Super Bowl LVIII, 2024: Kansas City 25 San Francisco 22

Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LIV from four years earlier, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime. The Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in 2004. The game was played on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. This was the first Super Bowl to be held in the state of Nevada. It marked the third straight year that the Super Bowl had been played in the Western United States, following host cities Inglewood, California, in 2022 and Glendale, Arizona, in 2023.

As this was the Chiefs' fourth Super Bowl appearance and third win in five years, many have said this game established them as a dynasty. It was the second Super Bowl to be decided in overtime, the first being Super Bowl LI, seven years earlier. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP), completing 34 of 46 passes for 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Due to the seating capacity of Allegiant Stadium, the game's sellout attendance of 61,629 was the smallest crowd in Super Bowl history outside of Super Bowl LV, which was played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The game was televised nationally by CBS, streamed on Paramount+, alternatively broadcast on youth-oriented sister network Nickelodeon, and televised on the Spanish-language network Univision. It was also the second simulcast in Super Bowl history since Super Bowl I. Super Bowl LVIII became the most watched program in American television history, with a total of 123.7 million average viewers across all platforms, which broke the average record of 115.1 million viewers set by the previous year's Super Bowl. The game saw the highest unduplicated total audience in history with more than 200 million viewers watching all or part of the game. It was the most-watched United States broadcast since the Apollo 11 moon landing, attributed to the Taylor Swift effect. The halftime show, headlined by Usher, peaked at 129.3 million viewers. The game's net playing time of 74 minutes and 57 seconds ranks as the longest in Super Bowl history.

It was notable for being the first Super Bowl since its inception that George Toma did not serve as groundskeeper.

Game summary
First half

After the Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred possession to the second half, the 49ers received the opening kickoff, which was a touchback. The 49ers' initial drive gained 49 yards in five plays, with Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy advancing the ball into Chiefs' territory before McCaffrey lost a fumble at the Kansas City 27-yard line, ending the drive and giving the Chiefs possession.

The Chiefs' first possession resulted in a punt after a three-and-out. The 49ers' following possession, which went for four plays and 16 yards, was hampered by a false start and a holding penalty. After the 49ers failed to convert a third-and-27, the drive ended in a punt. The next drive by the Chiefs, which went for four plays and ten yards, ended in a punt as well.

Following these back-and-forth punts, the 49ers put up a ten-play, 46-yard drive that began at their own 17-yard line. Though the first quarter ended with the game still scoreless during this drive, it culminated in a 55-yard field goal by 49ers kicker Jake Moody, making the score 3–0 with 14:48 remaining in the second quarter. It set the record for the longest field goal completed in a Super Bowl.

The Chiefs began their next drive at their own 25-yard line. The Chiefs went down the field, moving 66 yards in four plays and reaching the 49ers' nine-yard line. But on the drive's fifth play, Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball at the eight-yard line, which was recovered by the 49ers.

The next two possessions both ended in punts. The 49ers, after recovering the fumble, moved 21 yards in four plays before punting the ball away, and the Chiefs followed this up by going three-and-out. After the Chiefs punted the ball 50 yards to San Francisco's 33-yard line with 7:49 remaining in the second quarter, the 49ers began an eight-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 21-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings to running back McCaffrey. After the extra point was converted, the 49ers had extended their lead over the Chiefs to 10–0 with 4:23 remaining in the first half.

The Chiefs used most of the remaining time in the half in a 13-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, bringing the score to 10–3 in favor of the 49ers with 20 seconds remaining in the half. The 49ers took a knee to run the clock out.

Second half

The second half began with a 49ers kickoff, which went for a touchback, putting the Chiefs at the 25-yard line. They fumbled on first down, but recovered it themselves for a ten-yard loss on the play. After a subsequent gain of ten yards on 2nd and 22, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception to Ji'Ayir Brown on third down, giving the 49ers possession of at the Kansas City 44-yard line. Though starting inside of Kansas City territory, the 49ers were unable to score on the possession following the turnover, going three-and-out, but pinned the Chiefs at their own 2-yard line after a punt by Mitch Wishnowsky. Following this, the Chiefs and the 49ers traded three-and-out possessions.

With 9:02 remaining in the third quarter, the Chiefs had the ball at their own 14-yard line. Beginning with an 11-yard pass by Mahomes to tight-end Travis Kelce, Kansas City went on a nine-play, 47-yard drive that culminated in a 57-yard field goal by Butker. This field goal, which cut the Chiefs' deficit to four points, broke the record for the longest field goal completed in a Super Bowl set by Moody earlier in the game.

