NFL PlayOffs: What we learned from the Chiefs’ overtime win against the 49ers
In Short
- Patrick Mahomes wins back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs
- Kelce ‘on top of the world’ after third Super Bowl win
- Kansas City becomes seventh franchise with most Super Bowl wins
- Niners LB Dre Greenlaw suffers torn Achilles tendon
- Mahomes reaches a postseason milestone in his latest win
Las Vegas —
1) Patrick Mahomes wins back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs
Patrick Mahomes has a magic spell and the Chiefs beat the 49ers in overtime. The game is on the line, there is no one else on the planet with the ball other than the Magic Man, Mahomes. The Chiefs’ offense started slowly, as it did for most of the 2023 campaign, scoring three points on turnovers in the red zone in the first half. Then Mahomes began finding Travis Kelce, ate a Dre Greenlaw-less 49ers Dre over the middle, and marched up and down the field. A few red zone spots highlighted the year-long struggles for an offense that lacked big-play presence. But Mahomes kicked a game-tying field goal to force the second Super Bowl game in overtime in NFL history.
They then got the ball back after trailing by three runs in overtime and chased the Chiefs down the field. Mahomes used his legs, fighting for a first down on fourth-and-1, and used his arm. When Niners defensive coordinator Steve Wilks dared to bring the charge to a key spot, the quarterback did what he always does: He ate it alive and found Rashee Rice for a big third down. Another battle from Mahomes put the Chiefs out. The quarterback kicked it and found Mecole Hardman open for a 3-yard touchdown that won the game. All season long, Mahomes has created magic with an up-and-down pass-catching team. He did it again on the biggest stage. Greatness expressed. The dynasty was cemented.
2) Kelce ‘on top of the world’ after third Super Bowl win
Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers are embarrassed again. Once again, Shanahan oversaw Mahomes overcoming a 10-point deficit in the Super Bowl. You have to give the coach credit for not working harder, going for the big fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter, when a field goal would have tied the game. The decision underlined that Chaney knew he needed a touchdown, not a field goal, against Mahomes. The coach pulled out all the stops, including a big touchdown pass from receiver Jaun Jennings to running back Christian McCaffrey in the first half. Unfortunately, an OT FG from inside the 10 opened the door for Mahomes’ heroics. The Niners will berate themselves throughout the offseason for not finishing the game sooner. San Francisco dismantled the Chiefs D in the first quarter, including gains of 18 yards, 11 yards, and 11 yards on the opening possessions, but McCaffrey’s fumble (his third loss all season) ended the drive. Despite dominating early, the Niners led by seven at halftime.
Shanahan’s offense struggled to start the third quarter, going within three on three consecutive possessions. A failed punt in the third quarter set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown and lead. The blocked PAT was also too late. You have to give Brock Purdy credit for making a play in the fourth quarter after a rollercoaster game in which he missed a few shots and made other excellent reads. The 49ers’ last three possessions were TD, FG and FG. Unfortunately for Shanahan, his defense couldn’t stop Mahomes, allowing the Chiefs to score TD, FG, FG, TD. The NFL has seen two Super Bowl games go to overtime and Shanahan losing both Cruel.
3) Kansas City becomes seventh franchise with most Super Bowl wins
The Chiefs’ D is standing again. How. Without Steve Spagnuolo’s stifling defense they would not have been the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the 2003–2004 New England Patriots. The Chiefs gave up some big plays, especially in the first half, but conceded time and again. The lack of pressure on Purdy was notable, but Spagnuolo adjusted and made life difficult for the QB in the third quarter.
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Spags accounted for 51.2% of Purdy’s dropbacks. The signal-caller made some plays against pressure, but hustling it up was the difference in the second half. The Spurs team left McCaffrey on the field for most of the game, and held the RB to 3.6 yards per carry on a total of 22 carries. Eliminating those depleted runs left Purdy with the responsibility of taking the contest forward. The Chiefs were phenomenal on third downs, allowing the Niners to convert only 3 of 12 in the contest.
4) Niners LB Dre Greenlaw suffers torn Achilles tendon
Kicker Fiesta comes to the Super Bowl. This match marked a return to football. 49ers rookie Jake Moody and Chiefs veteran Harrison Butker were both sensational. Moody established a new Super Bowl milestone with his successful completion of a 55-yard pass in the opening moments of the second quarter. Butker allowed Moody to play the record during Usher’s halftime show, but nothing else. Butker kicked a remarkable 57-yard field goal in the third quarter, setting a new record. Moody, who had some shaky moments during his freshman season, made three field goals but had one of his two PATs blocked, which was huge.
Butker made all four of his field goals and made his only after attempt. In a back-and-forth game, both kickers calmly kicked big field goals in the final moments to force overtime. In the end, a failed Niners punt and blocked extra point made the difference. In the third period of the game, the Chiefs were better and took home the hardware as their special teams made the difference.
5) Mahomes reaches a postseason milestone in his latest win
Travis Kelce comes alive in the second half. In the first half, the excited Kelce was limited to one catch for one modest yard. Taylor Swift’s boyfriend took it up a notch in the second half. Kelce finished with nine receptions on 10 targets for a team-high 93 yards. As he has done all season, the tight end found open areas in the Niners defense, eating up the linebackers over the middle.
Kelce caught eight of his nine targets for 77 yards on less than 10 passing yards, gaining 59 yards after the catch. With the Chiefs trailing by three points in the final moments of the fourth quarter, Mahomes hit Kelce on a fumble, and the tight end gained a huge 22-yard pass to set up a short field goal to force overtime. of. Kelce seemed to get an extra gear in the game, which Next Gen Stats supports: Kelce reached a top speed of 19.68 mph, his fastest speed as a ball carrier in the last seven seasons. Was. Super Bowl simply means more. Now Kelce has three rings to show off.
Next Generation Game Stat: Nick Bosa generated 10 pressures on 48 pass rushes (20.8% pressure rate) in Super Bowl LVIII, third-most in a playoff game since 2018. Bosa finished the season with 114 pressures, tied for most. In the same season since 2018.
NFL Research: Niners WR Jaun Jennings became the second player to throw and catch a touchdown in the same Super Bowl. The first was Nick Foles, who won MVP of Super Bowl LVII.