Super Bowl LVIII occurred at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, closing out the 2023-2024 National Football League season.
On Feb. 11, 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to the NFL’s biggest stage. They took on the young San Francisco 49ers team in a matchup that brought the Super Bowl to Nevada for the first time.
The Kansas City Chiefs are no stranger to the Super Bowl stage, as it is their fourth appearance in the last five years. The Chiefs posted an 11-6 record throughout the 2023-2024 season. They earned the third seed in the AFC division of the playoffs, standing right behind the Baltimore Ravens, who they eliminated in the AFC championship game.
Andy Reid returns to the Super Bowl with menacing quarterback Patrick Mahomes, elite tight-end Travis Kelce and a talented running back in Isiah Pacheco. The Chiefs looked to solidify their reputation as a dynasty and win back-to-back Super Bowl Championships, which haven’t been done since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots.
The San Francisco 49ers entered the Super Bowl with a 12-5 record and first place in the National Football Conference West Division. This incredible record earned the 49ers the number-one seed in the NFC playoffs, and they breezed by each time with poise and ease.
Brock Purdy, the former final-round NFL draft pick, has led this power-driven 49ers team through the season and looked to overcome the “Mr. Irrelevant” status he was given during the draft. Behind Purdy includes players such as Christian McCaffery, George Kittle and Nick Bosa, which creates a talented team to face the reigning champions.
Mike Stuart, head coach of the Moorpark College football team, spoke about Purdy’s “Mr. Irrelevant” status.
“Mr. Irrelevant is just something that has been around since the draft first started; it’s just a name for the final pick,” Stuart said. “Brock Purdy could sign anywhere he wants but the name is stuck to him because he was the last pick. I think it makes him more motivated since later round guys grind a little harder and sharpen their iron to be prepared to prove everyone wrong.”
Of course, pop star and Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift attended and watched boyfriend Travis Kelce from a suite including actress Blake Lively, rap star Ice Spice and the rest of the Kelce family. Swift and Kelce’s relationship has taken the world by storm and benefited the NFL’s viewership.
According to the NFL Football Operations, Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched program ever, averaging 123.4 million viewers across all platforms, up +7% versus last year’s Super Bowl, the previous record (115.1 million).
However, the bright lights of Las Vegas were affecting both teams, as the first half of the game was filled with sloppy plays and fumbles. After the first quarter, the score was tied at zero.
The end of the second quarter proved that the 49ers were ready to challenge the reigning Super Bowl champions, and as halftime approached, the Niners were up on the Chiefs 10-3. As pop sensation Usher made his way to the field to headline the Apple Music Halftime Show, the Chiefs went into the locker room in a deficit.
Mike Stuart spoke about the game and his thoughts on the first half of play.
“I thought the game was entertaining. To the audience, the first half could have been considered boring,” Stuart spoke. “But as a defensive-minded coach, I was able to appreciate two great teams keeping the score low.”
After halftime, both teams entered the field, fired up and ready to play one more half of football. One thing is sure about the Kansas City Chiefs: they’ve been here before.
According to ESPN, In their last three Super Bowl appearances, the Chiefs trailed by 10 points in all three of their victories, including last year’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia.
In the third quarter of play, Ventura County native and former Ventura College football player Jaylen Watson came up clutch for the Chiefs. According to a tweet by Ventura County Star Reporter Joe Curley, Watson recovered a critical fumble, which helped the Chiefs take a 13-10 lead in the third.
The fourth quarter came, and with very little time left on the clock, the score was 19-16, with the Niners holding on to a minimal lead. However, Mahomes made a substantial 22-yard connection to Kelce, which ultimately set up for kicker Jake Moody to kick the game-tying field goal to send the game into overtime.
The overtime rules were adjusted for the Super Bowl to give both teams a chance at scoring. The captains of each team set up for the coin toss to determine which team would choose if they wanted to start on offense or defense.
In the most controversial calls of the Super Bowl, the 49ers, who won the toss, chose to be on offense first. Due to this call, the Niners could only get a field goal on the board, and the Chiefs took over on offense as Brock Purdy watched. Stuart commented on the 49er’s strategy and added his opinion.
“Overtime was definitely interesting and the 49ers totally made a weird call,” Stuart said. “You can never count out Patrick Mahomes, he is precise in big moments.”
Stuart was correct; Patrick Mahomes came up big for his team after taking the ball from the 49ers. With three seconds left in overtime, Mahomes threw a three-yard pass to Mecole Hardman to win Super Bowl LVIII and complete the comeback.
Mahomes spoke to a crowd of family, friends, coaches and teammates in the post-game celebration.
“I am going to celebrate tonight, celebrate at the parade and then work my way to get back in this game next year,” Mahomes said. “I am going to do whatever I can to be back in this game next year. Three-peat.”
Kyle Shanahan, the head coach for the San Francisco team, is now 0-3 in his appearances at the Super Bowl. He spoke in a press conference following the game.
“When you go against guys like Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes, you never feel comfortable with a lead. Those guys are two of the best to ever play the game,” Shanahan said.
If the game wasn’t already filled with drama and controversial moments, multiple 49ers players were quoted talking about how they were unaware of the new rules in overtime. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk spoke about overtime after the game.
“You know what? I didn’t even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime,” Juszczyk said. “I assume you just want the ball to score a touchdown and win.”
The 2024 Super Bowl has made its mark in the history books of the NFL. Fans can now be on the lookout for offseason moves from their favorite team in preparation for the 2024-2025 season.
