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SUPER BOWL LVIII – SUPER TWOs-DAY

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Patrick Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in overtime to give the Kansas City Chiefs a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

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Mahomes guided the Chiefs on a 13-play, 75-yard drive after the 49ers had settled for a field goal on their overtime possession. The victory made Kansas City the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in the 2002-03 seasons.

Mahomes was 34-of-46 passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in the past five seasons. Two of their victories have come against the 49ers.

Travis Kelce caught nine passes for 93 yards and Marquez Valdes-Scantling also caught a touchdown pass for Kansas City. Harrison Butker tied a Super Bowl record with four field goals, including a record 57-yarder just one quarter after San Francisco’s Jake Moody set the mark with a 55-yard kick.

Brock Purdy completed 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown for the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey had 160 scrimmage yards (80 rushing, 80 receiving) to go with a touchdown catch while Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass and caught another for San Francisco, which last won a Super Bowl in the 1994 season.

Moody kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:22 left in overtime to give the 49ers a three-point lead.

Moody also booted a 53-yard field goal with 1:53 remaining in regulation to give the 49ers a 19-16 advantage. The Chiefs rallied to force overtime on Butker’s 29-yarder with three seconds left.

Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills set the former long mark with a 54-yarder against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on Jan. 30, 1994.

Mahomes connected with a wide-open Valdes-Scantling to give Kansas City its first lead of the contest at 13-10 with 2:28 left in the third quarter.

San Francisco recovered to take a 16-13 lead on Purdy’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Jennings with 11:22 remaining in the game. But Moody’s extra point was blocked by Kansas City’s Leo Chenal.

The missed point was magnified when Butker kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the score with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Moody broke the record with a 55-yard field goal 12 seconds into the second quarter for the points of the game.

San Francisco stretched the lead to 10 when Purdy threw a lateral to his left to Jennings, who then threw a toss all the way back to the other side of the field. McCaffrey caught it and easily sped ahead to score the game’s first touchdown with 4:23 left in the half.

Kansas City finally got on the board on Butker’s 28-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the half. His record-setting boot in the third quarter cut the Chiefs’ deficit to 10-6.

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVIII Notebook

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LAS VEGAS – (Wire Service Report) – After the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII last year, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t ready to crown his team as NFL royalty.

“I’m not gonna say dynasty yet. We’re not done,” Mahomes said. “So, I’m not gonna say dynasty yet.”

Well, he can now.

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The Chiefs edged the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, taking home their second straight Lombardi Trophy and third in five years. It was a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, which Kansas City also won, 31-20, back in 2020.

San Francisco was just minutes away from matching the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories in league history (six), going up 19-16 with 1:53 left in regulation when Jake Moody made good on a 53-yard field goal.

But Harrison Butker’s 29-yarder with three seconds remaining tied things at 19-all, and the Niners had to settle for another field goal from Moody — this one from 27 yards out — on the first possession of the extra session.

Mahomes then guided the Chiefs 75 yards in 13 plays, ending the game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with three seconds to go.

–Mahomes completed 34 of 46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, also leading Kansas City in rushing with 66 yards on nine carries. He was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career, joining Joe Montana as a three-time winner. They only trail Tom Brady, who won the award five times.

“To me, it’s always gonna be tough because Brady beat me in the Super Bowl. That’s the only thing he’ll always have on my head,” Mahomes told NFL Network, referring to the comparisons he has drawn to Brady. “It gives me something to strive for every single day — it’s chasing greatness.”

–Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce hauled in nine receptions for 93 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift in attendance. Kansas City was 10-3 this season (including playoffs) when Swift came to cheer the team on.

–Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and a TD on 23-for-38 passing for the Niners, who got 160 yards from scrimmage (80 rushing, 80 receiving) from Christian McCaffrey.

“It starts with (my) coach (Kyle Shanahan), that’s who I hurt for and for all the other guys, our whole team,” Purdy said. “What we’ve been through the last year hasn’t been easy. For it to go like that where it’s close at the end and it’s tough, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.”

