Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Super Bowl LVIII

2024 National Football League championship game From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Super Bowl LVIII
Remove ads
"2024 Super Bowl" redirects here. For the Super Bowl at the completion of the 2024 season, see Super Bowl LIX.

Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime. The Chiefs became the first NFL team since the 2004 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowls.[5] The game was played on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. It was the first Super Bowl to be held in the state of Nevada.[6][7]

Quick facts San Francisco 49ers (1)(NFC) (12–5), Kansas City Chiefs (3)(AFC) (11–6) ...

This was the Chiefs' fourth Super Bowl appearance and third win in five years, their last loss coming in Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.[8] It was the second Super Bowl to be decided in overtime, the first being Super Bowl LI, seven years earlier.[9][10][11] Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP), completing 34 of 46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Due to the seating capacity of Allegiant Stadium, the game's sellout attendance of 61,629 was the smallest unrestricted crowd in Super Bowl history, and the smallest unrestricted NFL Championship attendance since December 1946 (58,346).[12][13]

The game was televised nationally by CBS, streamed on Paramount+, alternatively broadcast on youth-oriented sister network Nickelodeon, and televised on the Spanish-language network Univision.[14] It was also the second simulcast in Super Bowl history, and the first since Super Bowl I.[15] Super Bowl LVIII became the most watched program in American television history, with a total of 123.7 million average viewers across all platforms, which broke the average record of 115.1 million viewers set by the previous year's Super Bowl.[16][3] This record would again be broken the following year. The game saw the highest unduplicated total audience in history with more than 200 million viewers watching all or part of the game.[17] It was the most-watched United States broadcast since the Apollo 11 moon landing.[18] The halftime show, headlined by Usher, peaked at 129 million viewers.[19][20][21][22] The game's net playing time of 74 minutes and 57 seconds ranks as the longest in Super Bowl history.[23] Due to the game's competitive and unpredictable nature throughout, as well as its overtime finish, it is ranked as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.[24][25][26]

For the third straight year the Super Bowl was played in the Western United States, following host cities Inglewood, California, in 2022 and Glendale, Arizona, in 2023. It was the first Super Bowl since its inception that George Toma did not serve as groundskeeper.[27]

Remove ads

Background

Summarize
Perspective

Host selection

Thumb
Allegiant Stadium, February 2024

On May 23, 2018, the NFL picked the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to host Super Bowl LVIII. The league picked the winning city from a list of candidates that it had compiled, a process that replaced an earlier one in which cities that wished to host a Super Bowl submitted bids to be debated and voted upon at the league owners' meetings.[28][7]

In March 2020, the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to expand the regular season from 16 to 17 games beginning in 2021, pushing Super Bowl LVIII from February 4, 2024 to February 11, and causing a conflict with the city's Mardi Gras celebrations.[29]

The NFL announced on October 14, 2020, that New Orleans would host Super Bowl LIX instead of Super Bowl LVIII,[30] and then announced on December 15, 2021, that Allegiant Stadium was chosen as the new site.[31]

The official logo was unveiled on February 13, 2023; it follows the updated logo template established by Super Bowl LVI, with the traditional Roman numerals containing imagery reflecting the host city/region—in this case, a sunset behind the skyline of the Las Vegas Strip and the Las Vegas sign. The numerals were also slanted inward to evoke the architecture of resorts such as the Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas. The unveiling of this logo was met with acclaim, with many praising its originality and its effective representation of the host city's spirit amid the standardized designs used since 2011.[32][33]

Remove ads

Teams

Summarize
Perspective

San Francisco 49ers

Main article: 2023 San Francisco 49ers season
Thumb
Brock Purdy was the third-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. (Purdy pictured in 2021 with the Iowa State Cyclones)

Under seventh-year head coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers ended the 2023 season with a 12–5 record, the NFC's No. 1 seed, and a first-round bye.[34]

Following the success of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who led them to an NFC Championship Game the previous season, the 49ers traded away Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and made Purdy the full-time starter.[35] In his first full season as the starter, Purdy was named to the Pro Bowl, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions and finished with a passer rating of 113.0, the highest in the league.[36] The offense was also led by first-team All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, whom the 49ers acquired midway through the 2022 season.[37] He led the league in scrimmage yards (2,023) and total touchdowns (21). San Francisco's receiving core was led by Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel, all of whom gained more than 1,000 scrimmage yards.[36] The 49ers were the first team in league history to have four players with over 1,000 scrimmage yards.[38] The 49ers' offense finished second in the league in total offense with 398.4 yards per game, which included finishing fourth in pass yards per game (257.9) and third in rush yards per game (140.5).[39] The offensive line was spearheaded by left tackle Trent Williams, who received his third First-team All-Pro selection and his 11th Pro Bowl nomination.[40]

