MVP Mahomes sparks 21-0 run in 4th, leads KC’s latest masterpiece
MIAMI GARDENS — Patrick Mahomes seemed rattled. The weight of the moment on the biggest stage of his young football career seemed to be wearing on one of the NFL’s brightest talents. An offseason of criticism awaiting him in the balance. An opportunity to cement his status as the NFL’s best player slipping his grasp.
That was until one flick of Mahomes’ wrist awakened the football world to restore order.
Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to overcome two early interceptions, former Miami Dolphins running back Damien Williams scored two touchdowns, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54 in front of 62,417 people at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night.
The Chiefs saw the 49ers take a 20-10 lead in the third quarter before Mahomes sparked Kansas City’s memorable comeback with three straight scoring drives to win the Super Bowl MVP.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid cemented his Hall of Fame
career with his first Super Bowl win, while the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl since 1969.
Mahomes first threw a 44-yard pass to receiver Tyreek Hill downfield shortly after falling behind by 10 points at a time when it seemed the 49ers defense, led by former St. Thomas Aquinas star defensive end Nick Bosa, may have been wearing the Chiefs down.
The play helped Kansas City flip the field and enter the red zone where Mahomes threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce two plays later following a pass interference call to trim the lead 20-17.
Four minutes later, the Chiefs retook the lead after Mahomes threw a 1-yard touchdown to Williams that changed the football game.
Then, Williams put the game away with his second touchdown of the game, a 38-yard run that helped the Chiefs, playing in their first Super Bowl in 50 years, win the second championship while the 49ers’ quest for their sixth Super Bowl fell short once again.
San Francisco looked primed to win their first Super Bowl since Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in Miami 25 years ago, but 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was unable to fuel his team in the fourth quarter once Mahomes took over.
The Super Bowl’s biggest star came through on the sport’s biggest stage.
Mahomes, 24, became the youngest Super Bowl MVP in league history, one year after being the youngest to win league MVP.
But Mahomes was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
Earlier in the third quarter, Mahomes had a mistake it seems like he never makes.
Mahomes flushed right out of the pocket and threw it directly to 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who was standing in front of Hill downfield. It was his second interception of the game, and his first multi-interception game since Week 11 of 2018 season.
The 49ers quickly responded as running back Raheem Mostert scored on a 1-yard run to take their 20-10 lead. But San Francisco was unable to withstand Mahomes and the Chiefs in the final quarter.
After the Chiefs trimmed San Francisco’s lead 20-17, the 49ers went three and out.
When the Chiefs took the 24-20 lead with less than three minutes remaining, the 49ers unraveled.
Garoppolo was composed for much of the game before being rattled in the fourth quarter. He finished completing 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown, and the second of two interceptions on the final drive of the game.
Mahomes completed 26 of 42 passes for 282 yards, while Williams finished with 104 yards rushing, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. Hill finished with nine catches for 105 yards, while Sammy Watkins added five catches for 98 yards, and Kelce finished with six catches for 43 yards for the Chiefs.