–San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a touchdown pass and caught another, becoming the second player to accomplish the feat in the same Super Bowl. Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Nick Foles was the other, doing so in Super Bowl LII.

–The 49ers’ Jake Moody opened the scoring 12 seconds into the second quarter, kicking the longest field goal in Super Bowl history — a 55-yarder. However, Harrison Butker shattered that mark with a 57-yard field goal in the third that pulled Kansas City within 10-6. Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills had the original record, booting a 54-yarder in Super Bowl XXVIII.

–For the third straight game, the Chiefs were underdogs. Oddsmakers favored the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

“Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs,” Mahomes said. “Just know that.”

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVIII: Line Dancing for KC

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Heavy early money backing the Kansas City Chiefs led to multiple changes in the betting line within 24 hours of the matchup for Super Bowl LVIII being set.

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The San Francisco 49ers opened as 2.0-point favorites shortly after storming from behind to beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night. However, the line dipped as low as 1.0 points at sportsbooks including DraftKings and BetMGM, where the Chiefs had been backed by 78 percent of the spread-line money as of Monday morning.

The line has since shifted back to San Francisco being favored by 1.5 points at both sportsbooks, who both have the Over/Under points total at 47.5 points. The early money at BetMGM has the Over being backed by 90 percent of the money wagered on the market.

Sportsbooks were widely pulling for the Lions to upset the 49ers, who are the biggest Super Bowl liability at many sportsbooks, and that remains the case ahead of facing the Chiefs.

“Even though early action is on the Chiefs as underdogs, the sportsbook is cheering for a Kansas City victory,” BetMGM senior trading manager Tristan David said.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the early favorite to claim his third Super Bowl MVP award. The MVP of Super Bowls LIV and LVII, Mahomes is +120 to claim No. 3 at BetMGM, where he opened the season at +1000. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is second at +220, followed by teammate Christian McCaffrey at +450.

Mahomes has drawn 20 percent of the MVP money at DraftKings, where he is also +120. Teammate Travis Kelce has far longer odds at +1200, but the tight end has been the second most popular early pick with 14 percent of the money backing him.

The most popular player prop at DraftKings has been McCaffrey at -155 to lead all players in combined rushing and receiving yards. He has also been the most popular Anytime Touchdown play despite -215 odds.

–Field Level Media

Super Teams, Super Bowl, Super Prices

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With the NFL’s title game in Las Vegas for the first time, combined with the Taylor Swift effect on the Kansas City Chiefs’ side and the San Francisco 49ers’ West Coast fandom, ticket prices are a record level for Super Bowl LVIII.

According to ticket aggregator TicketIQ, the average secondary ticket market list pricing for the Feb. 11 game at Allegiant Stadium has reached a record $10,752. Tickets for Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., went for a higher number but the pandemic limited capacity to just 25,000.

Average prices for Super Bowl LVIII were at a record $9,815 on online marketplace TickPick, an increase of 70 percent over last year’s title game, Front Office Sports reported.

Making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons, the Chiefs have been a popular team for years. Support for the Chiefs has been bolstered by Swift’s relationship with star tight end Travis Kelce, which has the pop star’s fans swooning from coast to coast.

The 49ers, who are aiming to join the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl wins (six), are highly popular on social media. It also doesn’t hurt that San Francisco is loaded with offensive stars — Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy.

Wrapping it all up is the fact that Las Vegas, a destination for millions of partygoers, is hosting the country’s largest single sporting event.

“This is probably one of the lower-impact (potential) matchups, actually, and demand is still up,” TicketIQ founder and CEO Jesse Lawrence told Front Office Sports. “All bets are off for where this goes over the next two weeks, but I do think team demand is less of a factor this year, and the Vegas location is definitely helping drive this.”

Just to get into this Super Bowl, it’ll cost fans more than $7,000, one of the highest non-COVID figures for the annual event.

