Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are back-to-back Tremendous Bowl champions.
Mahomes threw a 3-yard landing cross to Mecole Hardman in time beyond regulation, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, changing into the primary repeat Tremendous Bowl champs in 19 years and ninth general.
With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a collection, the Chiefs captured their third title in 5 years and firmly established themselves as a dynasty
The NFL’s first Tremendous Bowl in Las Vegas was a sloppy, mistake-filled affair that was principally boring till the back-and-forth fourth quarter and OT. It was the second of 58 Tremendous Bowls to be tied after regulation, and the primary performed below new time beyond regulation guidelines that ensured each groups obtained the ball.
The Chiefs (15-6) trailed 22-19 after Jake Moody kicked a 27-yard subject purpose on the primary possession of time beyond regulation, however Mahomes rallied the Chiefs, finishing one other spectacular comeback in a rematch of the Tremendous Bowl 4 years in the past.
Mahomes ran 8 yards on fourth-and-1 to maintain the Chiefs’ possibilities alive after which scrambled 19 yards to arrange the profitable rating, which got here 14:57 into the additional interval — simply earlier than what would have been the second OT.
“With all of the adversity we’ve been by this season to come back by tonight. … I’m happy with the blokes,” mentioned Mahomes, who was named MVP. “That is superior. Legendary.”
After he related with a wide-open Hardman, the Chiefs ran on the sphere as red-and-yellow confetti fell onto the turf.
Essentially the most pleasure within the first half got here when a pissed off Kelce bumped Andy Reid on the sideline, knocking the Chiefs’ 65-year-old coach a couple of steps again after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled contained in the pink zone through the second quarter.
“You guys noticed that?” Kelce mentioned. “I’m going to maintain it between us until my ‘mic’d up’ tells the world. I used to be simply telling him how a lot I liked him.”
The motion picked up after an important blunder by San Francisco’s particular groups arrange Mahomes’ 16-yard TD cross to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 13-10 lead.
Brock Purdy and the 49ers (14-6) answered however they couldn’t make sufficient performs, denying Mr. Irrelevant a chance to go from final decide within the 2022 NFL draft to Tremendous Bowl champion.
Mahomes and Reid at the moment are midway to Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick, who received six championships in 20 years along with the New England Patriots and have been the latest staff to go back-to-back following the 2003-04 seasons.
The 28-year-old Mahomes turns into the fourth beginning QB to win three Tremendous Bowls — becoming a member of Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman — and second-youngest.
Niners extensive receiver Jauan Jennings threw a TD cross and caught one, becoming a member of Eagles quarterback Nick Foles six years in the past as the one gamers to do each within the Tremendous Bowl.
After Moody’s 53-yard subject purpose gave the Niners a 19-16 lead with 1:53 remaining, Mahomes and Kelce went to work. Mahomes related with Kelce for a 22-yard achieve to arrange Harrison Butker’s tying kick, a 29-yarder with 3 seconds left.
A holding name on Kansas Metropolis’s Trent McDuffie prolonged San Francisco’s opening drive of time beyond regulation and Purdy made key throws to drive the 49ers to the Chiefs 9. However San Francisco settled for a subject purpose.
Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners jumped forward 10-0, however that’s no huge deal for Mahomes and the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl. They’ve trailed by 10 factors in all three of their victories, together with final yr’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia.
Mahomes wasn’t at his finest early and threw an interception. However with the sport on the road, he was a magician as soon as once more. He completed 34 of 46 for 333 yards and two TDs.
The Chiefs have been hardly dominant through the common season and entered the playoffs because the AFC’s No. 3 seed. They received at Buffalo and at Baltimore within the postseason — the primary highway playoff video games of Mahomes’ profession — and entered the Tremendous Bowl as 2 1/2-point underdogs, in accordance with FanDuel Sportsbook.
“The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are by no means underdogs. Simply know that,” Mahomes mentioned.
The sport turned when San Francisco’s Ray-Ray McCloud couldn’t scoop a punt that hit teammate Darrell Luter Jr.’s leg and the Chiefs recovered on the 49ers 16, resulting in Mahomes’ go-ahead TD cross to Valdes-Scantling.
The Niners answered on the following possession with Purdy tossing a 10-yard TD cross to Jennings for a 16-13 lead. Moody’s additional level was blocked.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan gambled on fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs 15, passing up an opportunity for a tying subject purpose. Purdy hit George Kittle for a 4-yard achieve after which discovered Jennings for the rating.
Shanahan resorted to trickery for the one landing within the first half.
Jennings, a large receiver who had by no means thrown a cross in an NFL sport, tossed a 21-yard TD to McCaffrey. He was hit as he threw, however McCaffrey snagged the wobbly cross throughout the sphere and sprinted to the tip zone.
Shanahan fell to 0-2 as a head coach in Tremendous Bowls and 0-3 general, together with a loss when he was offensive coordinator for Atlanta. That was the sport during which Brady and the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit to win in OT.
There have been loads of stars within the constructing because the NFL introduced its largest sport to America’s showcase capital. Jay-Z, LeBron James and Paul McCartney have been amongst many celebrities within the crowd.
Put up Malone sang “America the Stunning,” Reba McEntire carried out the nationwide anthem and Usher electrified the gang at halftime. He introduced out a lot of friends, together with Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Attendance was introduced at 61,629, the smallest crowd in Tremendous Bowl historical past apart from the pandemic sport in Tampa, Florida, three years in the past.
