By Matt Stuart | Published | No Comments
Mecole Hartman may have envisioned catching the game winning pass in the Super Bowl back before the season started, but he likely imagined it coming from the arm of Aaron Rodgers, while wearing a New York Jets jersey.
Things change quickly in the NFL.
Hardman was one of several players to switch teams back at the end of the October trade deadline. His trade wasn’t exactly a banner headline, but it may go down as the most consequential trade of this past season.
Hardman’s 3-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes, as the seconds ticked down in the first overtime period, gave the Chiefs their third Super Bowl title in the past four seasons, also giving them back-to-back Super Bowl titles. It also defined the Chiefs season in a nutshell.
Nothing came easy for the Chiefs this year. They were 9-6 after a Christmas Day loss to the Raiders. There was talk about whether their young group of skill players could step in the big games. After Super Bowl Sunday, the Chiefs got their answer.
Trailing by a field goal – 19-16, with just under two minutes to go in the game. Mahomes and the Chiefs did what they have done countless times this season, they drove the length of the field and kicked a game tying field goal with just six seconds left in the game.
The Super Bowl was a microcosm of their season. It wasn’t always pretty, but their relentless spirit shined through in the end.
Neither team was able to do much in the first half, as both team’s defenses stymied the other’s offense. In between punts and fumbles, San Francisco managed to take an early 10-0 lead.
49ers kicker Jake Moody hit, at the time, the longest field goal in Super Bowl history of 55-yards to give San Francisco an early 3-0 lead – at the beginning of the second quarter.
The 49ers next points came on some trickery. Wide receiver Juan Jennings took a lateral from Niners quarterback Brock Purdy and calmly delivered a clutch strike to Christian McCaffrey for 21-yards to give the Niners their biggest lead of the game.
It was sweet redemption for McCaffrey, who’s fumble on the Niners first possession of the game, ended a promising drive,
The Chiefs were on the verge of being shutout in the first half. Slow starts have been a common theme for the Chiefs in big playoff games over the years. But this felt different. It felt like the 49ers defense had taken away the last piece of Mahomes magic and had rendered the Chiefs offense rudderless.
No team in NFL history had ever won a Super Bowl after having been shutout in the first half. The Chiefs, whether aware of that dubious distinction or not, managed to drive a 28-yard field goal off the leg of Harrison Butker to cut the 49ers lead to 10-3 just before the end of the second quarter. It wasn’t much, but the Chiefs had something going.
In the second half the Chiefs were finally able to get their offense going thanks to a critical mistake by the 49ers on a muffed punt return. That led to a recovery by the Chiefs at the Niners 16-yard line. Mahomes then quickly hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a quick touchdown.
That touchdown gave the Chiefs a 13-10 lead, their first lead of the game.
The 49ers would retake the lead on the next possession, as Brock Purdy hit Jauan Jennings on a 10-yard touchdown pass. But the Niners would make another critical special teams blunder, when Jake Moody’s extra point was blocked.
Trailing by just three points, both teams would trade field goals, with the Niners retaking a late lead 19-16 with 1:53 left in the game.
That proved to be too much time for Mahomes and the Chiefs who drove all the way down to 49ers 11-yard line, as Harrison Butker nailed a 19-yard field goal with just six seconds left in the game.
For just the second time in Super Bowl history regulation would not be enough time to determine a winner as the game headed into OT.
The 49ers won the coins toss, but the elected to receive the ball instead of deferring. With the new overtime rules that require both teams to be given a possession, even if the first team to possess the ball scores a touchdown, the 49ers decision to receive the OT kickoff was an interesting choice by head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers had to settle for a field goal on their first possession of OT, setting the stage for Mahomes to once again lead a game winning drive.
Mahomes hit rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice for 13-yards to get into 49ers territory at the 41-yard line. Two plays later Mahomes took advantage of a 49ers defense that was playing its safeties and corners deep, and scrambled for 19-yards to the 49ers 13-yard line.
Just two plays after that, Mahomes found Mecole Hardman streaking out to his right, getting behind the defense for the decisive touchdown of the game. A simple route, just 3-yards, was the biggest play of the season for the Chiefs, bringing them their second straight Super Bowl title and their third title in five yards.
Hardman appeared to not be exactly sure if his touchdown catch had won the Super Bow, but moments later the Chiefs players and coaches rushed the field and the celebration was on.
Mahomes finished his night with two touchdown passes and one interception for 333-yards. His counter part Purdy played well, throwing for one touchdown and 255-yards. But in the end Mahomes and the Chiefs would simply not be denied.
Mahomes thanked his players for fighting hard all season long. “With all the adversity we’ve been through this season we were able to come through tonight. This is awesome.”
“I am going to celebrate tonight, celebrate at the parade and then work my way to get back in this game next year”, Mahomes said to a jubilant crowd of Chiefs fans that had stuck around to watch the confetti fall and the Chiefs take possession of a familiar silver trophy – the Lombardi trophy.
For the Niners it’s the second Super Bowl in five years where they have watched a late lead slip away against the Chiefs.
The Niners will be considered strong favorites to get back to the big game next season, but the Chiefs will be looking for a three-peat.
The Chiefs are expected to hold a parade in Kansas City on Wednesday.
