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Pacheco picks up three yards. 2nd and 7. Mahomes finds Kelce for five yards. 3rd and 2, at their own 35. Mahomes’s throw is incomplete. That’s also a three-and-out, unless the Chiefs decide to go for it on fourth down here.
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They don’t. The Chiefs manage to punt it and, oh no, Darrell Luter Jr muffs the catch and Watson recovers at the San Francisco 17. That’s absolutely the worst possible outcome for the 49ers.
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Mahomes decided to do it himself again, running 22 yards to get to the 49ers 43. The next play, Pacheco picks up two yards. Mahomes throws incomplete on the next play. 3rd and 8 and what looks to be a huge potential stop for the Niners.
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They manage to get it! Mahomes finds Hardman for just a two-yard gain after defensive pressure. The game pauses for a rare Super Bowl streaker who is just offscreen. The Chiefs decide to attempt a field goal, which will eclipse the earlier longest field goal attempt by Moody.
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Townsend’s 57-yard field goal is good and easily! Wow! The Chiefs cut the 49ers’ lead down to four points.
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At the Kansas City 12, Mahomes throws deep and it’s interception by Ji’Ayir Brown at the Chiefs 44! Ooh my goodness what a disaster start to the second half for Kansas City.
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49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 15:00, 3rd quarter
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Moody’s kick is a touchback and the second half begins!
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The 49ers have 20 seconds to work with here before halftime. Butker’s kick is a touchback. On the next play, McCaffrey picks up six yards and the 49ers decide to just let the clock run out.
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The TV people lied to me about the time. It’s really 1:09 left on the clock not 1:03. Oh wait, I guess the refs added six seconds. Whatever: the point is that it’s not my fault. On the next play, Mahomes finds Rice for a three-yard gain. They’re at the San Francisco 11. Rice picks up two yards. 3rd and 5. Oof, there’s another big play from San Francisco: Mahomes gets sacked by Arik Armstead for a yard. It’s 4th and 6. The 49ers take a timeout.
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Harrison Bukner is out for a field goal attempt. The 28-yarder is good. The 49ers keep the Chiefs out of the end zone, but Kansas City is at least on the board.
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Purdy throws incomplete, but Sneed stuffs Samuel for no gain. He’s trying to make up for his penalty. 2nd and 10, Purdy gets the ball to receiver Jauan Jennings who finds McCaffrey under pressure. McCaffrey’s wide open and runs in for a touchdown. Moody’s extra point is good! There’s your trick play and there’s your first touchdown of the Super Bowl!
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PURDY TO JENNINGS TO CMC FOR SIX 🔥
📺: #SBLVIII on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/dClcEDViWl pic.twitter.com/ktiTXIiHzS— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2024
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Rice picks up four yards, the ball comes out but it’s recovered my Kansas City. That allows Mahomes to throw deep to Mecole Hardman for a 53-yard gain! They are at the San Francisco 9!
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They are at San Francisco’s doorstep … and Pacheco fumbles! Oh my stars! Javon Hargrave will the recovery that prevents an almost certain touchdown! The 49ers will start at their own eight-yard line!
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Another wasted opportunity for San Francisco, Purdy throws to Samuel in the end zone, but Trent McDuffie knocks the pass away preventing a sure touchdown. This is a 55-yard field goal attempt for Jake Moody, not an automatic kicker.
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He makes it! That’s a Super Bowl record for longest made field goal. Who would have had that being the first score of the game? The 49ers take an early lead.
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Brock Purdy finds McCaffrey for 11 yards and another first down. They’re at the Kansas City 40. Another play, another McCaffrey first down. They’re already up to the Kansas City 29.
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On the next play, McCaffrey fumbles and it’s recovered by Kansas City’s George Karlaftis. San Francisco fumbles away a golden scoring opportunity on the first drive of the game! Chiefs will have the ball at their own 27.
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49ers 0-0 Chiefs, 15:00, 1st quarter
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The opening voice announcing the Vince Lombardi trophy is entirely too loud and booming, it sounds like the stone head from Zardoz.
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Harrison Butker’s opening kick goes into the end zone for a touchback. For one last time this season, we’re ready for some football!
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Taylor Swift is in the building. The pop star has arrived at Allegiant Stadium after wrapping up the last of four shows in Japan on Saturday night, hopping on a private plane at Haneda airport for a flight across nine time zones and the international date line, then making the quick trip from Los Angeles after landing on Saturday afternoon.
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Here she is introducing Ice Spice to Jason Kelce, one of many outcomes we couldn’t have imagined back in September.
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Taylor Swift introduces Jason Kelce to Ice Spice before #SBLVIII. pic.twitter.com/mjQB3NeNZS
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) February 11, 2024
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Hello all, welcome to the conclusion of the NFL season. If this feels like a familiar matchup, it’s because we were here before! It was over four years ago when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 back in 2020. I remember it like it was yesterday but only because I also remember yesterday very poorly!
