Super Bowl 2024: Chiefs fight back to beat 49ers 25-22 in overtime for repeat Super Bowl title – as it happened (2024)

Final thoughts

Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs and thanks to both the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers for making my final Super Bowl a very memorable one.

Thanks so much to David Lengel, my partner in liveblogging for over a decade. I usually talk more about the game here but I want to take this time to thank you all for reading me all of these years. I came in here completely green and I found that the Guardian readers held me to a high standard and, alongside my many wonderful editors over the years, really helped turn me from a would-be internet comedian to a genuine sportswriter.

I will miss having you all as an audience. I hope you stick with the Guardian’s US sports team as they continue to cover the aftermath of the Super Bowl and beyond. It’s really been an honor to work with so many talented and encouraging writers. I have no idea what’s next but I hope that I have even half as much fun as I did here over the last 12 years. Ciao!

Have they just not announced Super Bowl MVP? In any case, the internet tells me that it’s Patrick Mahomes for the third time in his career and there is no other logical candidate, so I’m going to assume that they’re right.

The league is trying to push “the Chiefs as underdogs” narrative and “the Chiefs dynasty” narrative and, uh, you have to pick one!

Travis Kelce is up next and he … sings Viva Las Vegas? The camera cuts to a visibly embarrassed Taylor Swift several times.

Larry Csonka is here to hand the Vince Lombardi trophy to John Elway, who brings it to the stage.

I hate the fact that the owners get to touch the Lombardi trophy first. After a minute of corporate speak, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gets it. He leads his team in yelling: “How about those Chiefs!”

I had to triple-check this account three times but this is real.

We’re going to stick around a little here, at least until we get to hear who wins the MVP trophy. I have a feeling that it’ll be Patrick Mahomes with his 333 passing yards, 66 rushing yards right when his team needed them and his two touchdown passes.

The play of the game? Well, there are a lot of little things that the 49ers could have done better here. Their offense’s inability to capitalize on the fact that their defense kept the Chiefs off the board early on made a Kansas City comeback inevitable. They couldn’t either run out the clock or score a touchdown in their final drive of regulation, giving Kansas City a chance to tie it.

I still look back at that blocked extra point. If they hadn’t blocked Butker’s attempt, they would have had to score a touchdown on that final possession rather than settle for a game-tying touchdown. Maybe they convert that fourth down, maybe they don’t. We’ll never know.

It’s the little things, sometimes.

That’s back-to-back championships for the Chiefs, who have now won three since 2019! We can say it now: they are a dynasty.

And there is no such thing asthe Taylor Swift curse.

1st and 10, Pacheco picks up 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Mahomes passes to Kelce who just picks up the first down. On the next play, Mahomes finds Hardman for a touchdown! That’s going to win it! The Kansas City Chiefs have won their second straight Super Bowl.

49ers 22-19 Chiefs, 2:07, OT

Pacheco finds another five yards. That’s 3rd and 1, Mahomes scrambles again and he picks up 19 yards to the San Francisco 13. They are looking to end this, not settle for tying it.

49ers 22-19 Chiefs, 2:48, OT

Mahomes finds Pacheco for a four-yard gain. It’s 2nd and 6 at the San Francisco 37. There’s a 49ers timeout.

49ers 22-19 Chiefs, 4:10, OT

On the next play, Valdes-Scantling gets taken for a three-yard loss. 2nd and 13, Mahomes trust Valdes-Scantling again. It’s a seven-yard pickup. 3rd and 6, Mahomes finds Rice who takes off for a 13-yard gain! They’re at the San Franisco 41.

49ers 22-19 Chiefs, 6:05, OT

You knew it wasn’t going to end there! Mahomes takes it in and easily finds a first down and more. Feels like a defensive breakdown by San Francisco there. They’re now at their own 42.

49ers 22-19 Chiefs, 6:05, OT

If this game never ends maybe I can put off job hunting. The Chiefs start at their own 25 after a touchback. Pacheco picks up three yards. 2nd and 7. Mahomes throws to Rice for a six-yard gain. It’s 3rd and 1, Pacheco gets stuffed.

The Chiefs call a timeout. My guess is that they will not punt since that will be a forfeit!

On 1st and 10, McCaffrey picks up six yards but on the next two plays, the 49ers can’t get any closer. They have to settle for a field goal and give Kansas City a chance to win it on the next drive.

Moody’s 27-yard field goal is good. Now the Chiefs have a possession to counter. Something tells me they will at least do so.

49ers 19-19 Chiefs, 9:25, OT

McCaffrey again. He gets eight yards and gets them to the Kansas City 18. Mitchell gets the ball now and he picks up four yards on 2nd and 2 and, oof, that’s a 10-yard penalty on San Francisco. Holding on Brayden Willis.

Purdy finds Juszczyk for a 13 -yard gain and a fresh set of down. They’re at the KC 15.