The 49ers went three-and-out on the ensuing drive. After Wishnowsky's 55-yard punt was returned seven yards to the Kansas City 25-yard line, the Chiefs ran three plays for eight yards, and punted the ball away. The 40-yard punt by Tommy Townsend landed on the San Francisco 25-yard line, and hit the leg of Darrell Luter Jr. at the 49ers 19-yard line after the ball bounced; Kansas City cornerback Jaylen Watson recovered the ball at the 49ers 16-yard line, thereby giving the Chiefs possession inside the San Francisco red zone. On the following play, the Chiefs scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. After Butker converted the extra point, the Chiefs had a 13–10 lead with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter.

The 49ers began their next drive at their own 25-yard line. After San Francisco converted a 3rd and 5 on their own 30 on a 17-yard pass to Jennings, and 2nd and 1 on a two-yard run by fullback Kyle Juszczyk, the 49ers had advanced to the Chiefs' 42-yard line to close the third quarter. The drive continued, eventually resulting in a ten-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Jennings after a total of 12 plays for 75 yards, which gave the 49ers a 16–13 lead with eleven minutes and twenty-seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The extra point attempt following the touchdown was blocked by Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal.

Down three points, the Chiefs began to drive against the 49ers. With 9:22 left in the fourth quarter, on a 1st and 10 at the 49ers' 46-yard line, Mahomes fumbled the ball, but recovered and threw an incomplete pass on the play. The drive continued, totaling 12 plays and 69 yards; after marching down to San Francisco's 3-yard line, Mahomes was sacked on 3rd and goal. Butker kicked a 24-yard field goal, tying the game at 16–16 with 5:49 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Starting on their own 25-yard line, the 49ers moved the ball down the field, getting a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs' 40-yard line after four plays. After a five-yard run by McCaffrey, Purdy threw an incomplete pass, and the two-minute warning occurred. Purdy threw another incomplete pass on third down, bringing up a 4th and 5 and setting up Moody for a field goal attempt. Moody converted a 53-yard field goal try, giving San Francisco a 19–16 lead with 1:53 remaining in the game.

The Chiefs began their final drive of regulation on their own 25-yard line with 1:53 remaining. The Chiefs began to drive down the field on the next several plays. After converting a 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 43-yard line with 42 seconds remaining, and later a 3rd and 7 from the 49ers' 33-yard line, the Chiefs had a 1st down from the 49ers 11-yard line with ten seconds to go. After an incomplete pass from Mahomes intended for Kelce, with six seconds remaining, Butker kicked a game-tying 29-yard field goal to top off the 11-play, 64-yard drive, bringing the score to 19–19 with three seconds remaining. The 49ers took a knee to send the game to overtime.

Overtime

In overtime, the 49ers possessed the ball first, driving down the field before stalling at the Chiefs' 9-yard line and kicking a field goal. Mahomes and the Chiefs responded by driving 75 yards in 13 plays, converting two third downs and a fourth down to set up first-and-goal on the San Francisco 3-yard line. Mahomes then passed to Mecole Hardman for the game-winning touchdown. This was the first game in Super Bowl history in which the lead changed hands on the final play of the game.

This was the first playoff game to go to overtime since the NFL changed the overtime rules for playoff games prior to the 2022 season so that both teams get at least one chance to possess the ball in overtime even if a touchdown is scored on the initial possession. Several 49ers players admitted after the game that they were unaware of the rule change, with Arik Armstead stating that he and other players learned of the change at the beginning of the overtime period when it was displayed on the Allegiant Stadium video screen. The rule change did not affect the outcome of the game; since the 49ers scored a field goal on the initial possession, the Chiefs would still have had an opportunity to possess the ball under the pre-2022 rules.

The game lasted for 74 minutes and 57 seconds of game time, making it the longest Super Bowl and 7th-longest NFL postseason game ever.

Mahomes completed 34 of his 46 pass attempts for 333 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and was named the Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career. He also ran for 66 yards. McCaffrey was the top rusher of the game with 22 carries for 80 yards. He also led the 49ers with eight catches for 80 yards and a receiving touchdown. The top receiver of the game was Kelce, with nine catches for 93 yards.

Wikipedia

Mahomes, bottom right, runs toward Hardman after the last play.

49ers running back Christian McCaffrey runs down the sideline for a big gain during overtime. The play set up a Jake Moody field goal that gave the 49ers a 22-19 lead.

Mahomes scrambles during the second half.

49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings catches a 10-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The 49ers led 16-13 after the play. The extra point was blocked.

Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling celebrates after catching a 16-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. The touchdown gave the Chiefs their first lead of the game, and they led 13-10 going into the fourth quarter.