Super Bowl LVlll Recap
Jaime Halstuch
Staff Writer
Superbowl LVIII brought without a doubt the best two teams in the league to the biggest stage. The Kansas City Chiefs with one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game at the age of 28, and an amazing defense against the best offense in the league and an amazing defense, the San Fransisco 49ers. This Superbowl was what people were expecting from Vegas. Both teams said that everything and everyone was against them, Niners having trouble in their hotel and training ground, Taylor Swift’s flight getting more attention than the Chiefs, Kadarius Toney’s Instagram, Brock Purdy’s incredible season, and the Chiefs making history going back-to-back. This game is one to be remembered for years to come.
The first drive of the game showed a very strong Niners offense in the passing and running game until Christian McCaffrey fumbled. When the Chiefs recovered that fumble, they did not show much, with a lack of clarity in offense. That first quarter showed the defenses, but besides a couple of good plays, both team’s offenses did not do much. The second quarter showed a more confident Brock Purdy giving all his receivers a chance to make plays. Even pulling a trick play throwing it back to Juan Jennings and then Jennings passing to McCaffrey for the TD. During that 2nd quarter, we saw Patrick Mahomes playing a little bit looser, even throwing an incredible pass into the red zone to Hardman, but all that momentum was killed in the play after when Pacheco fumbled the ball on the 8-yard line. Besides that, one play, Kansas City did not show much during the first half with the 49ers having the lead 10-3 going into halftime. The struggle of the team was showing, everyone saw it when Travis Kelce (who only got one reception in the first half) screamed and pushed Head Coach Andy Reid, they were desperate, and nothing was going their way.
When everyone thought that the Chiefs were going to wake up during halftime, Patrick Mahomes threw a pick in the third play of the second half to rookie Ji’Ayir Brown. After the interception, the Niners didn’t show much offense and punted the ball as the Chiefs did the same. The third quarter was a bit of a punting match and finally, the Chiefs offense started working going into the 4th, with big rushes by Mahomes and more activity from Travis Kelce. The Chiefs had 10 to Niners 0 points in the 3rd with the Chiefs kicker breaking the longest FG in the Super Bowl. To start the 4th Niners got 0 yards and a punt, while the Chiefs only got eight yards and a punt. Then the unthinkable happens, the Niners are not able to catch the punt and the Chiefs get the ball at the niner 16-yard line, and Patrick Mahomes has no mercy for mistakes and throws a one-play TD to Marquez Valdez-Scantling.
After a long drive down the field which Purdy uses five out of the seven receivers he had, he passes the ball to Jennings for a 10-yard touchdown, making him only the second player in Superbowl history to have a passing and a receiving touchdown in the same Superbowl. However, the field goal gets blocked, leaving it a 3-point game. By the late 4th quarter, the kicker’s show starts with three field goals in a row, two by the Chiefs and a 53-yard one for the Niners sending the game to OT.
In overtime especially in the Super Bowl, is where the small details and preparations show off. San Fransisco wins the coin toss and chooses to receive the ball. Not aware of the new playoff overtime rule in which both teams get the ball no matter what. Different than before in which a touchdown would end the game. Niners get the ball, and both teams are happy until San Fransisco realizes what the new rule says. Jake Moody gets another field goal for San Fransisco, and it is all in the Chief’s hands. Great players are built for great moments, and Patrick Mahomes knew that was his opportunity to take his third ring and second in a row and make the Chiefs a dynasty. Pacheco runs for 3 yards, Rice gets a 6-yard reception, Pacheco runs for 0 yards and the game is in the line, 4th & 1, but Patrick Mahomes runs for 8 yards and saves the day. After two sets of third downs, Pacheco runs for 3 more yards, and Travis Kelce gets a reception for 7 yards. With 40 seconds left and two time-outs to call, the Chiefs decide not to call a timeout and with 5 seconds left in the game they snap the ball, Patrick Mahomes passes to a wide-open Mecole Hardman, and the Kansas City Chiefs win their second ring in a row and their third in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Contact Jaime at jaime.halstuch@student.shu.edu