However, had the Detroit Lions prevailed over the 49ers in the NFC title game, the ticket prices likely would’ve skyrocketed even further. The Lions, who have never played in the Super Bowl, won their first playoff game in 32 years and won two postseason games for the first time since 1957.

“The Lions’ demand for this would have been through the roof,” Lawrence said.

–Field Level Media

 

Chiefs Max-Out Super Second Half

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Patrick Mahomes limped off the field at halftime with the Kansas City Chiefs trailing by 10 points.

It turns out there was no need to fret, not with the Super Bowl having a 29-minute halftime.

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Mahomes got treatment during the lengthy break and came out convinced his injured right ankle would hold up. His belief was correct, and he guided the Chiefs to a 38-35 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night in Arizona.

Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with eight seconds left and Mahomes passed for two of his three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Kansas City became just the second team in Super Bowl history to rally from a deficit of 10 or more points.

The Super Bowl title is the third for Kansas City. The Chiefs also won Super Bowl IV (1969 season) and Super Bowl LIV (2019).

Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in four seasons, but he stopped short of calling the Chiefs the rulers of the NFL.

“I’m not going to say dynasty yet,” Mahomes said. “We’re not done.”

Midseason acquisition Kadarius Toney sparked Kansas City by catching a touchdown pass and setting up another score with a long punt return. Travis Kelce and Skyy Moore caught touchdown passes, Isiah Pacheco ran for a score and Nick Bolton returned a fumble for a touchdown for the Chiefs.

The result gave Kansas City coach Andy Reid a victory over the team he coached for 14 seasons from 1999-2012.

“I know that city loves him and that organization loves him,” Kelce said of Reid. “Call it what you want — there is a lot of pride that he has had success in two different organizations, but this is the better one.”

Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts tied a Super Bowl record with three rushing scores and also passed for one touchdown. Hurts was 27-of-38 passing for 304 yards and rushed for 70 while teaming up with Mahomes as the first pair of Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history.

Former Denver Broncos star Terrell Davis rushed for three touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.

Kansas City moved 66 yards on 12 plays for the winning field goal, receiving help from a third-down defensive holding penalty on Philadelphia’s James Bradberry. The cornerback briefly grabbed the jersey of Kansas City wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster.

“It was a holding,” Bradberry said. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declined to criticize the call.

“I know it always appears that it’s one call,” Sirianni said. “That’s not what it is. There are so many plays that contribute to the end result of the game. And today they were better than we were.”

Another key play was a 26-yard scramble by Mahomes, who earlier aggravated his right ankle injury on Kansas City’s final offensive snap of the first half.

“Whenever you aggravate those high ankles, it hurts,” Mahomes said. “It feels like it did the first time. … But you’ve got to play at the end of the day.”

A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and one touchdown and DeVonta Smith had seven receptions for 100 yards for the Eagles.

Teams that trailed by 10 or more points at halftime in the Super Bowl are now 2-26. The New England Patriots were the first team to accomplish it as they recovered from a 25-point hole to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Kansas City took its first lead of the contest at 28-27 when Mahomes completed a 5-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Toney with 12:04 left in the game. That also marked the first time Philadelphia had trailed the entire postseason.

The Chiefs then forced a three-and-out and cashed in big when Toney set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return. He fielded the ball at his 30-yard line and started left before reversing to the right with a wall of teammates blocking. He was stopped at the Eagles 5.

Three plays later, Mahomes had another wide-open target in Moore, who caught a 4-yard scoring pass to give Kansas City an eight-point lead with 9:22 remaining.

Philadelphia quickly responded as Hurts connected with Smith on a 45-yard pass to the Chiefs 2. Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play and then ran in the two-point conversion to tie it at 35 with 5:15 remaining.

Mahomes re-injured his right ankle when tackled with 1:33 left in the first half but he didn’t seem bothered by it when the Chiefs opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Pacheco capped the drive with a 1-yard run with 9:30 left in the third quarter to pull Kansas City within 24-21.