On defense, the 49ers finished third in the league in scoring defense, giving up 17.5 points per game, and finished first in the league with 22 interceptions (tied with the Chicago Bears).[41] San Francisco's defensive line featured Pro Bowl defensive end Nick Bosa, who led the team with 10.5 sacks, along with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (seven sacks) and Arik Armstead (five sacks).[36] First-team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner led the team with 132 combined tackles, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks.[36] The secondary was led by second-team All-Pro cornerbacks Charvarius Ward (five interceptions and 72 tackles) and Deommodore Lenoir (three interceptions, 84 tackles).[36]

This game marked the 49ers' eighth Super Bowl appearance.[42] The franchise won its first five Super Bowl appearances (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX) but lost its last two before this game (XLVII and LIV). If the 49ers won the game, they would have been the first NFC team to win six Super Bowls and the third team overall, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, in that order.[43]

Kansas City Chiefs

Main article: 2023 Kansas City Chiefs season
Thumb
With quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs were trying to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since 2005. (Mahomes pictured in 2021)

Kansas City entered the 2023 NFL season as defending Super Bowl champions, having won Super Bowl LVII. They finished the 2023 season with an 11–6 record, their 11th consecutive winning season and eighth consecutive AFC West title under eleventh-year head coach Andy Reid, and as the No. 3 seed in the AFC.[44]

In his sixth season as the starter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his worst statistical season in several categories, including yards per attempt (7.0), passing yards per game (261.4), interceptions (14), and passer rating (92.6).[45] His receivers struggled at several points throughout the season,[46] and going into week 18, the Chiefs led the league in dropped passes. Despite this, Mahomes set a career-high in completion percentage with 67.2% while throwing for 27 touchdowns.[47] Tight end Travis Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving yards for the fourth time in five seasons, but finished with under 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2015.[48] Rookie receiver Rashee Rice led the Chiefs' wide receivers with 938 yards and seven touchdowns, while second-year running back Isiah Pacheco ran for 935 yards and seven touchdowns.[49] The offensive line featured two Pro Bowl selections: guard Joe Thuney and center Creed Humphrey.[50]

The Chiefs' defensive line featured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had 10.5 sacks, and defensive end George Karlaftis (10.5 sacks). The secondary was led by cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed (two interceptions, 78 tackles, 14 pass deflections) and All Pro Trent McDuffie (80 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, 3 sacks), along with safety Justin Reid (team-high 95 tackles, 1 interception, 3 sacks).[51]

Super Bowl LVIII was the Chiefs' sixth Super Bowl appearance and fourth in the past five seasons. Entering the game, the Chiefs had won three Super Bowls (IV, LIV, and LVII) and lost two (I and LV). The Chiefs also won one pre-Super Bowl era AFL Championship, in 1962 (as the Dallas Texans).[52]

Playoffs

Main article: 2023–24 NFL playoffs

As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the 49ers received a first-round bye.[53] In the NFC Divisional Round, the 49ers hosted the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers. Although the Packers took a 21–14 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the 49ers rallied to win the game 24–21 thanks to a late game-winning drive led by Brock Purdy that ended with a touchdown by Christian McCaffrey. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw sealed the game for the 49ers by intercepting quarterback Jordan Love on the Packers' final drive. This allowed the 49ers to advance to their third straight NFC Championship Game and their fourth in the last five seasons.[54] In that game, the 49ers hosted the No. 3 seed Detroit Lions. The 49ers fell behind quickly, trailing 24–7 at halftime. They scored 27 straight points to take a 34–24 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Lions scored one more touchdown after that but failed to recover the ensuing onside kick attempt, sending the 49ers to their second Super Bowl in five seasons with a 34–31 win.[55]

