-open in the end zone on the very next play. Butker knocked in the extra point, giving the Chiefs their first lead of the game.
San Francisco was held scoreless in the third, although Purdy was able to lead the team down to Kansas City's 42-yard line to end the quarter. With 15 minutes to play, the Chiefs led 13-10.
Fourth Quarter
The 49ers marched down to Kansas City's 15-yard line, but a tackle for loss by defensive lineman Mike Pennel resulted in fourth down with three yards to gain. Shanahan opted to go for it instead of attempting a game-tying field goal, as George Kittle narrowly converted by outstretching the ball past the sticks.
The decision paid off, as San Francisco responded with a touchdown of its own. Purdy found Jennings for a 10-yard score to put the 49ers back on top. The extra point try was blocked though, resulting in a 16-13 advantage for Shanahan's team.
The connection between Mahomes and Kelce was evident on the following possession, as the two linked up for separate 16 and 13-yard gains. After a pair of strong runs by Pacheco set the Chiefs up on the 49ers' three-yard line, Wilks' unit was able to keep Kansas City out of the end zone. Butker hit his third field goal of the day, tying the score at 16 apiece with less than six minutes to play.
San Francisco was able to respond with a scoring drive of its own, although it didn't come easy. On third down at Kansas City's 35-yard line, a blitz forced Purdy to get rid of the ball early and his pass fell incomplete. Despite Moody's extra point attempt getting blocked, he showed no signs of nervousness as he connected on a 53-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 19-16.
With less than two minutes left in regulation and two timeouts remaining, the Chiefs drove down to San Francisco's 11-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock due to a 22-yard reception by Kelce. Butker hit his fourth field goal of the game, sending the contest to overtime for the first time since 2017.
Overtime
This time, the 49ers won the toss and elected to receive the ball. Although it appeared that San Francisco was stopped on third down to begin the drive, McDuffie was flagged for holding and gave the 49ers offense a first down.
Impressive catches by Brandon Aiyuk and McCaffrey allowed San Francisco to enter field goal range once again, while Purdy made a few nifty throws under pressure as well. On third down and four yards to gain at the Chiefs' nine-yard line, Purdy got rid of the ball quickly and his pass fell incomplete as he was pressured by star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Moody hit a 27-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 22-19, giving the ball back to Mahomes with just over seven minutes left in overtime.
The Chiefs initially stalled at their own 34-yard line, as Pacheco's rush attempt was stuffed for no gain. On fourth down with one yard to go, Mahomes scrambled for nine yards to keep Kansas City's season alive.
The 28-year-old continued to make plays through the air and on the ground, evading several pass-rushers while he did so. Mahomes rushed for 19 more yards to set the Chiefs up at San Francisco's 13-yard line. Three plays later, he found Hardman for his second touchdown pass of the day to end the game.
Mahomes continued to add to his extremely impressive résumé, winning his third Super Bowl MVP. At just 28 years old, the former No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 draft has already cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. The Chiefs are now the seventh organization with at least four Super Bowl victories.