Philadelphia responded with a 17-play, 60-yard drive that took 7:45. Jake Elliott finished it by booting a 33-yard field goal to give the Eagles a six-point lead with 1:45 left in the period.

Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one in the first half to give Philadelphia a 24-14 advantage.

He made one big first-half miscue, dropping the ball while trying to run out of danger. It bounced up to Bolton, who easily scored on a 36-yard fumble return to tie it at 14 with 9:39 left in the half.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Hurts said. “We had a big-time goal in the end, and we came up short. The beautiful part is we experience different agony in life, and we decide how we want to move forward, how we want to learn. My only direction is to rise.”

Mahomes connected on an 18-yard scoring pass to Kelce in the first quarter. The touchdown reception was Kelce’s 16th in the postseason, second all-time behind legendary Jerry Rice (22).

Kelce also improved to 3-0 all-time in matchups against his older brother Jason, the Eagles’ standout center.

“I’m really, really happy for Trav,” Jason Kelce said. “That team deserves everything it had coming to them. They earned it. … You can’t win them all.”

–Field Level Media

Butker Kicks KC Chiefs to Super Bowl

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Harrison Butker kicked the Kansas City Chiefs back to the NFL Super Bowl.

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Butker made a 45-yard field goal with three seconds remaining and the Chiefs beat the visiting Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win the AFC Championship Game for the third time in the past four seasons on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes had 326 passing yards and two touchdowns and set up the game-winning kick on a scramble to his right with eight seconds left in the game. As he crossed the sideline, Mahomes was shoved by Joseph Ossai, resulting in a 15-yard penalty to set up Butker’s game-winning kick.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, tight end Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and Kansas City’s defense had two interceptions and five sacks of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

In a 20-20 tie, Burrow and the Bengals took over at their own 12-yard line with 2:30 to play, but defensive tackle Chris Jones’ second sack of the game forced Cincinnati to punt to rookie Skyy Moore, who caught the ball at the 18 with 35 seconds left and returned it to Kansas City’s 47.

The Bengals pounced on their first takeaway and recovered momentum in the final minute of the third quarter. From the shotgun, Mahomes faked a handoff to Isiah Pacheco but as he twisted his body to the right, he lost control of the ball. Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard came up with the ball at Kansas City’s 45.

The drive appeared to stall quickly but the Bengals went for it on fourth-and-6, and Burrow went deep for WR Ja’Marr Chase, who hauled the ball in at the 6. Two plays later, running back Samaje Perine churned into the end zone for a 2-yard score and knotted the game at 20 with 13:30 remaining.

A hobbled Mahomes operated most of the second half without multiple key receivers due to injuries. He found Valdes-Scantling one step into the center of the end zone to put the Chiefs up 20-13, hooking up on third-and-10 for a 19-yard touchdown with 4:15 left in the third quarter. The 11-play drive covered 77 yards and was extended on a 7-yard connection to Valdes-Scantling on the previous third down.

Higgins hauled in 27-yard touchdown from Burrow to the tie the game at 13. On third-and-6, Burrow lofted a pass to the front, right corner of the end zone where Higgins elevated over Chiefs rookie cornerback Jaylen Watson for the score.

Three of Kansas City’s top receivers — Mecole Hardman (pelvis), Kadarius Toney (ankle) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) — exited with injuries in the first half.

Evan McPherson connected on his second field goal as time expired in the second quarter to bring the Bengals within seven points, 13-6.

Burrow was sacked four times before his fifth completion in the first half and faced constant pressure in the pocket. He was picked off three plays after the Chiefs jumped ahead 13-3 with 3:53 left in the second quarter.

On a fourth-and-1 rollout, Kelce caught his 15th career postseason TD, which tied him for second all-time with Rob Gronkowski.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia is Super Bowl Bound

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns, Haason Reddick delivered a huge performance and the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl after posting a 31-7 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

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Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown as the top-seeded Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl in five years and fourth overall. Boston Scott tacked on a rushing score while Reddick had two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Second-seeded San Francisco was left without firepower after rookie quarterback Brock Purdy injured his right elbow in the first quarter after a blow from Reddick. He later re-entered the game in the third quarter after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.