As the No. 3 seed in the AFC,[56] the Chiefs hosted the No. 6 seed Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card Round. Due to a cold wave in mid-January, the temperature was −4 °F (−20 °C) at this game's kickoff, which was the fourth-coldest in NFL history.[57] The Chiefs defeated the Dolphins 26–7.[58] The Dolphins' only points in the game came from a touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The win saw the Chiefs play their first away playoff game in the Mahomes era, the AFC Divisional Round against the No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills. This game saw five lead changes between the two teams. The Chiefs won 27–24 as Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal wide right in the final two minutes.[59] With that win, the Chiefs advanced to their sixth straight AFC Championship Game, which they played on the road against the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens. Miscues on both offense and defense doomed the Ravens; the Chiefs led 17–7 at halftime and came up with big defensive stops in the second half to win 17–10.[60] The Chiefs advanced to their fourth Super Bowl in five seasons.[44]

Pre-game notes

Thumb
Thumb
The relationship between Taylor Swift (left) and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (right) attracted significant media attention prior to the game.

As the designated home team in the Super Bowl's annual rotation between the two conferences, the Chiefs chose to wear their red home jerseys with white pants. The 49ers wore their white away jerseys with gold pants.[61][62]

As the designated home team, the Chiefs practiced at the host team Las Vegas Raiders' practice facility in Henderson, Nevada, during the week leading up to the game. The 49ers practiced at UNLV's Fertitta Football Complex in Paradise, Nevada.[63] Both teams stayed off-Strip at luxury hotels at the Lake Las Vegas resort area east of the city, with the Chiefs staying at the Westin and the 49ers staying at the Hilton.[64]

The game was a rematch of Super Bowl LIV (played in February 2020), in which the Chiefs defeated the 49ers, 31–20,[65] overcoming a 10-point fourth quarter deficit.[66] Mahomes was named the MVP of that Super Bowl. Bill Vinovich was also the referee for that game,[65] making him the first referee to preside over two Super Bowl meetings between the same teams.[67] This was also the third meeting between teams from Kansas City and the San Francisco Bay Area for a major professional sports championship, which previously occurred in the 2014 World Series and the aforementioned Super Bowl LIV.

This game was also the first since Super Bowl LV to feature the defending champion. That game saw the defending champion Chiefs fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[68]

The game was dubbed by fans and media outlets as the "Taylor Swift Bowl" or "Swiftie Bowl", referencing singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her fans, which are known as Swifties. The season broke viewership, merchandise, and ticket sales records for the NFL, following Swift's relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and her frequent appearances at Chiefs games.[69][70][71] Fans who began supporting the Chiefs due to Swift's association with them have been dubbed as "Chiefties".[72]

As has been the case with the Chiefs in many nationally televised and publicized games in the past, some Indigenous groups used the high profile of Super Bowl LVIII to call on the team to change its name and for their fans to end the use of the tomahawk chop.[73]

Remove ads

Broadcasting

Summarize
Perspective

United States

Television

Super Bowl LVIII was televised by CBS, the network's 22nd broadcast of the game.[74] It was the first Super Bowl to be broadcast under the new 11-year NFL television contract, which began a four-year rotation between CBS, Fox, NBC, and ABC/ESPN.[15][75]

CBS used 165 cameras, including six embedded within the goal posts ("doink cams"), 48 for high-frame-rate video (24 of which were in 4K for zooming), and 23 for augmented reality effects.[74] Robotic cameras were placed in the city at The Strat, Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, and the Renaissance Las Vegas; another camera ran on a wire over the Bellagio fountains.[74] CBS televised the game in 1080p with high-dynamic-range (HDR) color, upconverted to 4K UHD on Paramount+ and participating television providers.[76][74] CBS built a studio set in front of the Bellagio fountains, from which it broadcast CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ programs during Super Bowl week, as well as editions of CBS Mornings and The Talk. The NFL Today began its pre-game coverage from the studio, then moved to sets outside Allegiant Stadium, then into the stadium as kickoff time approached.[77]

CBS's lead broadcast team of Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color commentary), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter), and Gene Steratore (rules analyst) called their third Super Bowl together, joined by additional sideline reporter Evan Washburn and special teams analyst Jay Feely.[78][74] The pre-game show featured CBS Sports personalities Kyle Brandt, James Brown, Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher, Charles Davis, Ian Eagle, Boomer Esiason, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, Matt Ryan, Phil Simms, and J. J. Watt.[74] The series premiere of Tracker aired after the game.[79] After late local programming, CBS also aired special Sunday-night episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and After Midnight.[80]

