BREAKING: Chiefs the Super Bowl champions

Published 9:56 pm Sunday, February 11, 2024

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are backtoback Super Bowl champions.

Mahomes threw a 3yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with 3 seconds left in overtime, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 2522 on Sunday, becoming the first repeat Super Bowl champs in 19 years and ninth overall.

With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a suite, the Chiefs captured their third title in five years and firmly established themselves as a dynasty.

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The NFL’s first Super Bowl in Las Vegas was a sloppy, mistakefilled affair that was mostly boring until the backandforth fourth quarter and OT. It was the second of 58 Super Bowls to be tied after regulation, and the first played under new overtime rules that ensured both teams got the ball.

The Chiefs trailed 2219 after Jake Moody kicked a 27yard field goal on the first possession of overtime, but Mahomes rallied the Chiefs, completing another impressive comeback in a rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago.

Mahomes ran 8 yards on fourthand1 to keep the Chiefs chances alive and then scrambled 19 yards to set up the winning score.

After he connected with a wideopen Hardman, the Chiefs ran on the field as redandyellow confetti fell onto the turf.

The most excitement in the first half came when a frustrated Kelce bumped Andy Reid on the sideline, knocking the Chiefs 65yearold coach a few steps back after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled inside the red zone during the second quarter.

The action picked up after a crucial blunder by San Francisco’s special teams set up Mahomes’ 16yard TD pass to Marquez ValdesScantling for a 1310 lead.

Brock Purdy and the 49ers answered but they couldn’t make enough plays, denying Mr. Irrelevant an opportunity to go from last pick in the 2022 NFL draft to Super Bowl champion.

Mahomes and Reid are now halfway to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who won six championships in 20 years together with the New England Patriots and were the most recent team to go backtoback following the 200304 seasons.

The 28yearold Mahomes becomes the fourth starting QB to win three Super Bowls — joining Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman — and secondyoungest.

Niners wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a TD pass and caught one, joining Eagles quarterback Nick Foles six years ago as the only players to do both in the Super Bowl.

After Moody’s 53yard field goal gave the Niners a 1916 lead with 1:53 remaining, Mahomes and Kelce went to work. Mahomes connected with Kelce for a 22yard gain to set up Butker’s tying kick, a 29yarder with 3 seconds left.

A holding call on Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie extended San Francisco’s opening drive of overtime and Purdy made key throws to drive the 49ers to the Chiefs 9. But San Francisco settled for a field goal.

Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners jumped ahead 100, but that’s no big deal for Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. They’ve trailed by 10 points in all three of their victories, including last year’s 3835 win over Philadelphia.

Mahomes wasn’t at his best early and threw an interception. But with the game on the line, he was a magician once again. He finished 34 of 46 for 333 yards and two TDs.

The game turned when San Francisco’s RayRay McCloud couldn’t scoop a punt that hit teammate Darrell Luter Jr.’s leg and the Chiefs recovered at the 49ers 16, leading to Mahomes goahead TD pass to ValdesScantling.

The Niners answered on the next possession with Purdy tossing a 10yard TD pass to Jennings for a 1613 lead. Moody’s extra point was blocked.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan gambled on fourthand3 from the Chiefs 15, passing up a chance for a tying field goal. Purdy hit George Kittle for a 4yard gain and then found Jennings for the score.

Shanahan resorted to trickery for the only touchdown in the first half.

Jennings, a wide receiver who had never thrown a pass in an NFL game, tossed a 21yard TD to McCaffrey. He was hit as he threw, but McCaffrey snagged the wobbly pass across the field and sprinted to the end zone.

Shanahan fell to 02 as a head coach in Super Bowls and 03 overall, including a loss when he was offensive coordinator for Atlanta. That was the game in which Brady and the Patriots rallied from a 283 deficit to win in OT.