Super Bowl LIV was a heavyweight bout for four quarters, just as everyone anticipated, but there could only be one victor. That honor goes to the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the San Francisco 49ers with a 31-20 final score -- in a game that lived up to the hype in every possible way. The 49ers defense did a great job limiting Patrick Mahomes and his high-flying offense to only 10 points in the first half, and that included overcoming an interception by Jimmy Garoppolo that put them back on the field after a long drive wherein they allowed the only touchdown by the Chiefs. Outside of the error by Garoppolo, the 49ers offense matched serve, getting things going with the ground attack in the second quarter to even the score going into halftime.
Garoppolo started to cook in the third quarter, helping lift his club to a 20-10 lead going into the fourth quarter, but everyone knew Mahomes wouldn't lay down. Time and again, he's proven why he's the reigning NFL MVP, and he did it yet again in Miami. The Chiefs defense clamped down and forced consecutive three-and-outs that allowed Mahomes time to orchestrate a comeback that gave Kansas City a 24-20 lead with less than three minutes left to play, including at least on big play to Tyreek Hill, who the 49ers decided to not key in on as the game wore on.
Fatal error, that was.
The Chiefs used an epic fourth-quarter comeback to win their first Super Bowl title in 50 years, and there's a lot to go over. Will Brinson and the Pick Six Podcast Superfriends break down everything about Chiefs-49ers in Super Bowl LIV; listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
With the entire planet watching, Garoppolo and Co. needed one last gasp to avoid a gut-wrenching loss, and they nearly made it happen. Emmanuel Sanders burned two defenders to get behind the Chiefs coverage on third-and-10 for what would've been a game-breaking touchdown, but the pass sailed far over his head -- leading to a fourth-and-10 that ended unceremoniously with a sack. The Chiefs went on to nail the coffin WITH A 38-yard rushing touchdown from running back Damien Williams, who finished with 104 yards on 17 carries.
And with that, head coach Andy Reid lands his first-ever Super Bowl win as a head coach, and the Chiefs snap a 50-year drought.
Let the celebration in Kansas City begin.