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This 49ers were probably the most complete team in football all season long. While the Chiefs have the edge at quarterback, Brock Purdy has a better set of offensive weapons. Even when they fell behind early to the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game, they were able to put together a perfect second half to mount an impressive comeback. They can’t afford to fall behind that early to the Chiefs, but one suspects that they know it.
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However, the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the most important player in the league for a reason and he’s proved it in what may well be his most impressive season to date. The Chiefs have had a depleted receiver core meaning that he’s had to do more heavy lifting than in seasons past. It’s a load he’s proven more than capable of lifting. Plus, he still has Travis Kelce at tight end who must be feeling pretty invincible now that he has the Most Famous Pop Star on the Planet rooting for him.
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So, it’s the best team v the best quarterback in the year’s biggest game. That sounds like it will be fun to me. For one final time, you can contribute to our live coverage of this NFL season. If you have email, and you probably do since it’s 2024, you can send your thoughts to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com. If you’re still on Twitter or X or whatever Elon wants to call it, you can shoot them off to @HunterFelt. We’ll publish them throughout today’s coverage.
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It’s Super Bowl LVIII featuring the San Francisco 49ers v the Kansas City Chiefs at Nevada’s Allegiant Stadium! The game is scheduled to start at 6.30pm ET, but this is the Super Bowl! It’s not going to start on time! We will continue to provide updates before then as we can get you up to speed until the start of the Big Game.
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Key events
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Touchdown! 49ers 10-13 Chiefs, 2:28, 3rd quarter
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Muffed punt! 49ers 10-6 Chiefs, 2:42, 3rd quarter
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Field goal! 49ers 10-6 Chiefs, 5:01, 3rd quarter
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Interception! 49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 13:38, 3rd quarter
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Start of the second half
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49ers 10-3 Chiefs, end of the first half
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Field goal! 49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 0:20, 2nd quarter
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Touchdown! 49ers 10-0 Chiefs, 4:23, 2nd quarter
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Fumble! 49ers 3-0 Chiefs, 11:59, 2nd quarter
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Field goal! 49ers 3-0 Chiefs, 14:38, 2nd quarter
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Fumble! 49ers 0-0 Chiefs, 12:15, 1st quarter
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Opening kickoff
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Taylor Swift arrives at Allegiant Stadium
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Preamble
Touchdown! 49ers 10-13 Chiefs, 2:28, 3rd quarter
Mahomes throws to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone on the very next play. Butker’s extra point and just like that, the brutal special teams miscue immediately leads to a Kansas City lead!
Muffed punt! 49ers 10-6 Chiefs, 2:42, 3rd quarter
Pacheco picks up three yards. 2nd and 7. Mahomes finds Kelce for five yards. 3rd and 2, at their own 35. Mahomes’s throw is incomplete. That’s also a three-and-out, unless the Chiefs decide to go for it on fourth down here.
They don’t. The Chiefs manage to punt it and, oh no, Darrell Luter Jr muffs the catch and Watson recovers at the San Francisco 17. That’s absolutely the worst possible outcome for the 49ers.
49ers 10-6 Chiefs, 4:11, 3rd quarter
The 49ers almost blocked that field goal, too. This game looks like it’s coming down to the margins, not the high-scoring affair most of us assumed it would be. Butker’s kick is a touchback.
Deebo Samuel is back in the game, for the record. Not sure how exactly considering the severity of the injury, but this is the Super Bowl and the 49ers definitely need him here. McCaffrey gets the first carry of the drive and he’s taken down at the line of scrimmage. 2nd and 10, Purdy’s throw to Aiyuk is incomplete. 3rd and 10, Purdy throws incomplete to Samuel and that’s another three-and-out.
The Chiefs defense has stepped up in this second half and now Kansas City has a golden opportunity to take a lead. They will be at their own 27 after James catches Wishnowsky’s punt at the Kansas City 20 and takes it seven yards.
Bryan Armen Graham
A Super Bowl record has fallen (again). Earlier tonight Jake Moody eclipsed Steve Christie’s 30-year-old mark for longest field goal with his 55-yard make. But the San Francisco rookie’s reign atop the leaderboard lasted less than two hours after Kansas City’s Harrison Butker just split the uprights with a line drive from 57 yards. The updated list:
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57 Harrison Butker, Kansas City v San Francisco, tonight
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55 Jake Moody, San Francisco v Kansas City, tonight
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54 Steve Christie, Buffalo v Dallas, XXVIII
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53 Greg Zuerlein, LA Rams v New England, LIII
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52 Harrison Butker, Kansas City v Tampa Bay, LV
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52 Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay v Kansas City, LV
A commercial featuring Neil Diamond singing I Am I Said which features the immortal lyrics: “And no one heard at all / Not even the chair”.
