49ers fall 25-22 to Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII overtime heartbreaker

The San Francisco 49ers were in position to win their sixth championship in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night, but in the end the best player in the world would not be denied.

The 49ers fell 25-22 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, losing on a game-winning drive led by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 49ers were dominant on defense in the first half, limiting the Chiefs to a late field goal while taking a 10-3 lead to the half. The teams exchanged blows in the second half, leading to a tied score at 16 late in the fourth quarter, then the 49ers took a 19-16 lead on a late field goal from kicker Jake Moody before a last-minute drive from the Chiefs tied the score at 19 to send the game to overtime. The 49ers opened the overtime with a field goal to take a 22-19 lead, but then quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on a 13-play, 75-yard drive for the ages that ended with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman for the win.

Mahomes finished with 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 34-of-46 passing with nine carries for 6 yards. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy put up a spirited effort in the loss, connecting on 23-of-38 passes for 255 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions.

First Half

The 49ers opened the game with possession after losing the pre-game coin toss and started at their own 25-yard line following a touchback. The drive got off to a strong start, as the 49ers moved into Chiefs territory in four plays that included runs for 11 and six yards by running back Christian McCaffrey and catches of 11 yards by McCaffrey and 18 yards by fullback Kyle Juszczyk. But the drive came to a halt due to a McCaffrey fumble that was knocked out by defensive tackle Mike Pennell and recovered by defensive end George Karlaftis to give the Chiefs the ball at their own 27-yard line.

The 49ers defense compensated for McCaffrey's fumble by forcing a three-and-out, but the offense shot themselves in the foot once again on the following possession. After an 18-yard completion from Purdy to Aiyuk started the possession, the 49ers moved backwards on consecutive penalties by left tackle Trent Williams (false start, holding), the second of which negated what would have been an 18-yard completion for a first down to tight end George Kittle. The penalties dug the 49ers in a 2nd-and-27 hole that they couldn't quite dig out of and were eventually forced to punt.

The Chiefs took over at their own 11-yard line after a 54-yard punt from Mitch Wishnowsky, then picked up a quick first down on a 10-yard gain by running back Isiah Pacheco. But the 49ers stood strong on defense once again as a sack from defensive end Chase Young set up a 2nd-and-14 after Pacheco's run, then the Chiefs were forced to punt after a pass to wide receiver Rashee Rice for no gain and a scramble for four yards from Mahomes.

A 62-yard punt from Tommy Townsend flipped the field and forced the 49ers to start the next possession at their own 17-yard line. The 49ers moved into Chiefs' territory with the help of an 18-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Conley on 3rd-and-9 followed by a 19-yard completion to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, but the Chiefs forced a 3rd-and-14 after an incomplete pass in the end zone intended for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and a four-yard loss on a handoff to McCaffrey. After another incompletion in the end zone intended for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the 49ers settled for a field goal attempt from Moody, who went on to set a temporary Super Bowl record by splitting the uprights emphatically from 55 yards out to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The next possession resulted in the first major mistake of the game for the Chiefs as the 49ers continued to stand out on defense. On the fourth play of the possession, Mahomes fired a pass deep downfield for a 53-yard completion to Hardman to set up a 1st-and-Goal at the 49ers' 9-yard line. But on the next play, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir knocked the ball loose from Pacheco for a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, giving the 49ers the ball at the 8-yard line.

A run from Purdy combined with a horse collar penalty pushed the 49ers to the Chiefs' 32-yard line, then the 49ers were forced to punt three plays later. The Chiefs started at their own 20-yard line after the punt, but of much more importance was what happened when the 49ers' defense took the field. When running onto the field from the sidelines, linebacker Dre Greenlaw fell to the ground due to a fluke non-contact injury when he took a bad step on the turf. Greenlaw was carted to the locker room after the injury, which was announced to be to his Achilles.

The 49ers' pass rush continued to get to Mahomes on the next possession, as after an intentional grounding on first down forced by Chase Young, the Chiefs fell into a 2nd-and-20 and were eventually forced to a three-and-out. After that, the 49ers put together a touchdown drive that ended with a play to remember. A combination of runs and passes moved the ball to the Chiefs' 37-yard line, then the 49ers got an assist from a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty when cornerback L'Jarius Sneed smacked Aiyuk in the helmet after a play. Two plays later, Purdy lateraled the ball to wide receiver and former high school quarterback Jauan Jennings, who then threw the ball across the field to McCaffrey. McCaffrey did the rest from there, running in from 21 yards out for a touchdown to complete an eight-play, 67-yard drive and take a 10-0 lead.

