The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champs — again.
Confetti is streaming onto the field at Allegiant Stadium after Patrick Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Chiefs a 25-22 win over San Francisco.
Mahomes methodically led Kansas City the length of the field for the winning score, guiding a 13-play, 75-yard drive that seemed inevitable from the moment it began. Mahomes completed all nine of his pass attempts on the drive, including a roll-out that saw him find Hardman in the right side of the end zone wide open for the game-ender.
Mahomes will likely be named Super Bowl MVP in a few minutes. The three-time champion completed 34-of-46 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns and made sure the Chiefs scored on each of their final four possessions.
Kansas City has now won two straight Super Bowls.
San Francisco goes ahead in OT, 22-19
San Francisco kicked a short field goal on the opening drive of overtime, meaning the Chiefs need to match it, or the game is over.
The 49ers nearly marched the length of the field, with Christian McCaffrey doing the heavy lifting. But a third-down pass into the end zone fell incomplete, and Jake Moody kicked his fourth field goal of the day to put San Francisco in front, 22-19.
McCaffrey has 160 yards on the day — 80 rushing and 80 receiving.
Kansas City can now win the game with a touchdown on this drive, or extend it with a field goal. If they tie the game, the next score would produce a sudden-death winner.
Overtime in Las Vegas
The Super Bowl is heading to overtime for the second time in its 58-year history, as Patrick Mahomes led a field-goal drive to tie the game, 19-19, at the end of the fourth quarter.
Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce on a 22-yard catch-and-run that gave Kansas City a first down at the 49ers 11-yard line with nine seconds on the clock. Mahomes attempted a back-shoulder fade to Kelce on the next play, but the pass was broken up and Harrison Butker came in to kick the tying field goal.
San Francisco won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive. That is an interesting decision, given the new OT rules put in place by the NFL this postseason. Under the new rules, there is no sudden death, so a touchdown on the first possession wouldn't end the game; in that scenario, Kansas City would get a possession to try to match. If both teams are tied after one possession apiece, the next score wins the game.
Can the 49ers go the length of the field to put some pressure on the suddenly red-hot Kansas City offense?
49ers take lead in final minutes, 19-16
Las Vegas is getting a memorable finish in its first Super Bowl.
Jake Moody just drilled a 54-yard field goal — his second of 50+ yards today — to give San Francisco a 19-16 lead with 1:53 remaining. But now the real game begins, as Patrick Mahomes has nearly two minutes to work with, plus two timeouts at his disposal.
A Mahomes game-winning drive here would cement this as a legendary game. Even a field-goal drive would ensure a classic finish, so it looks like Vegas is going to be a winner either way.
Chiefs, 49ers tied late in fourth quarter
This game has turned from slugfest to shootout, as the Chiefs just kicked a game-tying field goal, knotting the score at 16-16 with 5:46 remaining.
It looked like Kansas City was on its way to taking the lead, as Patrick Mahomes led the drive inside the San Francisco 10-yard line. The goal-to-go offense sputtered, however, with Mahomes scrambling away from pressure on second and third down and unable to find a receiver.
Now we get to find out if Brock Purdy is capable of leading a Super Bowl winning drive in the final minutes. But this possession will have to be managed carefully — San Francisco has to try to score, but they've also got to take the clock down as close to zero as they can get it. It's a tightrope act, but that's the way Super Bowls are won.
Either way, Las Vegas is about to see an amazing finish in its first Super Bowl.
San Francisco regains lead in fourth quarter
We're getting back-and-forth action here in the fourth quarter, as the 49ers just scored a touchdown to regain the lead, 16-13, with 11:22 remaining.
The drive was fraught, especially as San Francisco neared scoring range. Brock Purdy missed a wide-open Deebo Samuel streaking in the end zone, but made up for it four plays later by connecting with George Kittle on the sideline to convert a 4th-and-4 inside the 20-yard line.
Two plays later, Purdy hit Jauan Jennings on a slant over the middle, and Jennings fought his way into the end zone. The point after attempt was blocked, so the margin is still within a field goal.
