Everyone had their eyes on Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas, watching the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime.
Whether you watch the game for the halftime show which featured Usher, the actual football, family tradition or Taylor Swift, the game did not disappoint.
All parties were satisfied. We got Taylor Swift airtime whenever Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce touched the ball. An Usher halftime show full of surprise guests such as Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Will.i.am and Jermaine Dupri. There was also a great football game going on too.
Led by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs became back-to-back winners in Las Vegas and have won the big game three times over the past five seasons. Some might say the Chiefs have become a dynasty, as the comparisons to Brady and Belichick’s Patriots have begun.
The Chiefs, just like the Patriots dynasty, are always in the mix. After a far-from-perfect regular season full of narrow victories and losing three of their final six games, the Chiefs proved why you shouldn’t bet against them.
As for the 49ers, last year’s addition of running back Christian McCaffery and solid play from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the league’s top three offence paired with a star-studded top three defense seemed unstoppable.
A super team of destiny met a Chiefs team that felt inevitable.
Here is what I felt were three difference makers in Superbowl 58.
Unforgettable overtime finish
Four quarters wasn’t enough to crown a champion, forcing a tense overtime. Chiefs and 49ers fans will never be able to forget the final minutes of the game for two different reasons.
The 49ers got the ball first, which became a controversial decision. Different from regular season rules, both teams were guaranteed a possession. A rule change that many 49ers’ players claimed they didn’t know about.
Mahomes was glad to get the ball second and visibly surprised by the 49ers’ decision. In an interview, he said second possession meant the Chiefs ‘knew what they needed’ as far as points.
A slow starting drive got the 49ers down to the nine-yard line. On a crucial third down, blown protection from the 49ers offensive line forces Purdy to throw the ball away and miss a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk in the endzone. A heart-breaking miss for the 49ers.
Taking three points and sending the ball back to the Chiefs. They then knew that three points would extend the game and a touchdown would win it.
Mahomes moved the ball deep into 49ers territory where a wide-open pass to Mecole Hardman sealed the deal.
The kicker
Often criticized and only praised in moments of glory, the kickers on both sides of the ball performed.
Both kickers combined for 23 of the 47 points scored in the game, including the two longest field goals in Superbowl history. Harrison Butker of the Chiefs now holds the title for longest in a Superbowl when he drilled a 57-yarder, passing 49ers Jake Moody’s 55-yarder from earlier in the game.
Butker and Moody were both 100 per cent on field goals, each hitting kicks from over 50 yards out.
Unfortunately, it will be the missed kick that we remember. Not a field goal, but a routine extra point attempt.
Moody’s extra point attempt was blocked by the Chiefs keeping the game at a three-point difference. After trading field goals, the missed point allowed the Chiefs to tie the game with seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Kelce isn’t the only tight end on the Chiefs
Kansas City’s tight end play has been a key to their offense. With most teams only trusting two tight ends to catch the ball the Chiefs put their faith in Travis Kelce, Noah Gray and Justin Watson.
The trio have amassed 511 receiving yards on 46 receptions this postseason including 169 yards and 14 receptions in their final game.
Lacking a standout pass catcher, until Rashee Rice broke out late in the season, Mahomes leaned on the production of his tight ends in the pass game.
The unique yet effective three-tight end set was a contributing factor to the Chiefs’ fourth Superbowl victory in franchise history.
