When Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs tossed a game-winning three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in the last seconds of overtime during Super Bowl LVIII, he topped off on one of the greatest five-year runs the NFL has ever seen.
The Chiefs took on the San Francisco 49ers in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11: a rematch of Super Bowl LIV just four years prior. The game marked the first Super Bowl to ever be played in Las Vegas and the second ever to go into overtime.
In previewing the Super Bowl, the difference in quarterback was the main area in which the Chiefs held an advantage over the 49ers. Though no one would argue the 49ers had the more well-rounded, talented roster shown by their shocking 7 All-Pros in the starting lineup, Mahomes’s established history in excelling in high-pressure situations gave the Chiefs an unmatchable advantage.
While Purdy played a decent game with some strong throws at times, he did not have the decisive impact on the game’s outcome like Mahomes did. On a critical third down where a conversion would have potentially sealed a victory for his 49ers late in the fourth quarter, Purdy threw an inaccurate pass which fell incomplete, handing the ball back to the Chiefs with a chance to tie the game.
Mahomes and his offense converted on 9 third-down attempts in the Super Bowl, the third highest mark by any time in a Super Bowl. This statistic paired with their extremely efficient 47% conversion rate in such situations highlight their comfort in the tense moments of the game. Contrarily, Purdy and the 49ers only converted 3 third downs the entire game at a rate of 25%.
During overtime, Purdy and the 49ers were stalled at the 27-yard line after a failed third down conversion and were forced to kick a field goal to take the lead 22-19.
The story of the game turned into a display of Mahomes’s versatility. Whether it be with his strength, accuracy, finesse or running ability, Mahomes always seemed to make the ideal play to put his team in the best situation.
Mahomes paired accurate passes with timely scrambles during overtime to get his team to the three-yard line with mere seconds remaining in the first overtime-period. Once he threw the game-winning score to Hardman, Mahomes and the Chiefs clinched their third Super Bowl in five years, becoming the first team to do so in 20 years.
Super Bowl LVIII instantly cemented itself as one of the greatest championship games of all time of any sport. The game featured tactical defense, explosive offense, and a last-second finish that etched itself into football history. Due to both its impact on popular culture and the high quality of football played on the field, Super Bowl LVIII earned its legacy as one of, if not, the greatest Super Bowls ever played.
A stellar performance of 399 total yards and two touchdowns earned Mahomes his third Super Bowl MVP, tying Joe Montana for second-most all-time and trailing only Brady. As a team, the Chiefs cemented themselves as a modern-day dynasty, with their meteoric rise to success proving to be unparalleled by most other teams in NFL history.
Comparisons will always be made between Mahomes and legends of the past, as well as between the Chiefs and other famed dynasties. However, the current era of football oversees a product unrivaled by any other era of the NFL. Coaches have devised offensive and defensive schemes that coaches even two decades ago could not have believed. The game is more globally accessible today than ever before, leading to a much wider talent pool than even 10 years ago with players from 25 countries on current NFL rosters. Furthermore, due to advancements in sports medicine, athlete technology, and nutrition, players today are undeniably faster, stronger and more athletic than any generation of prior football players.
Weighing football success in one era versus another is a flawed system, for it leaves the door open for endless arguments and no conclusive statements. However, Mahomes and the Chiefs have now solidified themselves as the best quarterback and team, respectively, in what is widely considered the best era of football in league history. Head and shoulders above the competition, the legend of Mahomes and the Chiefs dynasty will only continue to grow.
Devan Sutaria is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and minoring in business.
