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Patrick Mahomes

Photo: Julio Cortez / AP

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. In the NFL final in Las Vegas, the defending champions beat the San Francisco 49ers 25:22 (3:10, 19:19) after overtime.

The team around superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes managed a remarkable comeback. The Chiefs played incorrectly for a long time and were 0:10 behind. But because nothing worked in the 49ers' offense in the second half and Mahomes found his way into the game better, it went into overtime. There Mahomes decided the game for the Chiefs with a touchdown pass.

For the 28-year-old Mahomes, it is the third Super Bowl victory of his career. The 49ers, on the other hand, missed revenge for the Super Bowl defeat against the Chiefs in 2020. (Read the game here.)

The game was intense from the start, but there were initially no big offensive highlights. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey lost the ball in the first quarter, but the Chiefs were unable to use it to score points. It took until the second quarter before a team scored their first points. San Francisco kicker Jake Moody hit a 55-yard field goal.

Even after that, the highly talented 49ers team made the better impression; things didn't go well for the defending champions from Kansas City. San Francisco then extended its lead with a trick play. Purdy got the ball and passed it to pass receiver Jauan Jennings, who threw to the unmarked McCaffrey. He then ran into the end zone largely unmolested. After a successful extra point, the 49ers led 10-0.

Mahomes with mistakes

The Chiefs didn't manage a touchdown until halftime, and Harrison Butker only hit a field goal from 28 yards shortly before halftime to make it 3:10 from the Chiefs' perspective.

Even after the halftime show from Usher, Alicia Keys and other stars, things didn't get any better for the Chiefs. Mahomes made an unusual mistake and threw a ball into the hands of San Francisco pass defender Ji'Ayir Brown. The 49ers didn't use this faux pas to score points, but they remained in the lead.

The Chiefs initially didn't want to score a touchdown, but Butker shortened the lead to 6:10 with a field goal from 57 yards around five minutes before the end of the third quarter and made the game close again. It was the longest field goal in Super Bowl history; Moody previously held the record with his 55-yard hit in the first half.

Kicker with leading roles

But after that, the 49ers' offensive game around quarterback Brock Purdy stalled - and the momentum shifted to the Chiefs. Mahomes became more confident and found Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone with a pass shortly before the end of the third quarter. After a successful extra point, the Chiefs led 13:10. Taylor Swift, whose partner Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs, was cheering in the stands.

The game now picked up speed because the 49ers also found their way back into the game. Purdy threw a touchdown pass to Juan Jennings early in the fourth quarter to give San Francisco a 16-13 lead. The Chiefs blocked the subsequent extra point attempt and kept the deficit small.

No team was able to score a touchdown in regular time. After two field goals for Kansas City and one for the 49ers, the game went into overtime.

The touchdown lull initially continued there. The 49ers got the ball but again couldn't get into the end zone. Butker hit a field goal to give San Francisco the lead back.

But Mahomes showed once again why he is the best football player in the world: A few seconds before the end of overtime, the 28-year-old threw a short pass to Mecole Hardman, who came into the end zone. The game was decided, the winner was once again Kansas City.

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