Kansas City Chiefs Win Back-To-Back Super Bowls in 25 – 22 Overtime Finish, Usher Put on a Show, All in Vegas Style

The Super Bowl is one of the most viewed sporting events for a reason. This multi-faceted event brings entertainment value to millions of people through its commercials, halftime show and the “big game.” Add in Las Vegas as the host city, and you have the most-watched Super Bowl of all time with 124.3 million viewers, the highest-TV-viewing audience since the 1969 moon landing.

This year’s bowl game was a rematch from Super Bowl LIV just a mere four years ago when the No. 1 San Francisco 49ers faced off against the No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs. A Niners win would give them their first victory since 1994 and the third team in NFL history to win six times, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. A Chiefs victory would be the first repeat winner since the Patriots did the tall task back in 2005.

This game saw a back-and-forth battle for the Lombardi Trophy with the Chiefs coming out on top in a nail-biting 25 – 22 overtime finish. A late game-tying field goal by the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker forced the game into OT and helped the team hoist the trophy for the third time in the past five years.

The Niners opened the big game with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, while the Chiefs struggled to build any momentum. However, the defenses came to play to keep the game scoreless throughout the entire first quarter.

But San Francisco got on the board first after rookie Kicker, Jake Moody, nailed a 55-yard field goal attempt to break open the score. A few drives later, the Niners pulled off a trick play to build a 10 – 0 lead. After a lateral pass to Wide Receiver, Jauan Jennings, he found Running Back, Christian McCaffrey, across the field who rushed untouched into the endzone.

The Chiefs finally built some momentum towards the end of the quarter. Butker, easily made his 28-yard chip shot field goal and closed their deficit, 10 – 3, right before halftime.

A handful of drives back after the extended halftime break, Kansas City added another field goal to their name. Butker nailed his 57-yard attempt to make it a four-point game and set the longest field goal in Super Bowl history at the same time. After a muffed punt by the 49ers, the Chiefs recovered the ball within the red zone and Chiefs’ QB, Patrick Mahomes, only needed one play for the go-ahead touchdown. He found Receiver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide open in the endzone to take a 13 – 10 lead.

The Niners answered right back with a touchdown of their own. Quarterback, Brock Purdy, threw a short pass to Jennings who fought his way through the pylons. Moody’s extra point was blocked to keep it a three-point game.

Two field goals by Butker and one by Moody knotted the game at 19 and sent it to overtime.

In overtime, the Niners slowly marched down the field to kick a field goal and put all the pressure on the Chiefs. But Kansas City thrives under pressure. Mahomes and the offense put the game away with a game-winning touchdown to become back-to-back Super Bowl Champions.

“This whole game was our whole entire season. The defense was keeping us in there and the offense made plays when it counted,” Mahomes, who was named Super Bowl MVP, exclaimed in the post-game trophy ceremony. “I’m proud of the guys…I’m proud of the coaches.”

Pittsburgh native, Justin Watson, was a key receiver in the Chiefs’ victory over the Niners. With this win, he secured his third Super Bowl ring in his career, having won his first with Tampa Bay and his second and third with the Chiefs.

No entertainment in Las Vegas is ever complete without a dash of glam and spectacle, and leave it to the Apple-Music Halftime Show and headliner, Usher, who surprised the crowd with a few plays of his own, including performing on roller skates.

He opened his performance with “Caught Up,” shortly followed by “You Don’t Have to Call” and “Superstar.”

Then he sang “Love in This Club” before Alicia Keys—decked out in bright red sequins and playing a red piano–introduced her own song, “If I Ain’t Got You.” They then both sang “My Boo.”

Usher went back on his own and performed “Confessions Part II,” “Nice & Slow,” “Burn,” and “You Want It Bad.”

Will.i.am made a short guest appearance in the show as its second feature on “OMG” before there was a break from Usher.

DJ Snake and Lil Jon also appeared, using their song “Turn Down for What” to create a smooth transition into Usher’s hit song, “Yeah!” Ludacris was the final special guest and he joined the stage for the final song to end the halftime show with a bang.

Super Bowl LVIII created an enjoyable experience for all of its viewers and solidified the reputation that Las Vegas is truly the home for top-notch entertainment and, yes, sports, too.

 

Story By: Carlin Whalen (cjw6426@psu.edu)