Jennings is now the frontrunner for Super Bowl MVP, if the score holds. In addition to his go-ahead TD catch, he also threw a touchdown pass on a trick play in the second quarter.
But that still has to be considered a long shot at this point, considering there's plenty of time left and lots of game-changing plays still to be made.
Chiefs take lead, 13-10
A crucial mistake on special teams may have just cost the 49ers the Super Bowl.
After forcing Kansas City to punt, return man Ray-Ray McCloud lined up around his own 10 to field the kick. His teammate Darrell Luter was engaged in a block when the ball bounced off his leg, and Kansas City fell on the live ball before McCloud was able to recover it.
Given sparkling field position, Mahomes cashed in immediately with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the very next play, putting Kansas City ahead, 13-10 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
Now the 49ers have to mount some kind of offense, when they have looked very bad on that side of the ball in the second half. Christian McCaffrey has been taken out of the game, with just one carry since halftime, and Brock Purdy isn't connecting in the passing game with any regularity. It just feels like momentum has shifted in a big, potentially irreversible way.
In a game where the Chiefs offense was having almost no success, that special-teams gaffe may have given them everything they need to win Super Bowl LVIII.
Chiefs mounting comeback attempt in Super Bowl LVIII
The Chiefs continue to inch closer, and now they've got a chance to take their first lead.
Harrison Butker drilled a 57-yard field goal on the last drive (breaking the Super Bowl record of 55 yards set by 49ers kicker Jake Moody earlier today) to trim San Francisco's lead to 10-6, and the Chiefs defense just forced a 3-and-out to get the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with 3:59 left in the third quarter.
It's been another nightmare second half for San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan so far. The 49ers have run nine plays, punted three times, and worst of all, Shanahan has only called one running play for Christian McCaffrey.
The Chiefs could have an opening here to seize control of the game. Let's see if Mahomes can make it happen.
49ers protecting 10-3 second-half lead
The second half has served up more of the same, with the teams punting four times on the first four possessions. San Francisco is still nursing a 10-3 lead with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter, and Kansas City will start its third drive of the half at its own 12 yard line.
The San Francisco defense came up big on KC's last possession, stuffing a 3rd-and-1 run by Isiah Pacheco to force a punt. The ensuing drive went nowhere, however, as Brock Purdy completed a pass for a loss of eight yards on first down, pretty much scuttling the possession.
The 49ers might have more injury concerns, as star receiver Deebo Samuel went down on the last third-down play and had to be helped off the field. Samuel only has two catches for 24 yards today, but he's such an all-around threat in the San Francisco offense that losing him would be another major blow. The 49ers are already playing without linebacker Dre Greenlaw on defense after he suffered an Achilles injury in the first half.
Mahomes is now gearing up for his third possession since the break. At some point, you have to think he'll figure something out and start connecting for big plays, but it just hasn't happened yet for the Chiefs offense.
Usher plays the hits, ushers in second half
Usher just completed his halftime performance, and the field crew is working fast to break down the stage and get the surface ready for the second half.
How was the show? He brought out Ludacris and Lil Jon to close with an energetic rendition of "Yeah," and that's enough to earn a passing grade for me.
Now, can the Chiefs get their offense cranked up? They've got 157 yards on 5.8 yards per play, but only came away with three points on two drives inside the San Francisco 10-yard line. It's unusual for a Mahomes-Reid team to struggle on the goal line, so you've got to think if Kansas City gets another opportunity down there, they're going to cash in.
Getting Travis Kelce involved would help. The star tight end has just one catch for one yard, and he was shown on the sideline screaming at Reid from close range. San Francisco is making a point to obstruct his release at the line, but Reid and Kelce have to figure out a way to beat the coverage and get him more involved.
49ers lead Chiefs at half, 10-3
Kansas City is finally on the board, as a last-second field goal pulled the Chiefs within 10-3 heading into the halftime break.
The half nearly ended with a classic Chiefs drive, as Patrick Mahomes led a 70-yard march that took up more than four minutes, picking up a first down inside the San Francisco 10. It stalled out there, however, as a couple runs were stuffed and the 49ers defense came up with a clutch third-down stop to limit KC to a short field goal.
The Chiefs have been inside the 10 on two drives now and only come away with three points, which has to be dampening the team's spirits. But comebacks are nothing to this Kansas City squad, which has overcome double-digit deficits in each of its Super Bowl wins.
Christian McCaffrey has been the engine of the 49ers offense, with 27 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards, including a 22-yard touchdown catch. Brock Purdy has completed 10-of-15 passes for 123 yards.
Mahomes has hit 11-of-13 passes for 123 yards, and he has one explosive 53-yard completion to Mecole Hardman, but other than that San Francisco has done a nice job of keeping Mahomes from taking over.
This one is far from finished. Kansas City will receive the ball to start the third quarter — after Usher and friends finish their halftime performance.
49ers get tricky to go up 10-0 in Super Bowl
This Super Bowl has its first signature play, as the 49ers just pulled off a trick play to score the game's first touchdown and take a 10-0 lead late in the half.
Taking a 2nd-and-10 snap from the KC 22, Brock Purdy threw a sideways pass to receiver Jauan Jennings on the far right side of the field. Jennings stepped up and threw back across the field to running back Christian McCaffrey, who followed a convoy of blockers into the end zone.
The sweet double pass was called at just the right time, and now things are really going San Francisco's way. The defense is pitching a shutout, and after moving the ball well for most of the half, the offense has finally punched in its first touchdown.
Kansas City has 4:23 on the clock, which is plenty of time for Patrick Mahomes to mount a drive. The Chiefs will also receive the ball after halftime, so this game isn't out of hand by any means.
Defense dominating, 49ers up 3-0 in Super Bowl
The San Francisco defense continues to dominate through the first half, but they may have just suffered a big blow.
Star linebacker Dre Greenlaw appeared to suffer a non-contact injury while cheering on the punt coverage team after the 49ers' last punt. Greenlaw began to sprint onto the field after the play, but his foot slipped from under him and he went down. He did not play on the ensuing defensive possession.
Grass has been a big topic of discussion this week, with some anonymous 49ers complaining about the condition of their practice fields at UNLV's football facility. Last year's Super Bowl was plagued by faulty footing and lots of slipping, so if Greenlaw is indeed seriously injured, expect that conversation to crop up again.
Even without Greenlaw, the 49ers just forced another 3-and-out. San Francisco will have the ball and good field position, starting at the 33.
49ers take early lead in Super Bowl
We've got our first scoring play, and it was a memorable one.
The 49ers' third drive stalled on the fringe of scoring range, but kicker Jake Moody came through with a monster 55-yard field goal to put San Francisco ahead, 3-0. Moody's make set a new Super Bowl record for longest field goal.
The 49ers kept the momentum going. Patrick Mahomes uncorked a 53-yard bomb to Mecole Hardman that got the Chiefs inside the 5, but on the next play the 49ers defense swarmed running back Isiah Pacheco and forced a fumble. San Francisco recovered and will now have the ball at the 9-yard line as they look to extend the early lead.
So, while we haven't had a touchdown yet, this game is starting to stack up big plays.
Scoreless first quarter in Super Bowl LVIII
After 15 minutes, this Super Bowl has seen three punts, one turnover and zero points. The Chiefs and 49ers are deadlocked, 0-0, heading into the second quarter, though San Francisco is threatening.
The 49ers had an opportunity to score with 26 seconds left in the quarter but failed to convert. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk broke open down the left seam and Brock Purdy lofted a deep ball to the end zone, but they were not on the same page, as Aiyuk got twisted around and was not able to locate the ball.
Purdy went 8-of-10 in the quarter for 105 yards, and the 49ers are averaging 7.4 yards per play. They'll have a 3rd-and-14 coming up to start the second quarter, with the ball at the Kansas City 37.
Slow start in Super Bowl LVIII
Is this destined to be yet another scoreless first quarter?
Slow starts have seemingly become a Super Bowl tradition, and with both offenses looking sloppy on their most recent possessions, we could be headed for another. With 6:28 left in the quarter, we're still stuck on 0-0.
Kansas City was unable to take advantage of the turnover, as the offense got behind the chains and went 3-and-out. San Francisco's ensuing drive unfolded in similar fashion, as a pair of penalties put the 49ers in a 2nd-and-27 situation. Brock Purdy completed a couple short passes, but nothing close to the line to gain, prompting another punt back to the Chiefs.
During the game's first timeout, 49ers legend Joe Montana was introduced to big cheers from the San Francisco faithful (despite the fact that he finished his career with the Chiefs).
Kansas City will start inside its own 15 when play resumes.
Kansas City defense makes first big play
Less than three minutes into the game and we've already got our first big play.
Kansas City won the coin toss and deferred, which looked to be a bad decision as San Francisco proceeded to march downfield without much resistance. But on a 2nd-and-5 carry, Christian McCaffrey fumbled, and Chiefs linebacker George Karlaftis recovered.
Until the fumble, San Francisco had been cooking on offense — particularly McCaffrey, who was averaging 7.5 yards per touch on his three carries and one reception.
Kansas City now has the ball at its 27 with 12:15 left in the first quarter.
Kickoff coming up for Super Bowl LVIII
That's it for the pregame lineup, as Reba McEntire just wrapped up the national anthem, complete with fireworks atop Allegiant Stadium, an American flag displayed on the Sphere, and a flyover.
Andra Day did a solid job with "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and Post Malone acquitted himself rather nicely with an acoustic version of "America the Beautiful." Reba's anthem was bombastic and rather produced; Malone probably won the round.
Next we've got the ceremonial coin toss, and then kickoff less than 10 minutes from now. It is on.
Players take the field for Super Bowl LVIII
Just over an hour before kickoff, both teams are now in uniform and on the field for pregame warmups.
Allegiant Stadium isn't even to half capacity yet, but the crowd erupted in boos as the Chiefs took the field. That animosity isn't likely to hold once the actual games begin, but as of now the Raiders' chief rivals are hearing it from the stands.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes appears relaxed as he slings passes to his receivers. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey is loosening up by sprinting along the sidelines.
The teams will have this warmup period, then the NFL will clear the field and begin setting up for the pregame entertainment.
Taylor Swift is in the building for Super Bowl LVIII
The Swifties had to sweat it out a little, but in the end there was no need to fret — Taylor Swift has arrived at Allegiant Stadium with two hours to spare.
The pop star walked in wearing red, flanked by rapper Ice Spice and actress Blake Lively, presumably heading toward the club-level suite where she and her squad will watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs go for their second straight Super Bowl championship.
Swift had a tour date in Japan on Saturday, but between the time difference and her personal private jet, she was able to make the journey to Las Vegas in plenty of time.
Kickoff must be drawing close, because the event activity is picking up. Outside Allegiant, Gwen Stefani is performing a selection of her solo hits, while a handful of players from both teams have trickled onto the field for early warmups.
Kickoff looms for Super Bowl LVIII
Kickoff is four hours away, but Allegiant Stadium is already buzzing ahead of Super Bowl LVII.
Fans and media are making their way into the building. For the press, that meant a 45-minute journey from the parking garage at Mandalay Bay, complete with a shuttle to the stadium and four security checkpoints, plus a hike up several flights of stairs to reach our seats high above the field.
The Chiefs and 49ers have not begun warming up, but the press food is hot and ready to serve. Breakfast burritos for most; personally, I'm getting acquainted with a giant glazed donut.
As far as actual news goes, Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney has been listed as inactive today, which doesn't come as much of a surprise considering his struggles this year and his inactive status in the AFC championship game.
Refresh this page for updates throughout the day (hopefully more substantive updates as we inch closer to game time).
Super Sunday arrives in Las Vegas
After a mostly dreary week filled with bad weather, practice field controversies and Taylor Swift flight trackers, it is finally, thankfully, Super Bowl Sunday.
Needless to say, this is a monumental in Las Vegas history, as our burgeoning pro sports mecca steps into the brightest spotlight possible.
The big game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. (CBS), but as any football fan knows, the day begins well before that. Pregame coverage will probably be in full swing by the time you read this, and viewing party preparations are well underway across the valley (and across the country).
That early start time goes for the press, too. Thousands of media members are descending upon Allegiant Stadium, including the entire sports staff of the Las Vegas Sun, ready to brave a battery of security checkpoints in order to bring you local coverage of everything that happens today.
Once the ball is in the air, the focus will turn to the game itself, but until that happens it is difficult — impossible, really — to separate the sport from the spectacle.
While we wait for the first whistle, some key storylines to consider:
Legacy talk
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is playing for a lot today. A third Super Bowl win would cement him in the very upper, upper tier of all-time greats, with a case to be made that he moves ahead of everyone except Montana and Brady (and they would officially be put on notice).
A loss, however, would leave Mahomes two behind Montana and five behind Brady, with a not-so-sparkling 2-2 record in the big game.
The Chiefs come in as slight 2-point underdogs, and most objective observers would agree that San Francisco has the superior roster overall, but Mahomes’ magic renders that immaterial. With everything that’s at stake today, don’t be surprised if Mahomes gives us an historic performance.
Field conditions
This is guaranteed to be a story on Sunday, because it has already become one of the biggest stories in the build-up to the game: The 49ers are reportedly unhappy about the condition of the practice fields at UNLV.
The league installed natural grass at UNLV’s football facility two weeks ago, and between the recent installation date and the rainy weather, San Francisco admins felt the field was too soft to replicate real game conditions.
This was an unforced error by the league, and that has become something of a theme lately. Last year, the NFL was criticized for the slippery surface at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., for Super Bowl LVII. And as Raiders fans are aware, the natural grass at Allegiant hasn’t always been in the best shape, as the field had large swaths of dirt late in the season.
Throw all that together, and there’s going to be a lot of talk about how the field is impacting the game on Sunday — especially if we see players struggling to gain their footing. Hopefully that’s not the case, but if it is, the NFL will only have itself to blame.
Super spectacle
The expectations for a Las Vegas Super Bowl are going to be hard to live up to. The game is the game, but the massive audience tuning in will also have its collective opinion shaped by the performances and the pageantry.
On that front, it looks like a solid lineup. Reba McEntire will do the national anthem, Post Malone will perform “America the Beautiful,” and Andra Day will give us her rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Then it’s on to halftime, where Usher will have 12 minutes to knock our socks off (likely with help from a cavalcade of guest collaborators).
That’s a good group of performers, so the viewers are in good hands through halftime. Then, and only then, will attention turn fully to what’s unfolding on the field. It can take some time for Super Bowl crowds to get into the game, but if the outcome is still undecided as we head toward the fourth quarter, the atmosphere is going to get intense.
What: Super Bowl LVIII
Who: San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
When: Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
TV: CBS
Line: San Francisco -2
San Francisco leaders
Passing
Brock Purdy: 69.4%, 4280 yards, 31 TDs, 11 INTs
Rushing
Christian McCaffrey: 1,459 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, 14 TDs
Receiving
Brandon Aiyuk: 75 receptions, 1,342 yards, 7 TDs
Defense
Fred Warner: 132 tackles, 6.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 4 INTs
Kansas City leaders
Passing
Patrick Mahomes: 67.2%, 4,183 yards, 27 TDs, 14 INTs
Rushing
Isiah Pacheco: 935 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 7 TDs
Receiving
Travis Kelce: 93 receptions, 984 yards, 5 TDs
Defense
Justin Reid: 95 tackles, 5 TFLs, 7 PDs, 1 INT
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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