Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback, overcame several mistakes to lead the Chiefs to a 31-20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in the 54th Super Bowl.
What We Know:
- It was the 222nd career victory for Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who before Sunday had been the coach with the most wins without a championship in NFL history. The Chiefs (15-4) hadn’t been back to the title game since they won the fourth Super Bowl 50 years ago in January 1970.
- Mahomes threw two costly interceptions and was off-target on numerous other pass attempts. But he exploited his astonishing athleticism to avoid the pass rush of the 49ers’ defense, which was ranked No. 1 in the league, to pick up 286 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions on 26-of-42 passing at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
- Mahomes’ combination of mystery and hulk-like strength was shown late in the Chiefs’ first touchdown drive. He scrambled around right end for 10 yards to the 49ers’ 4-yard line — where he was clobbered by San Francisco safety Jamie Ward, sending the ball flying out of bounds. Three plays later, Mahomes — the Chiefs’ leading rusher during the playoffs — pivoted, faked a pitchout and dived into the end zone from the 1, capping a 15-play, 75-yard drive.
- Mahomes was named the game’s most valuable player, but it wasn’t smooth sailing for the Chiefs. The 49ers (15-4) limited Kansas City to 156 yards in the first half, only 104 of them through the air. Then, with the 49ers ahead, 13-10, Mahomes threw an interception to the 49ers’ Fred Warner on the Chiefs’ first possession of the second half, which quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense turned into a 55-yard touchdown drive to go ahead by 10 points.
- The Chiefs trailed, 20-10, going into the fourth quarter. Then Mahomes — the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018 and its seventh-leading passer in 2019 — took over. He needed just 2 minutes, 40 seconds to drive the Chiefs 83 yards, cutting the deficit to 20-17, with a short touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce.
- The Chiefs held the 49ers and got the ball back at their 40-yard line with about 5 minutes to play. In another blitz-like drive, he marched the Chiefs 60 yards in 2 minutes and 26 seconds, completing the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Damien Williams to go ahead, 24-20.
- With less than three minutes to play, Garoppolo couldn’t match Mahomes’ heroics. The Chiefs got the ball back and scored again on a 65-yard run by Williams, sending the Chiefs — who were trounced by Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers, 35-10, in the first Super Bowl in 1967 — heading home Sunday night with the NFL championship trophy named for Lombardi.
- Fans across the nation celebrated the win. President Donald Trump initially congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs of the ‘great state of Kansas!’, which is no doubt a non-existent team:
- He corrected his tweet about 15 minutes later:
Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game and a fantastic comeback under immense pressure. We are proud of you and the Great State of Missouri. You are true Champions!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2020
Congrats are in order for the Champions of SuperBowlLVI!
