https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVV80kTudSM
San Francisco 49ers 20-31 Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes inspires dramatic fourth-quarter comeback as Damien Williams scores two late touchdowns to seal victory for veteran coach Andy Reid in Super Bowl LIV
- Kansas City Chiefs come back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win Super Bowl LIV in Miami
- The Chiefs had led 10-3 before the San Francisco 49ers raced into a 20-10 lead and looked set for victory
- But the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points late on as quarterback Patrick Mahomes inspired comeback
- Damien Williams scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to seal the Vince Lombardi trophy
The Kansas City Chiefs roared back to win a thrilling, topsy-turvy Super Bowl, holding their nerve as the San Francisco 49ers lost theirs.
Once again faced with a double-digit deficit, MVP Patrick Mahomes kicked into gear and led the Chiefs to a 31-20 win at Hard Rock Stadium.
It sealed the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory since 1970 and a first Lombardi Trophy for popular head coach Andy Reid.
Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes inspired a late fightback to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to victory on Sunday night in Miami
The 24-year-old celebrates after throwing a touchdown for Damien Williams as the Chiefs fought back late in the day
Williams scores the first of his two final-quarter touchdowns, just managing to place the ball over the plain of the end-zone
Williams celebrates with Demarcus Robinson - his touchdown was confirmed after a lengthy review in the booth
With less than two minutes to go, Williams sprints clear to score his second TD and give the Chiefs an unassailable lead
Williams celebrates in front of the adoring Miami crowd after his vital contribution to the Super Bowl against the 49ers
With the game perfectly poised at 10-10 at half-time, San Francisco clicked into gear, throwing and running their way to 17 consecutive points.
It had looked all over. San Francisco led 20-10, Mahomes had been harassed and bullied by Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Co as the 49ers’ defense imposed their will.
But then, like the greats do, Mahomes took over. He was aided by a strong defense, who stepped up when it mattered.
A little under nine minutes remained, but three swift Chiefs drives ended in touchdowns. Mahomes found tight end Travis Kelce from six yards to give hope
Then, after the defense forced a three-and-out, Mahomes connected with running back Damien Williams to put the Chiefs ahead, the touchdown given after a review.
The 49ers turned over possession on downs, then running back Williams fled 68 yards for his second to give Kansas City the excuse to wildly celebrate.
Mahomes, who threw two interceptions and was sacked three times, admitted he had been inconsistent before his fourth quarter pizazz.
‘I just tried to fight, and obviously the third quarter didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I tried to force some things and had some turnovers.
‘I mean, that’s a good defense, a really good defense, and so I didn’t play to my liking in that third quarter, but the guys believed in me and gave me confidence.’
Chiefs quarterback Mahomes celebrates with team-mates after Kansas scored their first touchdown of the showpiece
But after finishing 26 for 42 for 286 yards and two touchdowns, Mahomes - who is the second-youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl after Ben Roethlisberger - was praised by Reid.
‘He did a great job. He kept firing. That’s what he did. The guys around him just believed in him, we all did. All the coaches likewise. And then our defense just had a couple great stands in there.’
While the Chiefs will celebrate long into the night, it is tough not to feel sympathy toward 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
In the build-up to the game, the 40-year-old was repeatedly asked about his miserable experience as offensive co-ordinator of the Atlanta Falcons when they threw away a 28-3 lead to lose against the New England Patriots three years ago.
‘Yeah, it was a tough loss and it hurts everybody in that room losing the Super Bowl,’ Shanahan said.
'We had opportunities to win and came up short.
‘Kansas City played a good game. They were better than us today. We can deal with that, but we’re obviously disappointed.’
Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers scores on a 15-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of Super Bowl LIV
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was also intercepted twice, and had the ball in his hand with two minutes remaining.
The Niners trailed by a score, but unlike Tom Brady, he could not lead his side to victory in his first Super Bowl outing.
‘It’s tough. I mean, I’ve never had this feeling before, so kind of an unreal feeling,’ he said.
The 49ers led through Robbie Gould’s early field goal. Mahomes put Kansas City ahead, concluding a 15-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown scamper.
After Bashaud Breeland easily picked of Garoppolo’s miserable throw, Harrison Butker’s field goal extended the lead to 10-3.
