Kansas City Chiefs Are The Champs of the World
Kansas City Chiefs Are The Champs of the World
Mahomes and Crew make a huge comeback against the Niners to win Super Bowl 54.
After a long 17 weeks and 3 weeks of playoffs, it was finally here. The Kansas City Chiefs would go to battle against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54. Let’s break down the game and how it all played out.
Methodical Start
The Niners were going into this game with the same game plan they have had all year, run the ball and make plays on defense. In the first quarter, San Francisco did a good job of sticking to this game plan but found themselves tied at halftime with a score of 10-10. The only touchdowns at this point were a one-yard touchdown run by Patrick Mahomes and a 15-yard touchdown to Kyle Juszcyzk on a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo. The first half included only one turnover, an interception thrown by Jimmy Garoppolo by Bashaud Breeland.
Time Management Issues
With a minute left in the first half, San Fran was getting the ball back, plus receiving the kickoff in the second half. With three timeouts left, it looked like the Niners could get some points on the board before halftime. Kyle Shanahan, coach of the Niners, decided otherwise. It wasn’t until there was 20 seconds left when he called his first and only timeout of the half, opting to play it safe for the second half. For a while, it looked like a smart move considering the third quarter that the Niners had.
Dominance in the Third
From the start to the end of the third quarter, the San Francisco 49ers took full control of this game, outscoring the Chiefs 10-0 in the quarter and it was not looking good for KC. After a Robbie Gould field goal and an interception by Fred Warner, the Niners drove 55 yards on 6 plays to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Raheem Mostert. The Niners led 20-10 with 2:35 in the third left to go. Patrick Mahomes, who looked uncomfortable from the pressure of Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, was missing open receivers with over and underthrows, bad decisions, and a lot of running away from a sack. At the start of the fourth quarter, Mahomes was picked yet again, putting the Niners in complete control to seal the deal on this game. The light was dim for KC, but not dark.
Down, But Never Out
All postseason, the Chiefs have had to make comebacks to win their games. In the Divisional Round, it was a 24-0 deficit, in the AFC Championship, it was a 17-7 deficit. Now, with 8:53 left in the season, Kansas City was down 10 with the ball, and needed one more comeback to seal the deal. On 3rd and 15, Patrick Mahomes threw a 44-yard bomb to Tyreek Hill to completely flip field position. A play that showed life, a play that saved their season. After a pass interference by the Niners, Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for the touchdown to make it 20-17. After yet another failure at a shot to put away the game, it was time for Patrick Mahomes to be great, and great he was. On the next drive, Mahomes showed why he is the best to do it, accounting for all 71 yards on the drive that led to a 5-yard passing touchdown to Damien Williams to put them up 24-20. The Chiefs would later add another touchdown, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Another win, another comeback, but only the beginning of a dynasty. The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl XLIV by a score of 31-20 over the San Francisco 49ers, their first in 50 years.
Undrafted or Unfazed?
One of the unsung heroes in this game was Kansas City running back Damien Williams. Williams signed with the Miami Dolphins after being undrafted, and eventually he was cut after little opportunity. In Super Bowl XLIV, Williams made the most of his opportunity, rushing for 104 yards on 17 attempts with a game-clinching touchdown. He also chipped in a receiving touchdown that put Kansas City ahead for good.
Tale of Two Coaches
Andy Reid finally did it. In all his years of coaching, his only knock was that he couldn’t win the big game. After 21 long years of coaching, Reid is finally a Super Bowl champion, and will now be considered one of the all-time great coaches. As for the other side, Kyle Shanahan is going to have the burden of blowing yet another lead. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcon team that blew a 28-3 lead against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Now three years later, Shanahan’s squad blew a lead, but he was the head coach this time. Can he get this burden off him, or is this going to become a theme for him as a coach?
-By: Richie Dordas