TelevisaUnivision announced in May 2023 that it had reached an agreement with CBS to carry Super Bowl LVIII via TUDN;[81][82][83] the TUDN division was represented at the game by both Univision and Mexican network Canal 5, which produced separate broadcasts for each territory.[84] Ramses Sandoval, Memo Schutz, and Martín Gramática were the broadcast team for Univision.[85] CBS also carried Spanish commentary via SAP on the main broadcast.[86] CBS had previously sub-licensed the Spanish-language rights to its last three Super Bowl games to ESPN Deportes.[87][88]

On August 1, 2023, CBS Sports announced that it would carry a youth-oriented alternate broadcast of the game on Paramount Global sister network Nickelodeon; the network has aired alternate broadcasts of select NFL games since 2021, but this was the first such broadcast for a Super Bowl.[89] Billed as Super Bowl LVIII: Live from Bikini Bottom, the broadcast incorporated SpongeBob SquarePants-themed augmented reality effects and features (in addition to those seen on previous games aired by the network), and live appearances by characters from the series (such as "analysts" SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, along with "sideline reporter" Sandy Cheeks) accompanying announcers Noah Eagle and Nate Burleson.[90] Nickelodeon aired the series premiere of Rock Paper Scissors after the game.[91]

Advertising

CBS charged $6.5 million to $7 million for a 30-second commercial, remaining steady with the previous year's game.[92] Several health and beauty brands bought ads during the game, with analysts suggesting that these buys may have been motivated by Taylor Swift's presence at the game, and the potential for increased viewership by women.[93] FanDuel's ad following their second "Kick of Destiny" featured a posthumous appearance by actor Carl Weathers, who died on February 1, 2024.[94] Most of the advertising time sold by CBS also included airtime on the Nickelodeon simulcast, and selected advertisers were given opportunities to participate in promotional initiatives incorporating Nickelodeon personalities. Commercials for products inappropriate for children (such as alcohol, gambling, and R-rated films) were not carried; Paramount Global sold about 15 Nickelodeon-specific advertising slots for $200,000 to $300,000 each to replace these ads.[95][96]

Amid the AI boom, a number of commercials advertised AI-related products and services, including Crowdstrike, Etsy's "Gift Mode" (powered by OpenAI GPT-4), Microsoft Copilot, and AI-based photo editing features on Google Pixel 8 smartphones. Generative AI was satirized by a tease for Despicable Me 4 depicting an AI art generator that was actually being run by minions.[97] A super PAC supporting 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aired a spot, which called back to his uncle, John F. Kennedy’s campaign, during the game.[98] Kennedy faced criticism from family members and friends who argued that the ad "exploits and potentially tarnishes the legacy of a storied political family".[99] Chinese online marketplace Temu showed their spot five times during and shortly after the game.[100]

Beyoncé starred in a Verizon commercial co-starring actor Tony Hale; after trying to "break the internet" in various ways to no avail, she concluded the commercial by declaring "Okay, they ready. Drop the new music". At that time, the singer posted a teaser video on Instagram for her next studio album.[101][102]

A Vrbo commercial (which had aired 17 days prior to the game)[103] was criticized by Newfoundland and Labrador over the misappropriation of the folk song "I's the B'y" in a scene set in a vacation rental out of a farmhouse that is overcrowded with animals.[104] The provincial government demanded that the commercial be removed from Canadian television; Vrbo apologized on February 15 and announced that it would follow through doing so.[105]

Disney, 20th Century Studios, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures unveiled trailers for their upcoming films during the game, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Wicked, Twisters, Monkey Man, The Fall Guy, Kung Fu Panda 4, IF and Bob Marley: One Love.[106][107][108]

The Super Bowl Ad Meter survey conducted by USA Today was won by State Farm for their ad "Like a Good Neighbaaa" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.[109]

Streaming

The game streamed on Paramount+ in English, on TelevisaUnivision's Vix in Spanish,[110] in addition to the paid NFL+ app.[111]

Radio

Westwood One held the national radio rights to the game, airing it on their various affiliates.[112] The broadcast team featured booth announcers Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Kurt Warner (analyst), sideline reporters Mike Golic and Laura Okmin, and rules analyst Dean Blandino. Entravision broadcast the game in Spanish.[113] Annually, over 25 million people listen to the Super Bowl via radio broadcast.[74]

The game was also broadcast in the competing teams' home markets by their flagship radio stations with their local announcers. KNBR 104.5 and 680 aired the 49ers' call of the game with Greg Papa and Tim Ryan, while 106.5 The Wolf carried the Chiefs' call with Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes, and Josh Klinger.