But Garoppolo shrugged off the mistake, putting together a seven-play, 80-yard drive featuring six consecutive first downs. The last found Kyle Juszczyk, who scored with his first touch of the postseason.
In doing so, he became the first fullback to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl since Mike Alstott in 2003, and made it 10-10. For the fourth time in history, a Super Bowl was tied at half-time.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo celebrates after throwing a touchdown for Raheem Mostert in the third quarter
Garoppolo throws a pass in what was an impressive display by the quarterback, but in the end it wasn't quite enough
San Francisco dominated the third quarter, Gould adding another field goal and Raheem Mostert extending the advantage after going over from a yard out.
Without the ball, the outstanding Bosa seemed to break through the Chiefs’ offensive line at will.
And just as the 49ers were dreaming of a sixth Super Bowl title, it appeared to slip through their fingers. Most of that was due to comeback king Mahomes. Like the great quarterbacks, he came to life when it mattered and inspired his team to an unlikely victory.
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel recorded a pair of long runs totaling 39 yards on the 49ers' first drive of the match
Kansas City Chiefs fans were well aware that their team had not made it to the NFL finale since Super Bowl IV in 1969
The teams line up during the tribute to Kobe Bryant and former Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer, Chris Doleman
Raheem Mostert scrambles over to score the 49ers' second touchdown deep into the third quarter on Sunday evening
The San Francisco 49ers celebrate Mostert's touchdown after the Kansas City Chiefs failed to stop him reaching over
Mahomes struggled in the second and third quarters as the San Francisco 49ers came from behind to lead in Miami
Travis Kelce celebrates the first of three late Chiefs touchdowns as Kansas City mount a final-quarter comeback
Coach Andy Reid is drenched in Gatorade as his team celebrate their memorable triumph at the Hard Rock Stadium
Derrick Nnadi rolls around in confetti as he celebrates Kansas' victory at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida
Mahomes holds aloft the Vince Lombardi trophy as the Kansas City Chiefs salute their first victory in nearly 50 Years
49ers have few answers after late Super Bowl collapse
THE STAR
Monday, 03 Feb 20202:24 PM MYT
By Nick Brown
NFL Football - Super Bowl LIV - Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida, U.S. - February 2, 2020. San Francisco 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk and Mike McGlinchey look dejected after the game. REUTERS/Mike Blake
MIAMI (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers will spend the next few months wondering what might have been.
Up by 10 with just over six minutes left in Sunday’s Super Bowl, the 49ers suffered a collapse that saw them allow three late-game touchdowns en route to a 31-20 loss.
A win would have given San Francisco its sixth Super Bowl title and a share of the lead among NFL franchises. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have amassed six Lombardi trophies.
It might also have gone some way towards silencing doubters, particularly of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who had thrown for just 77 yards in his team’s NFC championship victory against the Green Bay Packers.
But it was not to be.
“You have to give some credit to (the Chiefs),” said Garoppolo, who played well for three quarters before an abysmal fourth. “We just didn’t make some of the plays we normally make.”
Through three quarters, Garoppolo had completed 17 of 20 passes for 183 yards, earning him a 100.6 quarterback rating. But he went just 3-for-11 for 36 yards and a key interception in the final frame, finishing with a rating of 69.2.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that they had let the win slip through their grasp.
“It hurt everybody in that room,” he said. “We had opportunities to win that.”
Shanahan’s team were in no mood to give explanations of what went wrong.
“Nothing,” said cornerback Richard Sherman. “We just made mistakes.”
Tackle Joe Staley also struggled to discuss the loss.
“This is, just, this is very hard being in this moment right now,” he said. “I’m trying to answer questions, and I’m sorry that I’m not. Put yourself in my shoes for a second. It’s tough.”
A key point in the game came early in the fourth quarter with the Chiefs down 10 but deep in San Francisco territory.
49ers defensive back Tarvarius Moore picked off a Patrick Mahomes pass, killing the rally and getting his offence back on the field with a chance to put the game out of reach.
But San Francisco could only cobble together 17 yards before being forced to punt, giving Mahomes a chance at redemption.
The momentum — and scoring — was all Kansas City's after that.
“We got a turnover and then we didn’t execute on offence,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “We have to end the game right, and we didn’t ... it’s pretty brutal. It just honestly sucks.”
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