49ers 19-19 Chiefs, 10:35, OT

McCaffrey makes it to midfield on the next play. 2nd and 6, Purdy finds McCaffrey again and he does it again! He picks up 24 yards! They’re at the Chiefs 24. This feels like they’re already in field goal territory but they should need more.

49ers 19-19 Chiefs, 12:38, OT

McCaffrey picks up three yards. 2nd and 7. McCaffrey gets the ball on the next play too. 3rd and 2 and a huge play here. Purdy finds Aiyuk and he picks up 11 yards! That’s a first down and the 49ers are close to Chiefs territory!

Several readers have asked when the last time the Super Bowl went to overtime was.

This is only the second time a Super Bowl has been tied after regulation and forced an extra period. The first was Super Bowl LI in February 2017, when the New England Patriots rallied from 28-3 down in the third quarter to win 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons. Oddly enough, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was on the sidelines that night as Atlanta’s offensive coordinator.

49ers 19-19 Chiefs, 14:05, OT

Now it’s 2nd and 15 and McCaffrey can only pick up two yards. 3rd and 13. Purdy’s throw falls out incomplete and there’s a holding penalty on Kansas City. That’s an automatic first down. 1st and 10 on their own 30.

49ers 19-19 Chiefs, 14:55, OT

The 49ers will have possession first. They will start at their own 25. Purdy’s first pass is almost intercepted, but it’s ruled incomplete. 2nd and 10. A false start penalty on Aiyuk. Make that 2nd and 15 back at their 20.

Email from Ellen Janisch Smith:

Hi Hunter,

What happens if there’s a tie at regulation time? And has this happened before in a Super Bowl?

Thanks!

We’re heading to overtime! Both teams will get a chance to hold the ball, unless the defense scores. That means that even if one team scores a touchdown the other can still counter. That’s to prevent the winner of the coin flip from having an advantage. Once both teams have possession, the next score wins.

I think I have that right.

On 1st and 10, the referees add a second to the clock. Mahomes can’t find Kelce. 2nd and 10, They’re going to go with a field goal. Butker’s 29-yarder is good and, as was inevitable since the missed extra point, this one’s heading to overtime.

49ers 19-16 Chiefs, :09, 4th quarter

Mahomes scrambles for a three-yard gain. 2nd and 7. Mahomes throws incomplete. 3rd and 7. On the next play, Mahomes throws to Kelce, who picks up 11 yards to the San Francisco 11. The 49ers take a timeout with an injury on the field.

49ers 19-16 Chiefs, :40, 4th quarter

Mahomes is working from the shotgun, which is carry. He throws to Kelce for nine yards, he scrambles for three. 1st and 10 at their own 37, Mahomes finds Gray for 12 yards. Another first down. Mahomes finds Watson for eight yards. 2nd and 2, Mahomes throws incomplete. 3rd and 2, Mahomes finds McKinnon who picks up seven yards for a first down. They’re at the San Francisco 36. Kansas City takes a timeout.

Email from Antony T:

Hi, just tuning into the blog as I’ve caught up with game live on DVR, having slept. Isn’t Vegas at like 2000 feet or something like that? Is the altitude helping these records or is the air not thin enough? I’m from the West Midlands (UK) and the local team West Brom had the highest ground in England (A dizzy 500 feet or so!) and always think this is why so many of their shots go over the bar.

This would be a great question to poise to Science Teacher Roommate if she were here, but also I have no idea. It is really something, that’s three field goals longer than 50 yards.

Of course, Purdy can’t convert at 3rd and 5, he throws incomplete to Jennings. He guarantees there’s going to be a lot of drama here, no matter what.

Moody’s 53-yard field goal is good! But there is so much time for the Chiefs.

Email from David Good:

The 49ers have too much time. They need to milk the clock, and they’ve not been good enough on offence to do that. Chiefs will get a shot at the win, regardless of how this drive ends.

This is correct. This third-down conversion will be huge for the 49ers – they can’t settle for a field goal and give Kansas City two minutes to score a touchdown to end the game.

49ers 16-16 Chiefs, 2:00, 4th quarter

1st and 10, McCaffrey with a five-yard gain. The 49ers are at the KC 35. Even if the Niners score here, the Chiefs will get the ball back and that’s a problem for San Francisco. On 2nd and 5, Purdy’s pass to Kittle is for no gain. 3rd and 5. We’re at the two-minute warning.

49ers 16-16 Chiefs, 4:11, 4th quarter

It’s 2nd and 1 and we have an injury timeout. It’s Kansas City end George Karlaftis, with a hand injury. On 2nd and 1, McCaffrey drives up the middle for a three-yard gain to the Kansas City 40.

49ers 16-16 Chiefs, 5:01, 4th quarter

The 49ers start at their own 25, another touchback. On his first play of the drive, Purdy throws deep to a leaping Jennings at their own 48. That’s a 23-yard gain. 1st and 10, Samuel picks up nine yards to get into Kansas City territory.

