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Patrick Mahomes threw a walk-off landing to Mecole Hardman in time beyond regulation because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs shattered the hearts of Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers with a 25-22 victory at Tremendous Bowl LVIII in Sunday’s thrilling Las Vegas finale.
With Taylor Swift watching on within the stands, Mahomes discovered a method. The Chiefs discovered a method. Fortune favoured the champions, ominous inevitability prevailed once more and Andy Reid’s facet would grow to be the NFL’s first back-to-back champions since 2003/2004 to cement the league’s latest dynasty.
The profitable drive was each bit the most recent instalment of unfolding greatness from a quarterback hovering in the direction of a spot on the NFL’s Mount Rushmore of signal-callers. In time beyond regulation, Mahomes rushed to transform a fourth-and-one, threw a strike to Rashee Rice to transform on third-and-six, pitched a daring go beneath to Travis Kelce to transform on second-and-seven, earlier than sinking San Francisco for good with a three-yard winner to Hardman.
Kansas Metropolis had been limping. Mahomes and his offense had been stuttering, Kelce had raged within the face of his head coach amid a irritating first half because the 49ers regarded in command, with out ever fairly reflecting it within the scoreline. That ought to have been the warning signal towards a Chiefs staff that had swatted at errors and doubts all season to ebook their return to the Tremendous Bowl.
Mahomes completed the sport 34 of 46 for 333 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, whereas Harrison Butker kicked 4 area objectives together with a 29-yarder to ship the sport to time beyond regulation with three seconds left.
49ers QB Brock Purdy accomplished 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards and a landing as he was denied a crowning finish to one among soccer’s nice underdog tales as the ultimate choice on the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mahomes threw an interception on the opening drive of the second half, having been shut out of the tip zone because the Chiefs trailed 10-3 heading into the break. Butker then moved the reigning champions inside 4 when he kicked a brand new Tremendous Bowl-record 57-yard area aim, simply an hour after San Francisco’s Jake Moody had damaged the report himself with a 55-yard kick.
Then got here the error, a Kansas Metropolis punt ricocheting off the ankle of Darrell Luter and permitting the Chiefs’ Jaylen Watson to get better on the 49ers’ 16-yard line. Mahomes punished instantly as he picked out a wide-open Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard landing to provide Kansas Metropolis their first lead of the evening at 13-10.
Purdy overthrew an open Deebo Samuel behind the tip zone on the following drive, earlier than ultimately capping a 12-play, 75-yard response with a 10-yard scoring strike to Jauan Jennings by the use of a number of damaged tackles from his standout large receiver. Extra drama would observe when Moody’s further level was batted down by Leo Chenal to maintain it a three-point sport.
The 49ers sought to capitalise as they held the Chiefs to a 24-yard Butker area aim in reply due to Javon Hargrave’s third-and-goal sack on Mahomes.
With 1.53 to play, rookie kicker Moody held his nerve to provide the 49ers a 19-16 lead with a 53-yard area aim, earlier than Mahomes marched the Chiefs downfield to arrange Butker’s game-levelling 29-yarder to ship it to time beyond regulation.
As soon as there, Steve Spagnuolo dared to ship the strain towards Purdy and reaped the rewards because the presence of Chris Jones pressured an incompletion on third-and-four to restrict San Francisco to a 27-yard area aim from Moody.
It was then over to Mahomes, who embraced the strain to orchestrate a 13-play drive throughout which he salvaged a second-and-13 state of affairs to encourage the Chiefs to a historic Tremendous Bowl title.
Stats leaders:
San Francisco 49ers
- Passing: Brock Purdy, 23/38, 255 yards, 1 TD
- Speeding: Christian McCaffrey, 22 carries, 80 yards
- Receiving: Christian McCaffrey, 8 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
- Passing: Patrick Mahomes, 34/46, 333 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- Speeding: Patrick Mahomes, 9 carries, 66 yards
- Receiving: Travis Kelce, 9 catches, 93 yards
Cagey was the phrase for a fragmented, imperfect, penalty-heavy and defensive-driven first half, throughout which the 49ers assumed a stronghold even when the scoreline could not have steered it.
The defining flash-point arrived with 4 minutes left within the half when large receiver Jennings obtained a lateral from Purdy earlier than tossing it again throughout the sphere to Christian McCaffrey, who strolled in for a 21-yard landing and a 10-0 benefit on the finish of an eight-play drive.
Moody opened the scoring in between seven drives that resulted in both a punt or a fumble when he break up the posts with a 55-yard area aim, briefly the longest kick in Tremendous Bowl historical past.
San Francisco had threatened on a slick opening drive till McCaffrey fumbled underneath contact from Mike Pennel and Leo Chenal, with Greek defensive finish George Karlaftis readily available to get better.
Mahomes thought he had sparked the Chiefs into life when he rolled left earlier than unleashing a 53-yard strike to Hardman to set them up on the nine-yard line, just for Isiah Pacheco to lose a fumble on the following play.
The Chiefs did ultimately get on the board when Butker kicked a 28-yard area aim with 20 seconds remaining within the half, a promising drive stalling following Arik Armstead’s sack of Mahomes on third-and-five.
San Francisco had earlier been dealt a serious blow within the opening half when star linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered an Achilles harm whereas working onto the sphere.
Rating abstract
What did they are saying?
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes: “This sport was a microcosm of our entire complete season. The protection stored us in there and the offense made performs when it counted. I am happy with the blokes, they stored believing. Simply know that the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are by no means underdogs.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid: “There was no doubting it. The blokes had been nice. The protection performed out of their thoughts, and the offense simply stored persevering, pushing and pushing. It was stunning.”
Sky Sports activities NFL’s Phoebe Schecter on Brock Purdy and the 49ers: “All the time the bridesmaid, by no means the bride. They’re at all times on the verge, simply lacking that one piece. However they need to be completely happy with what they did. Brock Purdy was in his first full 12 months on the helm at QB. He did an exceptional job tonight. The stage was actually by no means too large for him. Sure, there have been a few missed throws however he overcame that and took it time beyond regulation in his first ever Tremendous Bowl look.”
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