Purdy was 4-of-4 passing for 23 yards but threw just two short passes after returning despite the 49ers facing a large deficit. Johnson completed 7 of 13 passes for 74 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and one score.

Philadelphia outgained San Francisco 269 to 164. The Eagles will face either the Cincinnati Bengals or the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.

The Eagles drove 66 yards on 11 plays on their first drive with Sanders ending it with a 6-yard scoring run.

On the sixth play after San Francisco took over, Reddick slammed into Purdy’s right arm. The ball slipped out of Purdy’s hand and was knocked up field by his wrist before being recovered by Philadelphia’s Linval Joseph at the Eagles’ 44-yard line.

Johnson took over on San Francisco’s next possession when Purdy determined he couldn’t throw the ball.

The 49ers tied the game in the second quarter when McCaffrey powered his way to a 23-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles regained the lead when Sanders rumbled through a big hole on a 13-yard run with 1:36 left.

On San Francisco’s next possession, Johnson took his eyes off a shotgun snap and dropped the ball, and Reddick recovered at the 49ers’ 30. Three plays later, Scott scored on a 10-yard run to give Philadelphia a 21-7 advantage 16 seconds before halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Johnson threw an incomplete pass and hit his head on the turf after a hit from Philadelphia’s Ndamukong Suh. He exited the game. Purdy finished the drive with a handoff and then returned for San Francisco’s next offensive drive.

The 49ers went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Eagles. Philadelphia received help from a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty while driving 91 yards on 15 plays, with Hurts scoring on a 1-yard keeper to make it 28-7 with 43 seconds left in the period.

Jake Elliott added a 31-yard field goal with 5:17 left in the game.

Super Bowl Preview: Bengals vs Rams

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Super Bowl LVI (56)

  • February 13, 2022
  • Time: 6:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (local)
  • TV: NBC Sports; Streaming on Peacock
  • Play-by-play: Al Michaels – Expert Analyst: Chris Collinsworth
  • Sideline Reporters: Michele Tafoya, Kathryn Tappen
  • Radio: Westwood One Network; Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner
  • SoFi Stadium
  • Ingelwood, California
  • AFC Champion – Cincinnati Bengals (13-7)
    • Defeated: Las Vegas (26-19); At Tennessee (19-16); At Kansas City (27-24)
  • NFC Champion – Los Angeles Rams (15-5)
    • Defeated: Arizona (34-11); At Tampa Bay (30-27); San Francisco (20-17).

Rams Coach: Sean McVey

Bengals Coach: Zac Taylor

Notes: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a 13-year veteran and one time No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Lions, is one of only five first overall picks to play over 100 games before making it to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the first second-year QB to start in the Super Bowl since Seattle’s Russell Wilson in 2013. … The Rams are seeking their second NFL title, the first coming in 1999. Similar to Tampa Bay last season, the Rams are enjoying home field advantage at their brand new SoFi Stadium. … The bengals are seeking their first Super Bowl title after losing in 1982 and 1989. Cincinnati is in its 54th season and a loss would mark the league record for most seasons without a championship.

WR Stars: Los Angeles features WR Cooper Kupp, the league’s Offensive Player of the Year who led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and TDs (16) this season; Cincinnati counters with Ja’Marr Chase who had 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 TDs this season. His 279 receiving yards in the postseason are already the most among rookies in a single playoffs, and he’s the only rookie receiver to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a playoffs.

Defensive Stand-outs: The Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald is considered the best defensive player in the league and will be pressuring Cincy QB Burrows while also downing Bengals running backs and receivers. He led the league in tackles with 127. Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (107 tackles, third in the NFL) ranks in the top three in first pressures this season, including the playoffs. Hendrickson was 11th in pass rush win rate (21.9%).