The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54 by a score of 31-20 on February 2nd, 2020, to crown themselves NFL champions for the second time in franchise history. Led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of play which eventually led to their victory, and Mahomes claimed the game’s most valuable player award. Just in the fourth quarter, Mahomes threw two passing touchdowns to tight end Travis Kelce and running back Damien Williams which capped off the remarkable comeback. Not only did Kansas City come-from-behind, but they added insult to injury as Williams scored a 38 yard touchdown with just one minute and 20 seconds remaining in the contest, which would ultimately seal the victory for the Chiefs.

Statistically speaking, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 286 passing yards, two passing touchdowns (both in the final quarter), along with having two interceptions and two fumbles (none were lost fumbles). Some may point to Mahomes’ frequent mistakes in the big game as a way to discredit his performance last Sunday, but Mahomes hit big throws in the fourth quarter as on a crucial third and fifteen, Mahomes connected with wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a 38 yard gain on an exceptional pass to keep Kansas City in the game. Prior to the contest, Kansas City Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid, emphasized Mahomes’ incredible talents by exclaiming, “he’s got great vision on the field, so he can see, which becomes important for quarterbacks, […] I like the way he goes about his business and he still has plenty of room to grow, which is exciting,” Reid said. On the defensive side of the ball, Kansas City surrendered just 20 total points throughout the game, including forcing two interceptions, one of which played in part in sealing the victory late in the fourth quarter.

As for the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan took his second Super Bowl loss (first as a head coach), and it’s difficult to not place the blame on his questionable decision-making in key situations. For example, the 49ers had three timeouts with just under two minutes remaining in the first half, and forced a Kansas City punt. Instead of taking a timeout which would prevent the Chiefs from chewing away crucial seconds near the end of the first half, Shanahan let the clock bleed and played a more “conservative style” with his rather youthful offense. Ultimately, San Francisco came away with no points in the following drive due to a lack of time and an offensive pass interference call, which completely changed the pace of the game as San Francisco was controlling time of possession and the flow of their offense, before their eventual despair later in the game. Shanahan explained his decision-making after the game, and said, “the last thing we were gonna do is let them get the ball at the end of the half, I thought it played out all right, we should have gotten points (if not for the Kittle PI)”, Shanahan said, according to David Lombardi. However, there were some bright spots for San Francisco, as edge rusher Nick Bosa generated 12 pressures in last Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus. Overall, the 49ers inability to score points in the fourth quarter and contain Patrick Mahomes in the pocket led to their devastating loss.

Next, both teams will head into the off-season with aspirations of repeating a Super Bowl appearance. As for Kansas City, they’ll look to upgrade at the running back position as they have yet to find consistency for their scat backs, despite Damien Williams having two incredible postseason runs, and they may target the cornerback or safety position, with a lack of a true starter. For San Francisco, they’ll also target secondary positions, as they may lose safety Jimmie Ward in free agency, and not to mention, cornerback Richard Sherman is only getting older. Overall, Super Bowl LIV was an entertaining contest that showcased the future of the NFL, with the star-studded defense in the 49ers and the high-powered offense in Kansas City.