If you banked on the old saying, defense wins championships, you were right. However, the unlikely of the two teams pulled out the defensive stops that made the difference.
Kansas City used a page out of the 49ers playbook by unveiling its steel curtain defense in the second half. That effort allowed its offense time to get on track as it outscored San Francisco 21-0 in the fourth quarter to bring home the Super Bowl LIV Title with a, 31-20 victory on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Despite receiving praise for its defense all season, the 49ers played second fiddle to Kansas City, who stunned the crowd.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones batted down a pair of crucial passes on two of the four possessions to force a three and out.
Also, the Chiefs’ defensive unit stiffened when Kendall Fuller broke up a pass; Frank Clark sacked Jimmy Garoppolo with 1:42 left and Fuller picked off Garoppolo with 57 seconds left.
Not as dominating as the original steel curtain. At least, not at the opening of the fourth quarter. But as time matured, Kansas City’s defense jelled, stopping San Francisco on its final four drives.
The Chiefs begin its comeback with an 11-play, 83-yard drive highlighted by Patrick Mahomes 39-yard pass to Tyreek Hill at the 21-yard line of San Francisco. Tarvarius Moore’s pass interference call sparked the drive while covering Travis Kelce. After Kelce’s one-yard touchdown catch from Mahomes, Kansas City pulled within three points, 20-17, with 6:13 left.
Despite starting the fourth quarter with a pick, MVP Mahomes and Chiefs used its final three possessions to post 21 unanswered points to complete the comeback.
“We never lost faith,” said Mahomes. “Defense got some big stops, and we found a way to win it.”
Kansas City pieced together its second impressive possession. It covered 70 yards. Mahomes’ 38-yard strike to Sammy Watkins at the four-yard line concluded when Damien Williams took a swing pass out of the backfield and raced to the pile on, giving the Chiefs a 24-20 lead with 2:44 remaining.
Following the 49ers stalled drive, Williams added the icing, sprinting 38-yards to the end zone as Kansas City finalized the margin of victory, 31-20.
49ers’ first fourth-quarter possession resulted in a four and out.
Early on, the 49ers defense forced a three and out. Then Garoppolo guided it 82 yards as Robbie Gould drilled a 38-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the first quarter.
Then Mahomes and the Chiefs showed off its offensive power, driving 75 yards as he faked an option pitch to Williams and scored from a yard out to put Kansas City in front 7-3, following the extra point kick.
Mahomes told reporters, “I feel like I’m still growing in everything that I’m doing. Every single year I feel like I have a better knowledge of not only the game but how I want to be perceived off the field.”
Garoppolo and the 49ers started a promising drive at its 17 and progressed to the 43-yard line before Bashaud Breeland came up with back-to-back stops. He stopped Deebo Samuel two yards shy of the line to gain, intercepted Garoppolo at the Kansas City 41 and returned the ball to the Chiefs 44 with 14:08 left in the second quarter.
That turnover produced three points after Harrison Butker capped a 31-yard field goal with 9:32 to go in the half.
Chiefs offense shook off a slow start ignited by Mahomes, which led to its first Super Bowl win in fifty years.