This has nothing to do with football, but it’s just funny picturing Neil Diamond getting upset at the fact that chairs lack the mechanism of hearing, being inanimate objects.
Field goal! 49ers 10-6 Chiefs, 5:01, 3rd quarter
Mahomes decided to do it himself again, running 22 yards to get to the 49ers 43. The next play, Pacheco picks up two yards. Mahomes throws incomplete on the next play. 3rd and 8 and what looks to be a huge potential stop for the Niners.
They manage to get it! Mahomes finds Hardman for just a two-yard gain after defensive pressure. The game pauses for a rare Super Bowl streaker who is just offscreen. The Chiefs decide to attempt a field goal, which will eclipse the earlier longest field goal attempt by Moody.
Townsend’s 57-yard field goal is good and easily! Wow! The Chiefs cut the 49ers’ lead down to four points.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 7:16, 3rd quarter
Mahomes finds Pacheco, who is getting a lot of carries here. He picks up three yards. They’re at their own 28. 2nd and 7. We get a Samuel update: it is indeed a hamstring injury and he’s listed as “questionable”. On the next play, Pacheco gets three yards. This time, Mahomes takes it himself and he pushes through defends to just pick up another first down at the Kansas City 35.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 9:02, 3rd quarter
Samuel left on the field on his own, but we’ll see if he’s able to return. Wishnowsky’s next punt pins the Chiefs at their 14. On the next play, Mahomes finds Kelce for a 11-yard gain and that’s finally a first down here in the third quarter.
This has not been a Super Bowl for the ages so far.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 9:15, 3rd quarter
Never mind, the starting position is not as good as Purdy gets harassed and after a pass to Jennings it’s an eight-yard loss. It’s 2nd and 18, Purdy finds McCaffrey for a seven-yard gain. 3rd and 11, Purdy’s pass to George Kittle is incompletion and, oof, Deebo Samuel leaves with what looks like a hamstring injury. A promising possession ends in disaster for San Francisco.
Email from Jack Chew:
Subject: How good is the Niners’ Aussie punter??
Just pointing out; Wishnowski has nailed two amazing punts that have pinned the Chiefs butts to their own goal line. Has been important in keeping Mahomes quiet.
Oh, absolutely. The Chiefs pretty much had no chance there after being stuck on their own 2. Now the 49ers have solid starting position on their next drive.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 10:53, 3rd quarter
On 3rd and 1, Pacheco gets pushed for no gain. The Chiefs can’t go for it here on their own 11 and Townsend is in to punt. McCloud catches at the San Francisco 36.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 11:46, 3rd quarter
Mahomes throws deep from his own end zone. 2nd & 10, Mahomes connects with Kelce for a nine-yard gain. 3rd and 1. The Chiefs take a timeout.
Beyoncé is in a commercial, because unlike Super Bowl half-time shows, advertisers are willing to shell out money to get superstars.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 12:39, 3rd quarter
Purdy’s first pass is incomplete. On the next play, a five-yard false start penalty puts them back five yards. On the next play, Purdy throws incomplete to Samuel. On 3rd and 15, Purdy scrambles for four yards and the Chiefs defense saves the Chiefs offense by forcing a three-and-out. They can’t even attempt a field goal here, so the 49ers punt. Wishnowsky’s punt pins the Chiefs at their own 2.
Interception! 49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 13:38, 3rd quarter
At the Kansas City 12, Mahomes throws deep and it’s interception by Ji’Ayir Brown at the Chiefs 44! Ooh my goodness what a disaster start to the second half for Kansas City.
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 14:15, 3rd quarter
Mahomes almost fumbles away the opening possession but Pacheco saves it and it’s only a two-yard loss. Whew! It’s 2nd and 22, Mahomes finds tight end Noah Gray who picks up 10 yards.
Start of the second half
49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 15:00, 3rd quarter
Moody’s kick is a touchback and the second half begins!
Email from Thomas Burke:
Travis Kelce steaming in all mob handed on veteran head coach Andy Reid was a Gerald Ratner moment.
Will Kelce’s outburst be remembered as the Chiefs’ being on tilt or as a moment that inspired Kansas City to pull of a second half comeback? Only time will tell.
And we’re done here. I still wish they picked someone who brought a little bit more musical variety, but bringing the gang back together for Yeah! salvaged the show for me.
Now we can return to football talk.
Email from Oliver French:
Love how the non-football super bowl live blog has three authors and you’re alone covering the actual game. Keep up the good work and see you on draft night *Taylor swift heart hands*
Surely the Chiefs have to do a better job making halftime adjustments against a competent pass rush than they did against the Bucs? But on behalf of my friends and the Denver Broncos I’ll be hoping not.
