By all standards, this was one of the most exciting Super Bowls we have witnessed in the past couple of years. The Chiefs have gone and done it again in dramatic fashion, and Patrick Mahomes did what he always does: he put the team on his back. For the 49er faithful, this is definitely a tough pill to swallow, and you could feel the energy sucked out of the stadium when Mecole Hardman caught that overtime Touchdown to seal it.
Fans were taken on a rollercoaster of emotions in this one as so many unexpected things happened throughout the course of the game that only added to the drama. Turnovers, injuries, massive kicks, receivers throwing touchdowns and overtime? This game really didn't have any shortage of excitement, and as many predicted, it could have gone either way. This was a defensive battle early on, and it looked like the 49ers were going to get off to a hot start until a rare fumble by none other than Christian McCaffrey. This didn't even shift the momentum, as the 49er's defence stood tall and got the ball back to their offence. I think it is fair to say the 49ers played a better first half, and not only did they look composed, but they didn't seem fazed by the fact that it was the Super Bowl and took a gamble on some trick plays. I still can't believe they put the ball in the hands of Jauan Jennings to throw it, and it paid off! For a moment, it looked like this game was going to be one of the lowest-scoring games in Super Bowl history, with both teams struggling to find the endzone, but you have to commend the work done by both kickers, Mood and Butker. Rookie vs Vet showdown, and it looked to be the battle of the biggest boot, with both kickers breaking the record for the longest kick in Super Bowl history.
As I mentioned, so many things happened in this game that couldn't have been expected. One of the biggest was Dre Greenlaw's non-contact Achilles injury when the Defense was going back out on the field. This man is a tone-setter on the defensive end for this team, and having him go down was a huge blow. As they have all season, the 49ers filled the void as best they could and still did a great job early on against both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Speaking of Kelce, everyone saw his frustration early on when he got in the face of coach Andy Reid on the sideline. The Chiefs really looked out of sorts in moments of this game, but they always managed to keep themselves within striking distance.
Overtime in the Super Bowl is a rarity, and it really didn't look like it would happen with the drama at the end of the fourth quarter. Not only did Moody nail a 50+ yard bomb to give the 49ers a late lead, but it looked like Patrick Mahomes was going to march down the field and end this one in regulation, but the 49ers were able to hold them to just three, thus forcing overtime. I think the last quarterback you ever want to face in overtime is Mahomes, and fans were definitely a little uneasy when the 49ers marched down the field and only put up three points. Mahomes got his chance to answer, and the rest is history…
What does this result mean for both teams? The Chiefs dynasty continues to grow as they have not only won three Super Bowls in the last five years but also two in a row and have the core to do it all again. For the 49ers, although this was a tough one, it was a great learning experience for this entire organization and the young franchise QB Brock Purdy. If they can keep the majority of this team together, they are more than capable of making another run. This rivalry will only continue to build between these two teams, and we can't see it in the future but don't be surprised if we see another rematch as early as next year.