International

Super Bowl LVIII was broadcast in more than 150 countries on every continent except Antarctica, including:[114]

Americas

Europe

Asia–Pacific

Middle East and Africa

Remove ads

Entertainment

Summarize
Perspective

Pregame

Thumb
The American Flag out on the field for the national anthem

On January 18, 2024, the NFL announced that country music singer Reba McEntire would perform the U.S. national anthem. Actor Daniel Durant performed the national anthem in American Sign Language. In addition, rapper Post Malone performed "America the Beautiful" and R&B singer Andra Day accompanied by six female backup singers performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing", with actress Anjel Piñero and actor Shaheem Sanchez performing both songs in ASL.[123][124]

Electronic music artist Kaskade performed before and during the game, making him the first DJ to perform throughout the Super Bowl. He replaced Tiësto, who dropped out after a family emergency.[125]

The NFL invited players and coaches from Lahainaluna High School in Lahaina, Hawaii, to serve as honorary captains during the coin toss ceremony. Lahaina was one of the communities ravaged by the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.[126]

Halftime

Thumb
Usher was the leading performer in the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show. (Usher pictured in 2010)
Main article: Super Bowl LVIII halftime show

On September 24, 2023, it was announced that R&B and pop singer Usher would headline the halftime show.[127][128]

Usher's performance included the songs "Caught Up", "U Don't Have to Call", "Love in This Club", "Confessions Part II", "Nice & Slow", "Burn", "U Got It Bad", "OMG", and "Yeah!" (with interpolations of "Freek-a-Leek" by Petey Pablo and "Get Low" by Lil Jon).[129] The show also featured surprise appearances by Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris, H.E.R, and Sonic Boom of the South.[130]

Remove ads

Game summary

Summarize
Perspective
Quick facts External videos ...

First half

Thumb
Christian McCaffrey caught the 49ers' first touchdown of the game. (McCaffrey pictured in 2019 with Carolina)

After the Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred possession to the second half, the 49ers received the opening kickoff, which was a touchback. The 49ers' opening drive gained 46 yards in four plays, which included quarterback Brock Purdy completing an 18-yard pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, while running back Christian McCaffrey picked up 28 yards on two runs and a reception to reach the Kansas City 29-yard line. On the next play, however, linebacker Leo Chenal forced a fumble from McCaffrey, and defensive end George Karlaftis recovered it on the 27-yard line, ending the drive and giving the Chiefs possession.[131]

After the next three possessions ended in punts, San Francisco put together a 10-play, 46-yard drive that began at their own 17-yard line. With Purdy completing back-to-back passes to wide receivers Chris Conley and Ray-Ray McCloud for gains of 18 and 19 yards, respectively, the 49ers reached the Kansas City 37-yard line, where kicker Jake Moody made a 55-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead on the second play of the second quarter.[131] It set the record for the longest field goal made in a Super Bowl, surpassing Buffalo Bills kicker Steve Christie's 54-yard field goal in Super Bowl XXVIII.[132]

The Chiefs began their next drive at their own 25-yard line. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed a 52-yard strike to wide receiver Mecole Hardman to set up 1st-and-goal at the San Francisco 9-yard line. But on the next play, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir stripped the ball from running back Isiah Pacheco, with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave making the recovery.[131]

After an exchange of punts, the 49ers mounted an eight-play, 67-yard drive that featured a 12-yard reception by wide receiver Deebo Samuel and an unnecessary roughness penalty against cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. Two plays after Sneed's penalty, the 49ers ran a trick play to score; Purdy threw a backwards pass to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who then threw it to McCaffrey from one side of the field to the other, who then outran the defense for a 21-yard touchdown reception, increasing San Francisco's lead to 10–0 with 4:23 remaining in the first half.[133]

Kansas City responded with a 13-play, 65-yard drive that featured Mahomes completing six of seven pass attempts, which included a 21-yard completion to wide receiver Justin Watson and three passes to wide receiver Rashee Rice for 20 total yards, while Pacheco picked up 28 yards on two runs and two receptions. The drive ended with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Harrison Butker, cutting the score to 10–3 with 20 seconds remaining in the half. Purdy took a knee to send the teams into their respective locker rooms at halftime.

