If you were looking for a blowout, you didn't get it. Honestly, for the first two quarters of Super Bowl LVIII, it looked like the Kansas City Chiefs had finally run out of magic. Their offense was stagnant. Travis Kelce was visibly frustrated on the sideline—at one point even bumping into coach Andy Reid. The San Francisco 49ers looked like the more physical, prepared team, suffocating Patrick Mahomes and taking a 10-0 lead. But if we've learned anything from the last decade of football, it's that betting against Mahomes in February is a dangerous game.
So, who won the 2024 Superbowl? The Kansas City Chiefs did. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in a game that needed every bit of the overtime period to decide.
It wasn't just a win. It was a statement. With that victory, Kansas City became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did it twenty years ago. They didn't just win a trophy; they officially cemented a dynasty in the middle of a neon-soaked Las Vegas night.
The Overtime Drama That Changed Everything
Most people remember the final score, but the way we got there was sort of chaotic.
The game ended 19-19 in regulation. Under the NFL's relatively new postseason overtime rules, both teams were guaranteed a possession, even if the first team scored a touchdown. This changed the entire math of the game. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers won the toss and chose to take the ball first. They marched down the field, but the Chiefs' defense held firm in the red zone. San Francisco had to settle for a field goal by Jake Moody.
That gave the 49ers a 22-19 lead.
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The stadium felt heavy.
Mahomes took the field knowing it was touchdown or bust. If they kicked a field goal, the game would continue into a "sudden death" second overtime period. If they turned it over, it was over.
What followed was a masterclass in "clutch." Mahomes used his legs for a massive 19-yard scramble on third-and-1. He found Travis Kelce for a crucial gain to get them inside the five-yard line. Then, with 13 seconds left on the clock, he rolled right and flipped a short pass to Mecole Hardman.
Touchdown. Game over. 25-22.
Hardman actually admitted after the game that he "blacked out" when he caught the ball. He didn't even realize the game was officially over until Mahomes ran over to celebrate. It was that kind of intensity.
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Key Stats and Players You Should Know
- Patrick Mahomes: 333 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 66 rushing yards. He won his third Super Bowl MVP.
- Travis Kelce: 9 catches for 93 yards. Most of that came in the second half after a nearly silent start.
- Christian McCaffrey: 80 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards. He was essentially the entire 49ers offense for long stretches.
- Harrison Butker: He kicked a 57-yard field goal, which actually set the record for the longest field goal in Super Bowl history (breaking a record Jake Moody had set earlier that same game!).
Why the 2024 Superbowl Felt Different
This wasn't just about football. You couldn't turn on a TV or scroll through social media without seeing Taylor Swift. Her relationship with Travis Kelce brought a whole new audience to the sport. Whether you loved the coverage or hated it, the numbers don't lie.
Super Bowl LVIII became the most-watched telecast in American history at the time, averaging 123.4 million viewers across all platforms.
There's a lot of talk about "scripted" seasons and conspiracy theories, but watching the 49ers' defense fly around in that first half made it clear this was as real as it gets. Brock Purdy, the "Mr. Irrelevant" quarterback who was the last pick in his draft, played a very solid game. He didn't shrink under the lights. He just happened to be playing against a guy who is rapidly chasing Tom Brady’s ghost.
The halftime show also kept the energy high. Usher turned the Allegiant Stadium floor into a roller rink, bringing out Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Lil Jon. It was a nostalgic trip through the early 2000s that served as the perfect breather before the second-half slugfest began.
Mistakes That Cost the 49ers
If you talk to any die-hard Niners fan, they'll point to a few specific moments.
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First, there was the muffed punt. In the third quarter, a punt hit the leg of a 49ers player by accident, and the Chiefs recovered it deep in San Francisco territory. Kansas City scored a touchdown on the very next play.
Then there was the blocked extra point. After the 49ers scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up 16-13, the extra point was blocked. Instead of being up by 4 (which would have forced the Chiefs to score a touchdown to win), they were only up by 3. This allowed the Chiefs to tie it with a simple field goal later on.
Small margins. That’s all it takes at this level.
What This Means for the Future
The Chiefs are now looking at a "three-peat"—winning three in a row. No team has ever done that in the Super Bowl era. While the 2025 season eventually saw the Philadelphia Eagles take them down, the 2024 victory was the peak of the Mahomes-Kelce-Reid era.
If you're looking to apply some "pro moves" to how you watch or follow the game next season, keep these takeaways in mind:
- Watch the O-Line: The Chiefs' offensive line struggled early but adjusted their protection in the fourth quarter. It’s where games are actually won.
- Overtime Strategy: Expect more debate about whether it's better to kick or receive first in overtime. Most analytics now suggest that going second is better because you know exactly what you need to score.
- The "Mahomes Tax": Vegas almost always favors the Chiefs in the playoffs, regardless of their regular-season record. After 2024, it’s easy to see why.
The 2024 Superbowl wasn't just a game; it was the moment the Kansas City Chiefs stopped being "a great team" and became "the team" of a generation.
To stay ahead of the next season, start tracking the current defensive coordinator shifts across the AFC West. Teams are specifically building rosters now just to stop the Mahomes scramble, and seeing how those defensive schemes evolve in the preseason will tell you if the Chiefs' "dynasty" has more gas in the tank. Keep an eye on the injury reports for aging vets like Kelce, as their snap counts will be managed much more strictly in the coming months.