I suspect that the Chiefs adjust and tie this up quickly in the third quarter and we’ll see.
I hope you do return for the Guardian’s NFL draft coverage even though I’ll be gone. I can tell you that I will not miss all the pre-draft homework I used to have to do!
Email from Peter Oh:
Hi Hunter,
As far as overall entertainment value goes, this has been Purdy good so far.
It’s better now. Here’s Ludacris reminding us that his verse on Yeah! is one of the greatest features in R&B history. This is just a highpoint in 00s pop.
Lil’ Jon is here to save the day. “Turn Down For What” segues right into “Yeah!”
OK, this officially rules now.
Alicia Keys is here and she’s playing a bright red piano that looks like a leftover prop from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Is she not at least as equally famous as Usher? I’m very confused, to be honest.
Usher’s half-time show
He comes out in a bright white suit, like he’s R&B’s Tom Wolfe.
“They said I wouldn’t be here today.”
To be fair, I did because I thought they would get someone with significantly more clout here in 2024 but that’s what happens when you expect performers to show up for free.
Email from Justin Kavanagh
In years to come, the sports part of pub quizzes will include this head scratcher: How did SF defensive lineman Dre Greenlaw suffer a non-contact injury on the sidelines of Super Bowl LVIII? Did he…
a/ Trip up over a pom-pom left around carelessly by a cheerleader?
b/ Step into a giant Gatorade-filled bucket prepared for the winning coach’s live TV interview, almost drowning?
c/Tear a calf muscle when his shoe became stuck on some discarded gum—at sprint speed?
d/Get distracted by Taylor Swift while stretching his glutes… and then couldn’t Shake it Off?
It’s a brutal, freak injury as it happened on the sidelines and not in the game. A bad update, it’s an Achilles injury so he will obviously not be returning to this game (or football for a very long time).
Email from Beau Dure:
Good evening, Hunter. So … we were all expecting a punter’s duel in this game, right?
It’s been a low-scoring game in this first half but I strongly believe that the Chiefs will adjust in the second half. Keep in mind because they deferred at the start of the game, they will have the ball start the second half and that’s a golden opportunity to change the game’s momentum.
With Usher’s half-time show about to start, this is a perfect time to remind everybody that our Everything But the Game blog will be covering it in greater detail that we will! I will not be offended if you would prefer to switch over until the football game resumes.
Half-time thoughts
The match's traffic at the line of scrimmage reminds me of trying to get from one end of Fremont Street to the other @HunterFelt.
Then the 49ers pull out a 'Diamonds Are Forever' move – the equivalent of tipping the car on to two wheels.
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) February 12, 2024
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The match’s traffic at the line of scrimmage reminds me of trying to get from one end of Fremont Street to the other @HunterFelt.
Then the 49ers pull out a ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ move – the equivalent of tipping the car on to two wheels.
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) February 12, 2024
That trick play by the 49ers that resulted in the game’s sole touchdown was certainly the impact play of the first half. Should the 49ers hang on here, that will certainly be the play of the game.
However, the Detroit Lions could tell you that a lot can happen in a second half and a one-touchdown lead on a Patrick Mahomes-led offense is normally as good as a tie.
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49ers 10-3 Chiefs, end of the first half
The 49ers have 20 seconds to work with here before halftime. Butker’s kick is a touchback. On the next play, McCaffrey picks up six yards and the 49ers decide to just let the clock run out.
Email from David Good:
Hi Hunter,
Hope you’re having a fun Super Bowl. Obviously, it’s early in the game, but if KC don’t score a TD in this game, they’d be the only team to not score a TD in the Super Bowl twice. The previous time was also with Andy Reid and Mahomes (and also had some drinks related mishaps in the build-up), their loss to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay.
Cheers,
David
This is not going to happen but it’s a testament to San Francisco’s defense here that they’ve kept Mahomes from the end zone.
Field goal! 49ers 10-3 Chiefs, 0:20, 2nd quarter
The TV people lied to me about the time. It’s really 1:09 left on the clock not 1:03. Oh wait, I guess the refs added six seconds. Whatever: the point is that it’s not my fault. On the next play, Mahomes finds Rice for a three-yard gain. They’re at the San Francisco 11. Rice picks up two yards. 3rd and 5. Oof, there’s another big play from San Francisco: Mahomes gets sacked by Arik Armstead for a yard. It’s 4th and 6. The 49ers take a timeout.
Harrison Bukner is out for a field goal attempt. The 28-yarder is good. The 49ers keep the Chiefs out of the end zone, but Kansas City is at least on the board.
49ers 10-0 Chiefs, 1:09, 2nd quarter
Rice picks up six yards. That’s good for a first down. Mahomes finds Rice again, who gets to the San Francisco 14. With a fresh set of downs in the red zone, the Chiefs will take a timeout.
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