Super Bowl LVIII Recap: The Tribal Chiefs

WOW! What a game!!

So the results of this year's Conference Championships left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of fans. They wanted the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions, because many figured that this was Baltimore's best chance, and they wanted that heartwarming story of the Lions reaching the Super Bowl for the first time ever. Instead, we got the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, which caused a lot of grumbling, but regardless, we were in for an interesting contest. For the Chiefs, they were looking to continue ruling as the NFL's current empire, while the Niners were looking for payback and that elusive sixth ring.

The Niners ended up with the ball first, and their first drive looked to be successful, only for Christian McCaffrey to fumble close to the red zone. The Chiefs drive stalled as well, and we would end up with a first quarter that had no points. At that instant, I feared we would get a repeat of Super Bowl LIII, which ended 13-3; the lowest score in Super Bowl history.

How wrong I was.

We would see points early in the 2nd quarter, as Jake Moody nailed a 55 yard field goal, the longest made field goal in Super Bowl history. Niners led 3-0, and KC was looking to answer. They made it to the red zone, but Isiah Pacheco fumbled in the red zone. Niners regain possession.

And then...this:

Seriously, Travis? What in the blue fuck are you doing?! This was a sickening sight; actually yelling at and knocking down your head coach because you weren't getting the ball. That's disgusting. You know, Kelce's been pulling off some pretty dick moves lately. It was before the AFC Championship that he basically bullied Justin Tucker off the field while he was practicing his kicks (the image of Kelce tossing Tucker's things still runs in my mind), and now he pulls this shit--yelling at and knocking down a his 65-year-old head coach. Travis Kelce is who racists have long believed that Black players (especially wide receivers) are. A lot of people thought Odell Beckham Jr. acted like this. They were dead wrong.

The teams traded punts, but the next Niners drive would see Brock Purdy toss it back to Jauan Jennings, who threw it to CMC, who did the rest. Touchdown! A touchdown pass for Jennings to CMC, and the Niners lead 10-0. As the second quarter progressed, I sensed a repeat of Super Bowl LV. KC was not playing well at all. Nothing was going right. They did end up with a field goal at the tail end of the first half, but even so, the defending champs were down 10-3 at the midway point.

The Chiefs started the third quarter with the ball, but that would end with a rare interception from Patrick Mahomes. Oh boy. Niners couldn't capitalize, but the Chiefs would get something, as Harrison Butker managed to nail a 57-yard field goal! So Jake Moody's record only lasted just a few hours. Wow! Both teams traded punts again, but Darrell Luter Jr. muffed the punt, and KC recovered. Oh man! Right after that, Mahomes tossed it to a wide open Marques Valdes-Scantling (an ex-Packer) for the easy score, and just like that, the Chiefs led for the first time.

13-10 was the score after third quarter, bringing it down to the final 15 minutes of regulation. The beginning of the fourth quarter saw the completion of a 75-yard drive capped off by a Jauan Jennings touchdown (joining Nick Foles as the only players to have a TD pass and a TD reception in a Super Bowl) to give the Niners the lead back. However, Jake Moody's extra point? Blocked. Big difference maker. So instead of being down by four and needing to go all the way, they were down three and had a margin of error. A field goal would tie it, and that's exactly what KC got on their drive. It was 16-all, and the Niners were moving down the field with the clock on their side. At the two minute warning, the Niners were in field goal range, and it was 3rd and 4. A conversion would force the Chiefs to use their two remaining timeouts, while the Niners would seal their sixth championship.

The pass? Incomplete.

Moody nails a 53-yarder to give the Niners a 19-16 lead, but KC had two timeouts and a lot of time, and didn't have to go all the way. The Chiefs moved with ease on that drive. Mahomes got the conversions they needed, as did Pacheco, and Kelce's catch put them in the red zone. They actually had a chance to win it with a touchdown, but their attempt was incomplete. KC settled for a chip shot field goal, and with three seconds left in regulation, the game was tied at 19. Those three ticks went off after the kickoff, and for the second time in the 58 year history of the Super Bowl, we have overtime.

In addition, this was the first overtime postseason game played since the rules were changed (again) for the playoffs only after that Chiefs/Bills classic Divisional Playoff from two seasons ago. The new rules guarantee that both teams will have the ball, as even an opening drive touchdown would not end the game. In Super Bowl LI, the only other Super Bowl to go to OT, the New England Patriots had the only possession of the period, and it ended with a touchdown. The Niners won the toss, and they were moving and killing a lot of clock. When it reached 11:01 left in overtime, we were officially watching the longest Super Bowl in history.

The Niners ended up burning over half of the overtime period--7:38, but ended up settling for a chip shot field goal to take the lead. It was KC's turn, and it was down to 4th and 1. All the Niners had to do was get one more stop, but Mahomes ran the conversion in. Even so, the clock was winding down and they were closing in on the end zone. They had timeouts, but they weren't using them. A small part of me actually believed that KC would be forced to settle for a chip shot field goal and we would actually get double overtime in the Super Bowl! However, Mahomes decided to end it now, and end it, he did.

With three seconds left in overtime, Mahomes tossed it to Mecole Hardman Jr. for the easy score. All Hardman had to do was walk into immortality, and he did just that. The Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII, 25-22, in an overtime that lasted 14:57. What a game!!! This was an absolute classic! We saw a lot of history here! Second to go to overtime, almost the first to go to double overtime (and almost the seventh overall NFL game to go to double overtime). Even the kickers made history! Before this year, only seven 50+ yard FGs were ever made in Super Bowl history. There were three in this game alone. Also, we saw an overtime that featured two possessions and both teams scoring. This game will be talked about for the rest of time, without question!

The Chiefs made history themselves as the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX; almost 20 years. Overall, this was the team's fourth Super Bowl Championship, tying them with the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants, and trailing only the Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the 49ers. Patrick Mahomes became the third played to capture three Super Bowl MVPs, joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana (the latter attending the game) on that very short list.

I said it last year: the Chiefs are that team now. They're officially a dynasty; having been in four Super Bowls in five years, and won three of them, including back-to-back. Here's the thing, though: no one's ever won three straight Super Bowls. Here's another thing: the back-to-back wins came after they got rid of Tyreek Hill, and this year, they beat Tyreek Hill during their playoff run, which also included two road wins. The Chiefs are scaring the absolute shit out of everyone, yet all this Packers fan can think is, "Jordan Love beat this team."

And that's that, another NFL season in the books. What an ending, though! Super Bowl LIX will take place on February 9, 2025 at the Superdome in New Orleans; an arena that has hosted a lot of Super Bowls, including the Packers' win in Super Bowl XXXI. That Super Bowl was the very first to air on Fox, which just happens to be the very network that will air Super Bowl LIX. Is this an omen for us Packers fans? Or will we see the Chiefs become the first team to three-peat? We'll definitely know in just under a year's time.