Second half

Thumb
Harrison Butker successfully kicked a Super Bowl record-setting 57-yard field goal in the third quarter. (Butker pictured in 2017)

Three plays into the Chiefs' first possession of the second half, Mahomes overthrew a pass intended for tight end Travis Kelce that was intercepted by safety Ji'Ayir Brown, giving the 49ers possession at the Kansas City 44-yard line.[134] Despite starting inside of Kansas City territory, San Francisco went three-and-out after losing a yard on their possession, but Mitch Wishnowsky delivered a 43-yard punt that was downed at the Kansas City 2-yard line by Conley. Following this, the teams traded three-and-outs.[135]

With 9:02 remaining in the third quarter, the Chiefs received the ball at their own 14-yard line. Aided by an 11-yard reception by Kelce and a 22-yard scramble by Mahomes, Kansas City went on a nine-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a 57-yard field goal by Butker, cutting their deficit to 10–6 and breaking Moody's record-setting 55-yard field goal from earlier in the game.[135][136]

After forcing the 49ers to another three-and-out, the Chiefs were forced to another one of their own, but Tommy Townsend's 40-yard punt bounced off 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr.'s foot, and Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson recovered the ball at the San Francisco 16-yard line, thereby giving Kansas City possession inside the red zone.[135][137] On the following play, the Chiefs scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, giving them their first lead of the game, 13–10.[135]

The 49ers responded with a 75-yard drive in 12 plays, which carried over into the fourth quarter. The drive was highlighted by Purdy's 17-yard pass to Jennings and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's 20-yard reception on the first play of the fourth quarter before Purdy finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jennings, making the latter the second player in Super Bowl history to both throw and catch a touchdown pass after Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII. Moody's extra point attempt was blocked by Chenal, but the 49ers had retaken the lead, 16–13, with 11:22 left in regulation.[135]

The Chiefs countered with a 12-play drive of their own, this one covering 69 yards. Mahomes completed two passes to Kelce for 29 yards, then a 25-yard pass to Justin Watson before Pacheco rushed twice for 17 yards to set up 1st-and-goal at the San Francisco 4-yard line. However, they could not get into the end zone and had to settle for Butker's 24-yard field goal to tie the game at 16–16 with 5:46 left.[135]

San Francisco responded by moving the ball down the field, which started with a 23-yard completion from Purdy to Jennings, then they continued to run the ground game until they faced 3rd-and-5 on the Kansas City 35-yard line at the two-minute warning. After the break, a blitz forced Purdy to throw an incompletion, stopping the clock and forcing Moody to convert a 53-yard field goal, giving the 49ers a 19–16 lead with 1:53 remaining.[135]

Kansas City began their final drive of regulation on their own 25-yard line with two timeouts and a chance to either win the game with a touchdown or force overtime with a field goal. Mahomes started the drive with a 9-yard pass to Kelce, then picked up 3 yards on a scramble before completing back-to-back passes to tight end Noah Gray and Justin Watson for gains of 12 and 8 yards, respectively, to reach the San Francisco 43-yard line. After an incompletion stopped the clock with 48 seconds remaining, Mahomes threw a 7-yard pass to running back Jerick McKinnon, who was tackled in bounds by Brown, forcing the Chiefs to burn their second timeout. Mahomes then picked up 3 yards on a scramble, then threw another incomplete pass, bringing up 3rd-and-7 on the 33-yard line with 16 seconds left. On the next play, Mahomes threw a 22-yard pass to Kelce to reach the 11 with 10 seconds on the clock, and the Chiefs were spared their third timeout when Brown was taken out of the game due to an injury he sustained while tackling Kelce. After that, Mahomes attempted to connect with Kelce in the end zone, but failed as Kelce was covered by linebacker Fred Warner. With six seconds remaining, Butker kicked a 29-yard field goal to tie the game again at 19–19, and Purdy ran out the remaining three seconds to send the game to overtime.[135]

Overtime

Thumb
Mecole Hardman caught a 3-yard game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. (Hardman pictured in 2019 as #17)