Just over four minutes remained in the second quarter when the Chiefs took over at their own 25-yard line following the kickoff. Things didn't look promising for the Chiefs when they faced a 3rd-and-9 at their own 40 after the two-minute warning, but Mahomes kept the possession alive with a 21-yard completion into 49ers' territory. After moving inside the 10-yard line, the Chiefs faced a 3rd-and-5 from the 9 with 31 seconds on the clock when Mahomes was sacked for a one-yard loss by defensive tackle Arik Armstead. The Chiefs settled for a 28-yard field goal from kicker Harrison Butker, cutting the lead to 10-3 with 20 seconds remaining after a 13-play, 65-yard drive.

The 49ers ran out the clock after the field goal, taking their lead into halftime. The 49ers finished the half with a 189-to-157 edge in total yardage and a time of possession advantage of 17:07 to 12:53. Purdy and Mahomes both put up 123 passing yards in the first half, with Purdy completing 10-of-15 passes and Mahomes completing 11-of-13.

Second Half

The opening possession of the second half went disastrously for the Chiefs. A botched pitch between Mahomes and Pacheco led to a 12-yard loss on the first play, then the Chiefs picked up 10 yards on a second-down completion to tight end Noah Gray. But the possession came to an end on third down when Mahomes was intercepted by safety Ji'Ayir Brown, giving the 49ers possession at the Chiefs' 44-yard line. The 49ers weren't able to capitalize on the interception, however, as they punted back to the Chiefs after three plays.

Wishnowsky's punt pinned the Chiefs at their own 2-yard line, then the Chiefs punted back to the 49ers after a three-and-out. The 49ers took over at their own 36-yard line after the punt but were hit for an 8-yard loss on a first-down pass to Jennings and eventually punted back to the Chiefs after a three-and-out of their own. The Chiefs started at their own 14-yard line after a devastating hit on return man Richie James by Conley.

Things picked up offensively on the next drive for the Chiefs, who started off the possession with an 11-yard completion to tight end Travis Kelce and later added a 22-yard run by Mahomes to move into 49ers' territory. But the 49ers stiffened on defense from there and forced the Chiefs to settle for a 57-yard field goal attempt from kicker Harrison Butker, which cleared the crossbar and cut the lead to 10-6 while setting a new record for the longest field goal in a Super Bowl.

The 49ers were held to their third consecutive three-and-out on the next possession, then the Chiefs began at their own 27-yard line after the punt. The Chiefs followed with their second three-and-out of the half, but then the 49ers committed their costliest mistake of the game yet when Townsend's punt hit the foot of cornerback Darrell Luter and was recovered by Watson at the 16-yard line when McCloud failed to recover the loose ball. Mahomes connected with wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown on the next play to take a 13-10 lead with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

The 49ers got the response they needed on the next possession, a 12-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Jennings. Purdy and Jennings connected for a crucial 17-yard gain on a 3rd-and-5 earlier in the drive, then a 20-yard completion to Aiyuk later in the possession moved the ball to the Chiefs' 22-yard line. An incomplete pass and two runs from McCaffrey set up a 4th-and-3 after the catch by Aiyuk, which the 49ers converted on a 4-yard completion to tight end George Kittle. Purdy found Jennings two plays later for the score, but the point after attempt was blocked, leaving the score at 16-13 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game.

The lead was short-lived as the Chiefs responded with a 12-play, 59-yard drive that ended in a 24-yard field goal from Butker to tie the game at 16 with 5:46 left to play. Mahomes connected with Kelce for gains of 16 and 13 yards early in the drive, the second of which came on a 3rd-on-10, then Mahomes moved the Chiefs to the 49ers' 21-yard line on a 25-yard completion to Watson. After runs from Pacheco set the Chiefs up with a 1st-and-Goal at the 4-yard line, the 49ers stepped up by holding Pacheco to a 1-yard gain on first down, then forced an incompletion on second down and got a third-down sack from Hargrave to set up the field goal.

