By ROB MAADDI (AP Pro Football Writer)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
Mahomes threw a 3-yard landing go to Mecole Hardman in extra time, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, changing into the primary repeat Super Bowl champs in 19 years and ninth general.
With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a set, the Chiefs captured their third title in 5 years and firmly established themselves as a dynasty.
The NFL’s first Super Bowl in Las Vegas was a sloppy, mistake-filled affair that was largely boring till the back-and-forth fourth quarter and OT. It was the second of 58 Super Bowls to be tied after regulation, and the primary performed below new extra time guidelines that ensured each groups bought the ball.
The Chiefs (15-6) trailed 22-19 after Jake Moody kicked a 27-yard subject aim on the primary possession of extra time, however Mahomes rallied the Chiefs, finishing one other spectacular comeback in a rematch of the Super Bowl 4 years in the past.
Mahomes ran 8 yards on fourth-and-1 to maintain the Chiefs’ probabilities alive after which scrambled 19 yards to arrange the profitable rating, which got here 14:57 into the additional interval — simply earlier than what would have been the second OT.
“With all the adversity we’ve been through this season to come through tonight. … I’m proud of the guys,” mentioned Mahomes, who was named MVP. “This is awesome. Legendary.”
After he related with a wide-open Hardman, the Chiefs ran on the sphere as red-and-yellow confetti fell onto the turf.
The most pleasure within the first half got here when a pissed off Kelce bumped Andy Reid on the sideline, knocking the Chiefs’ 65-year-old coach just a few steps again after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled contained in the pink zone in the course of the second quarter.
“You guys saw that?” Kelce mentioned. “I’m going to keep it between us unless my ‘mic’d up’ tells the world. I was just telling him how much I loved him.”
The motion picked up after an important blunder by San Francisco’s particular groups arrange Mahomes’ 16-yard TD go to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 13-10 lead.
Brock Purdy and the 49ers (14-6) answered however they couldn’t make sufficient performs, denying Mr. Irrelevant a possibility to go from final choose within the 2022 NFL draft to Super Bowl champion.
Mahomes and Reid at the moment are midway to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who gained six championships in 20 years along with the New England Patriots and have been the newest workforce to go back-to-back following the 2003-04 seasons.
The 28-year-old Mahomes turns into the fourth beginning QB to win three Super Bowls — becoming a member of Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman — and second-youngest.
Niners extensive receiver Jauan Jennings threw a TD go and caught one, becoming a member of Eagles quarterback Nick Foles six years in the past as the one gamers to do each within the Super Bowl.
After Moody’s 53-yard subject aim gave the Niners a 19-16 lead with 1:53 remaining, Mahomes and Kelce went to work. Mahomes related with Kelce for a 22-yard acquire to arrange Harrison Butker’s tying kick, a 29-yarder with 3 seconds left.
A holding name on Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie prolonged San Francisco’s opening drive of extra time and Purdy made key throws to drive the 49ers to the Chiefs 9. But San Francisco settled for a subject aim.
Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners jumped forward 10-0, however that’s no huge deal for Mahomes and the Chiefs within the Super Bowl. They’ve trailed by 10 factors in all three of their victories, together with final 12 months’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia.
Mahomes wasn’t at his finest early and threw an interception. But with the sport on the road, he was a magician as soon as once more. He completed 34 of 46 for 333 yards and two TDs.
The Chiefs have been hardly dominant in the course of the common season and entered the playoffs because the AFC’s No. 3 seed. They gained at Buffalo and at Baltimore within the postseason — the primary highway playoff video games of Mahomes’ profession — and entered the Super Bowl as 2 1/2-point underdogs, in response to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs. Just know that,” Mahomes mentioned.
The recreation turned when San Francisco’s Ray-Ray McCloud couldn’t scoop a punt that hit teammate Darrell Luter Jr.’s leg and the Chiefs recovered on the 49ers 16, resulting in Mahomes’ go-ahead TD go to Valdes-Scantling.
The Niners answered on the subsequent possession with Purdy tossing a 10-yard TD go to Jennings for a 16-13 lead. Moody’s further level was blocked.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan gambled on fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs 15, passing up an opportunity for a tying subject aim. Purdy hit George Kittle for a 4-yard acquire after which discovered Jennings for the rating.
Shanahan resorted to trickery for the one landing within the first half.
Jennings, a large receiver who had by no means thrown a go in an NFL recreation, tossed a 21-yard TD to McCaffrey. He was hit as he threw, however McCaffrey snagged the wobbly go throughout the sphere and sprinted to the top zone.
Shanahan fell to 0-2 as a head coach in Super Bowls and 0-3 general, together with a loss when he was offensive coordinator for Atlanta. That was the sport through which Brady and the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit to win in OT.
There have been loads of stars within the constructing because the NFL introduced its largest recreation to America’s showcase capital. Jay-Z, LeBron James and Paul McCartney have been amongst many celebrities within the crowd.
Post Malone sang “America the Beautiful,” Reba McEntire carried out the nationwide anthem and Usher electrified the group at halftime. He introduced out numerous visitors, together with Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Attendance was introduced at 61,629, the smallest crowd in Super Bowl historical past aside from the pandemic recreation in Tampa, Florida, three years in the past.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com