An Oasis correction:

True. In my defense, the reference doesn’t work if it’s not Wonderwall.

Emails from Keith:

Hi hi hi there!

Have the 49ers missed an XP in every Super Bowl that have played?

Cheers!

Followed by:

Ok, they have a at least one missed conversion in each of their six Super Bowls (failed two-pointer v Baltimore, missed XP in the other five). Carry on!

I love it when the readers do their own research for me. In any case, this could be the costliest one of them all! Stay tuned!

Pacheco runs up the middle for a one-yard gain. 2nd and goal. Mahomes … throws incomplete on the run. Feels like that would have been a good time for a rushing attempt. 3rd and goal, but I wonder if this is fourth-down territory?

Well now, it’s not. He’s taken down for a three-yard loss. Butker is in for a field goal and his 24-yard field goal is good. This game is tied. If you had money on this Super Bowl going to overtime, this might be your night.

49ers 16-13 Chiefs, 7:19, 4th quarter

Mahomes fumbles, recovers and throws incomplete. Could have been a disaster there, but instead Mahomes finds Justin Watson for a 25-yard gain! They’re at the San Francisco 21! The next play, Pacheco picks up nine yards. 2nd and 1, Pacheco picks up eight. They’re at the SF 4.

The rarest of Super Bowl doubles. San Francisco’s Jauan Jennings has become the second person in history to throw for and catch a touchdown in a Super Bowl after Nick Foles, who turned the trick with the Philly Special six years ago in Minneapolis.

49ers 16-13 Chiefs, 10:06, 4th quarter

2nd and 10, Mahomes can’t connect with Rice. 3rd and 10. Mahomes finds Kelce again, who is all alone, and the Chiefs have a new set of downs at the San Francisco 46.

49ers 16-13 Chiefs, 10:44, 4th quarter

Kansas City starts at their own 25. On the next play, Mahomes finds Kelce for a 16-yard gain. 1st and 10, Pacheco gets stuffed for no gain.

I am predicting now that this game is going to overtime solely because of that missed extra point. It’s the only possible way my very last liveblog could end.

McCaffrey picks up a single yard to take the 49ers to the KC 10. On the next play, Purdy finds Jennings who breaks a tackle to just get in the end zone! The 49ers are back up front thanks to a just-barely-there fourth-down conversion.

Butker’s extra point kick is … blocked! That means a field goal will still tie things up!

49ers 10-13 Chiefs, 12:12, 4th quarter

There’s a big play! Purdy finds a wide-open Aiyuk for a 20-yard gain that takes them to the Kansas City 22. He tries for the end zone on the next play but Chris Jones disrupts him and forces an overthrow. 2nd and 10, McCaffrey picks up eight yards. 3rd and 2. McCaffrey gets taken for a one-yard loss which probably puts a four-down decision much more difficult for the 49ers.

They roll the dice anyway, probably the right decision here given the opponent. Purdy finds Kittle who is… just short. No, no! He just picked up a first down! Whoa!

A number of readers have asked whether this is the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever.

For a while there it looked like it might be, but Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s touchdown near the end of the third quarter has lifted it out of history-making territory. Three other Super Bowls have ended with fewer combined points than what Kansas City and San Francisco have posted so far (23).

• 16 LA Rams (3) v New England (13), LIII

• 21 Washington (7) v Miami (14), VII

• 22 Minnesota (6) v Pittsburgh (16), IX

Anyway here’s “Wonderwall”…

49ers 10-13 Chiefs, end of the 3rd quarter

On the next play, Purdy finds Jennings for a 17-yard gain to the 47. San Francisco needed that. On the next play, Purdy finds Samuel and nearly gets another first down. 2nd and 1 at the Kansas City 44.

Juszczyk picks up another two yards to the KC 42 and that will take us to the end of the 3rd quarter. The Niners offense is finally starting to get going, but will it end up being too late? We have 15 minutes to go in regulation!

49ers 10-13 Chiefs, 1:43, 3rd quarter

2nd and 10, McCaffrey picks up five yards. 3rd and 5 at their own 30. The 49ers take a timeout.

49ers 10-13 Chiefs, 2:23, 3rd quarter

49ers really need to score anything on this drive. Purdy’s throw to Aiyuk is incomplete and San Francisco offensive lineman Jon Feliciano is injured on the play. Luck and momentum are no longer on their side.

Mahomes throws to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone on the very next play. Butker’s extra point and just like that, the brutal special teams miscue immediately leads to a Kansas City lead!

Pacheco picks up three yards. 2nd and 7. Mahomes finds Kelce for five yards. 3rd and 2, at their own 35. Mahomes’s throw is incomplete. That’s also a three-and-out, unless the Chiefs decide to go for it on fourth down here.

They don’t. The Chiefs manage to punt it and, oh no, Darrell Luter Jr muffs the catch and Watson recovers at the San Francisco 17. That’s absolutely the worst possible outcome for the 49ers.