The 49ers took over at their own 25-yard line after a touchback, then Purdy came out firing with a 23-yard completion to Jennings on first down. From there the 49ers took to the ground for three plays to chew up some clock, moving the ball to the 35-yard line on runs from Samuel and McCaffrey. A pass for no gain to Kittle moved the clock to the 2-minute warning, then a blitz from the Chiefs forced an incompletion on 3rd-and-5. Moody lined up for a 53-yard field goal with 1:53 remaining and cleared the crossbar with room to spare, giving the 49ers a 19-16 lead.

Moody booted the kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, then the Chiefs got to work at their own 25-yard line. Mahomes connected with Kelce for a 9-yard completion on first down, then moved the ball to midfield after a 3-yard run and a 12-yard completion to Gray. Mahomes then added an 8-yard completion to Watson, then threw an incompletion to stop the clock with 52 seconds remaining. A 7-yard completion to running back Jerick McKinnon on a 3rd-and-2 moved the ball to the 49ers' 36-yard line, then after a time out, Mahomes ran up the middle for three yards before another incompletion stopped the clock at 21 seconds. On a 3rd-and-7 from the 33-yard line, Mahomes and Kelce connected for a 22-yard gain to move to the 11-yard line with ten seconds remaining, then after an incompletion to Kelce on the next play, Butker connected from 29 yards to tie the game at 19 with three seconds remaining. The 49ers ran out the clock on the next possession to end regulation.

Overtime

The 49ers won the coin toss and elected to take the ball to start overtime. Their offense fizzled to start the drive, winding up in a 3rd-and-13 after a first-down incompletion and a false start penalty that was followed by a 2-yard run by McCaffrey. But they got a break on third down when Jennings drew a defensive holding call on cornerback Trent McDuffie, giving the 49ers a first down. Two runs from McCaffrey after the penalty set up a 3rd-and-2, then Purdy found Aiyuk for an 11-yard gain to the 49ers' 46-yard line.

After a 4-yard run from McCaffrey, the 49ers hit a big play when McCaffrey took a short pass from Purdy and ran 24 yards to the Chiefs' 26-yard line. McCaffrey followed the catch with an 8-yard run to move the ball to the 18-yard line, then a holding call on tight end Brayden Willis negated a 4-yard run for a first down by running back Elijah Mitchell and set up a 2nd-and-12. But Purdy responded with a dazzling 13-yard completion to Juszczyk to set up a first down at the 15-yard line.

McCaffrey ran six yards to the 9-yard line, then was stopped for no gain on second down. Purdy's third down pass fell incomplete under pressure, forcing the 49ers to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Moody to take a 22-19 lead with 7:22 remaining.

Moody booted another touchback after the field goal, setting the Chiefs up at their own 25-yard line with a chance to win the Super Bowl. A 3-yard run from Pacheco followed by a 6-yard catch from Rice set up a 3rd-and-1, then Pacheco was stuffed for no gain to set up a 4th-and-1 from the Chiefs' 34. After a time out, Mahomes ran out of the shotgun for an 8-yard gain to give the Chiefs a first down.

A 3-yard loss on a pass to Valdes-Scantling followed by a 7-yard completion to Valdes-Scantling set up a 3rd-and-6. Mahomes converted with a pass over the middle to Rice, which he took into 49ers territory for a 13-yard gain.

Pacheco followed Rice's catch with a 4-yard run to the 37-yard line, then Mahomes and Pacheco connected for a 5-yard gain. Mahomes then made a clutch 19-yard scramble to the 13-yard line, then moved to the 3-yard line after a 3-yard run from Pacheco and a 7-yard catch by Kelce. Then, with three seconds on the clock, Mahomes found Hardman for the touchdown, sending the Chiefs to their second consecutive Super Bowl win.

Mahomes was named MVP for his performance, giving him the third Super Bowl MVP of his career. The win was also the third for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, while 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl record fell to 0-2 with the loss.

Game Notes: The win was the fourth in six Super Bowl appearances for the Chiefs, who now have victories in three of the past five Super Bowls... The 49ers are stuck on five Super Bowl wins in eight appearances. Their last win came in Super Bowl XXIX in 1994... The 49ers were listed as two-point favorites over the Chiefs heading into Super Bowl Sunday... Jennings became the second player in history to record a passing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same Super Bowl, joining Nick Foles.

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