The 49ers won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive. They quickly faced 3rd-and-13 and Purdy threw an incomplete pass on the next play, but cornerback Trent McDuffie was called for holding, allowing San Francisco to continue their drive. They advanced the ball into Kansas City territory with McCaffrey catching a 24-yard pass and rushing five times for 26. The drive stalled on the 9-yard line, so Moody kicked a 27-yard field goal to give his team a 22–19 lead. The Chiefs responded by driving 75 yards in 13 plays, which included two receptions by Rice for 19 yards and two runs by Mahomes for 27, the first of which was an 8-yard scramble on 4th-and-1. After completing a 7-yard pass to Kelce to set up 1st-and-goal on the San Francisco 3-yard line, Mahomes completed the game-winning touchdown pass to Hardman, giving Kansas City a 25–22 victory.[138] This was Hardman's only touchdown of the season and the first Super Bowl in which the lead changed hands on the final play of the game.[131]

This was the first playoff game to go to overtime since the NFL changed the overtime rules for playoff games prior to the 2022 season so that both teams get at least one chance to possess the ball in overtime even if a touchdown is scored on the initial possession. Several 49ers players admitted after the game that they were unaware of the rule change, with Arik Armstead stating that he and other players learned of the change at the beginning of the overtime period when it was displayed on the Allegiant Stadium video screen. The rule change did not affect the outcome of the game; since the 49ers scored a field goal on the initial possession, the Chiefs would still have had an opportunity to possess the ball under the pre-2022 rules.[139]

The game lasted for 74 minutes and 57 seconds of game time, making it the longest Super Bowl and 7th longest NFL postseason game ever.[140]

Mahomes completed 34 of his 46 pass attempts for 333 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and was named the Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career. He also ran for 66 yards.[141] McCaffrey was the top rusher of the game with 22 carries for 80 yards. He also led the 49ers with eight catches for 80 yards and a receiving touchdown. The top receiver of the game was Kelce, with nine catches for 93 yards.[142]

Box score

Super Bowl LVIII – San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
More information Quarter, OT ...

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada[a]

More information Scoring summary, Quarter ...
Remove ads

Final statistics

Summarize
Perspective

Statistical comparison

More information Statistic, San Francisco 49ers ...
More information Records set (Unless noted as "NFL Championships", "Single Postseason" or "Pro Football History", all records refer only to Super Bowls), Records tied ...

Individual statistics

More information 49ers passing, C/ATT1 ...
More information Chiefs passing, C/ATT1 ...

1Completions/attempts
2Carries
3Long gain
4Receptions
5Times targeted

Remove ads

Starting lineups

More information San Francisco, Position ...
Remove ads

Officials

Super Bowl LVIII featured seven officials, a replay official, a replay assistant, and eight alternate officials. The numbers in parentheses below indicate their uniform numbers.[156][157]

Super Bowl LVIII was the third time Vinovich refereed a Super Bowl, while Perlman and Hill officiated their final games after careers spanning 23 and 25 years, respectively.[156][157] Killens, a former NFL linebacker, became the first person to officiate a Super Bowl after having played in one (he played for the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV).[160]

Remove ads

Aftermath

Summarize
Perspective

This marked the Chiefs' third Super Bowl title and fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons, leading many sports commentators to consider them to be a dynasty.[8]

After the game, the 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season on the job, citing poor defensive performances through the playoffs including the Super Bowl.[161]

During the 2024 season, the Chiefs raced to a 9–0 start for the first time since the 2013 season. They finished with a league-best 15–2 record, becoming the first 15-win team since the 2015 Carolina Panthers, and reached their third straight Super Bowl. However, their bid to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls ended with a 40-22 loss to the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.[citation needed]

The 49ers started the 2024 season at 5–4, but a collapse during the second half of the season led to a 6–11 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season, and the worst record for a team coming off a Super Bowl loss since the 2003 Oakland Raiders.[162][163]

Victory parade

Main article: 2024 Kansas City parade shooting

A 2-mile (3.2 km) victory parade ran from Sixth Street to Union Station on February 14.[164] The city council authorized almost $1 million in spending for the parade.[165]

A shooting took place at Union Station shortly after the parade. Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a DJ of local radio station KKFI, was killed and at least 22 others were non-fatally injured, including 11 children. Three suspects are arrested, two of them armed.[166]

Notes

  1. The game was originally scheduled to be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  2. Voiced by Tom Kenny
  3. Voiced by Bill Fagerbakke
  4. Voiced by Carolyn Lawrence

References

External links

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads