Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers faced off in Super Bowl LIV. This was a battle that many expected to be hard-fought, and the final product did not disappoint. The Chiefs defense ultimately took care of business, stopped a 49ers drive, and secured the victory on Sunday night, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Missouri.
DAMIEN. WILLIAMS.
38-YARD TOUCHDOWN. #ChiefsKingdom
๐บ: #SBLIV on FOX
โ NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2020
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Entering the game, there was an expectation that this would be a contest between strengths. The 49ers boasted the league’s best defense, which was led by rookie pass rusher Nick Bosa and cornerback Richard Sherman. The Chiefs, on the other hand, had the defending league MVP in quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a plethora of talented skill position players.
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The Chiefs had the early advantage after Mahomes rushed for one touchdown and Harrison Butker added a field goal. They held a 10-3 lead over the 49ers, but that did not last. QB Jimmy Garoppolo led a scoring drive before halftime and tied the game at 10 all.
The 49ers’ success continued into the third quarter as they added another field goal and touchdown to build up a 20-10 lead. The defense forced two interceptions by Mahomes and kept the Chiefs in check for the majority of the second half.
Mahomes and his offense did ultimately recover midway through the fourth quarter. Tight end Travis Kelce set them up on the one-yard line after drawing a pass interference penalty, and he capped off the drive by catching a touchdown pass.
The Chiefs kept the game competitive late with a Mahomes touchdown pass to running back Damien Williams, providing the fans with the hope that their favorite team would finally win the Super Bowl after a 50-year drought. The previous victory came against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
The 49ers, on the other hand, were looking for the sixth Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Joe Montana and Steve Young led the Bay Area team to the Promised Land five times during the 1980s and 1990s.
The quest for another trophy did not pan out for the 49ers despite playing in the same stadium where Montana once threw a game-winning pass to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. Mahomes threw a game-winning pass of his own while the defense held Garoppolo in check. Williams delivered the dagger with a touchdown scamper with little more than one minute remaining.
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