Still in Kansas: Wizardly Mahomes conjures another magical Super Bowl comeback
LAS VEGAS—Patrick Mahomes conjured another Super Bowl comeback on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs snatched a thrilling 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers to win their third National Football League (NFL) championship in five seasons.
In a perfectly scripted finale before a celebrity-studded Las Vegas crowd including pop icon Taylor Swift, Mahomes found Mecole Hardman in the end zone with just three seconds remaining in overtime to seal a dramatic win in what was the longest Super Bowl in history.
“It means a ton,” said Mahomes, who was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player for the third time after the win. “With the adversity we dealt with this year and to come through, the guys never faltered.”The victory makes Kansas City the first team to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies since the New England Patriots in 2003-2004, cementing the franchise’s right to be regarded as the NFL’s newest dynasty.
For long periods, however, it looked as if Kansas City would be denied by San Francisco’s ferocious defense.
Chiefs star Travis Kelce, whose romance with Swift has captivated the NFL this season, had a nightmare start to the game, at one stage blowing up on the sidelines at Kansas City head coach Andy Reid in an extraordinary outburst.
“Viva Las Vegas!” Kelce roared after the win, adding that the Chiefs are not yet done.
“The goal has always been to get three,” he said. “But we couldn’t get here without getting the two and having that target on our back all year. We get a chance to do it three times in a row.”Asked if the Chiefs were now a dynasty, Mahomes replied: “Yeah, it’s the start of one. We’re not done. I know we’re going to celebrate tonight, celebrate at the parade on Wednesday at Kansas City. But we’re not done. We’ve got a young team. We’re going to keep this thing going.”
Swift dash
Kansas City head coach Reid, meanwhile, saluted his team’s concentration down the stretch.
“The guys were great,” Reid said. “Defense played out of their mind. The offense just kept persevering and pushing and pushing and did a great job. I’m so proud of the whole group.”The fun-loving Kelce planned to paint “Sin City” Kansas City red.
“How do you get excited for that? You go party in Las Vegas and then get back to work,” Kelce said during an on-field interview.
He wasn’t all smiles and laughter during the game, though. Kelce went berserk on the Chiefs bench, with the tight end screaming at head coach Andy Reid in apparent frustration at being kept off the field for the play when an early Kansas City drive ended with an Isiah Pacheco fumble.
But with Mahomes pulling the strings, the Chiefs finally battled through a below-par performance to deliver when it mattered once more.
Taylor Swift’s trans-Pacific dash to the Super Bowl was rewarded as she got to celebrate with boyfriend Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs. The pop icon was performing in Tokyo on Saturday night before hopping a private jet to make the NFL championship spectacular in Las Vegas, a journey that ended in hugs and tears of joy.
