The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a second-half comeback Sunday to beat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22 in overtime, becoming the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships since the New England Patriots did it almost two decades ago.
It is Kansas City's fourth Super Bowl win, and third in the past five years. The Chiefs won its first Super Bowl in 1969.
The Niners controlled the pace of the game throughout the first half. And little appeared to change as the second half began, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception on the Chief's first possession. But Kansas City began to slowly find its offensive footing and grabbed its first lead of the game at 13-10 later in the third quarter.
From then on, the game settled into a tense match of back-and-forth.
The 49ers were leading again 19-16 with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs scored a field goal in the waning seconds of regulation to tie the game.
In overtime, the 49ers drove on its first possession to eventually kick a field goal. Then, with three seconds left, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., to win the game.
"It was a microcosm of our whole season," Mahomes said during the trophy presentation. "I'm just proud of the guys that kept believing. And I'm proud of the coaches for calling up those plays that got us some touchdowns there at the end."
The NFL changed its overtime rules for postseason games in 2022. Before, the first team to score in overtime would win. Now, both teams get a chance to possess the ball.
Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP, an honor he has been given after each of the Chiefs' Super Bowl wins in the last five years.
"Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs," he said.
