Super Bowl LVIII was everything a football fan could want and more. There was a balance of offense and defense, the star players were shining and an exciting ending occurred in overtime. Even if some fans were not happy with the result, it was objectively one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory.
Before the season started, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers were both seen as top contenders for the Super Bowl. The Chiefs were the defending champions after beating the Eagles in a close comeback win in Super Bowl LVII. The 49ers on the other hand were seen as favorites due to the uber-talented roster they had built. Both teams faced struggles throughout the season but still managed to secure high seeds in the playoffs.
The game was pretty boring to start, only 13 points were scored in the first half and the Chiefs were down 10-3. The third quarter was a different story. Patrick Mahomes and the offense scored 10 straight points to take the lead, it would not last long because of a touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to wide receiver Jauan Jennings. This would have given the 49ers a four-point lead but the Chiefs’ special teams blocked the extra point. This would turn out to be very important as the Chiefs scored six more points to the 49ers three, making the game go into overtime tied at 19-19.
With the new overtime rules, both teams would have a chance to score no matter what the other team did first. The 49ers got the ball first and drove down into field goal range and scored three points. The Chiefs got the ball back and a methodical touchdown drive captained by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce secured the win for the Chiefs. The confetti fell, and the Gatorade rained on coach Andy Reid, they had done it, back-to-back champions for the first time since the New England Patriots in 2004.
The 49ers have 14 expiring contracts in 2025, and with Brock Purdy most likely wanting to renegotiate his contract, there is no telling whether they could be as successful as they have been in the past season. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has been one of the best coaches in the NFL for a lot of his career. With the way he coaches and with the amount of star players that they have on their team it is unlikely that the 49ers could have a losing record next season. Because of the division that they are in, the upcoming expiring contracts might not have too big of an impact on the team and it is likely that they win their division and make the playoffs.
On the other hand, the Chiefs seemed to have found something other than Patrick Mahomes that will win them games, their defense is ranked second in the NFL just behind the Cleveland Browns according to FOX Sports. Going into the 2024-2025 season with the second-best defense, the best quarterback in recent years, and a very young offense it is something to be excited about for a Chiefs fan. The Chiefs can add to this offense in the offseason due to the enormous talent at the wide receiver position in this year’s draft. Even with the possibility of Travis Kelce retiring next year, a Super Bowl appearance does not seem impossible for this team and Andy Reid.
With the young Chiefs team and Shanahan’s perfect system, it is hard to see these teams falling off in quality. While the Chiefs figure out their players and what roles they play and the 49ers try to fit pieces back together there is no doubt that these teams gave us a great matchup and will probably give us another one sometime soon.
