With their 25-22 victory, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions for the third time in the last five years. The Chiefs are the first team in almost two decades to win the Super Bowl in back-to-back years since the New England Patriots. In a season when the Chiefs have been shadowed by Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, they were able to make their way through the playoffs and end up on top. The game was close throughout, with the first score not happening until the second quarter and eventually ending in overtime. When the San Francisco 49ers won the coin toss before overtime, many people were confused when they said they wanted to receive the ball. Unlike the regular season, it is not the first team to score a touchdown that wins the game, but in the playoffs, both teams can possess the ball and score. After the game, the head coach of the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan, said, "We wanted the ball third." The 49ers were confident in themselves with this quote, saying they would score a touchdown on the first drive, and then if the Chiefs scored, they would score on the third drive for the win. The 49ers' plan went south quickly, as they were forced to kick a field goal on fourth down, only taking a 22-19 lead. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led them down the field and found wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. in the endzone for the walk-off touchdown. Throughout the playoffs, people questioned how the Chiefs would do on the road as underdogs. The Chiefs silenced the critics by defeating the Bills and Ravens on the road and, eventually, the 49ers. The Super Bowl MVP was given to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had a great game, throwing for two touchdowns and 333 passing yards. As he was on the stage in the postgame celebration, Mahomes said, "Just know, the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs." A dynasty started when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Mahomes in 2017, to what is now four Super Bowl appearances and three rings. Another
significant note from this game is that it set a record as the most-watched television program of all time, averaging nearly 124 million viewers.