Down 10-3 at the start of the third quarter, Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes threw his first interception of the postseason. The San Francisco 49ers, with the ball and excellent field position, looked like they were going to have an opportunity to put the game away.
Two hours later, the Chiefs were Super Bowl Champions. How did that happen? How did the team, which was at one point down 10-0, and looked lifeless, turn around and complete their third Super Bowl victory in five years?
One player. Patrick Mahomes. The best quarterback in the NFL took control. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers held a 3-point lead, 19-16. Mahomes had the ball with roughly two minutes on the clock, needing a field goal to tie the game. In most cases, the quarterback would be feeling the most pressure in this scenario. All the pressure should be felt by the offense. Usually, that would be the case, but when the quarterback running the offense is two-time MVP, two-time Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes, the exact opposite is true.
Watching the fourth quarter, I could feel the tension on the 49ers defense. I could see the nerves within them, as they lined up against Mahomes trying to protect the lead. Mahomes has been there before, he has rings, awards, and most importantly, he already had a legacy.
Whether or not Mahomes won that particular Super Bowl, he is already going to go down as one of the all-time greats. He would still be the best in the league, on one of the best teams in the league, so it’s fair to assume Mahomes was bound to win a third Super Bowl eventually, whether or not he did in 2024.
The 49ers, meanwhile, have not won a Super Bowl since 1995. None of the players on their team have 49er Super Bowl rings, none of them have that feeling of victory. They did not know how to close it out and get the win. Mahomes played loose, with the knowledge that win or lose, he is still the best. The 49ers were tense, twitching, unable to get out of their heads. And suddenly, plays that they were making with ease in the first half were no longer as easy. After holding the Chiefs to 3 points in the first 35 minutes of the game, they allowed 16 points in the final 25, giving the Chiefs a chance to tie the game and eventually win in overtime.
Mahomes was cool, calm and collected. He trusted his receivers to make the big plays, he trusted himself to make the big plays. At one point in overtime, it came down a fourth and one. The Chiefs, down 3, needed to convert to keep the game from ending. The 49ers defense, in this paramount moment to the game, forgot to even watch Mahomes as he dashed past the line of scrimmage with ease for the first down. A few minutes later, the Chiefs had won the game, and the 49ers were left to wonder what went wrong.
It’s fair to criticize 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for questionable offensive playcalling. It’s fair to point out a fumble on the opening drive and a muffed punt that contributed to their lack of offense. It’s fair to wonder what would have happened had starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw not been injured in the third quarter. However, the bottom line is that the 49ers had a chance to close out the win, twice. Both times, their defense could not stop Patrick Mahomes.
Once again, Mahomes stands above the rest of the NFL, and just like the 49ers defense, the entirety of the league is at his mercy.
