49ers suffer another brutal Super Bowl defeat to Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 15, celebrates lifting the Lombardi trophy after winning Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle
2024.02.11 – Once again, another blown late lead takes 49ers to a brutal defeat, after San Francisco squandered two late leads and lost 25-22 in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers third trip to the Super Bowl ended up just like his first two — a major disappointment after another blown late lead.
The 49ers coach has developed an offense that teams around the league try to mimic and has a vast coaching tree that makes him one of the most influential figures in the game at the young age of 44. He just doesn’t have a Super Bowl title.
“I don’t care how you lose. When you lose Super Bowls, especially ones when you think you can pull it off, it hurts,” Shanahan said. “When you’re in the NFL, I think every team should hurt except for one at the end. We’ve gotten pretty damn close but haven’t pulled it off. We’re hurting right now.”
This loss follows a blown 10-point lead by Shanahan’s 49ers in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl four years ago against Kansas City and an even bigger collapse in the 2016 season when he was offensive coordinator in Atlanta. The Falcons blew a 25-point lead that game and lost 34-28 in overtime to New England.
2024.02.11 (SF 49ers vs. KC Chiefs) Game (FD-Highlights)
San Francisco 49ers’ defensive end Nick Bosa, 97, forces Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 15, out of the pocket in the second quarter during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle
2024.02.11 (SF 49ers vs. KC Chiefs) Game (FD-Highlights)
2024.02.12 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Wake Up with Bruce & Krueger)
2024.02.12 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Wake Up with Bruce & Krueger)
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (NBC Sports-Post Game)
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (NBC Sports-Post Game)
This latest one might be the toughest and most brutal to take since the 49ers had the best team in the league for most of the season and seemed poised to deliver Shanahan his first championship.
“When you go against guys like Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes, you never feel comfortable with a lead,” Shanahan said. “Those guys are two of the best to ever play the game.”
But the Niners squandered a 10-point lead in the first half and then couldn’t hold onto a pair of three-point leads late, making Shanahan the first head coach ever to blow two double-digit leads in the Super Bowl.
His 49ers also blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of the 2021 NFC title game against the Rams, tying him for the most blown double-digit leads in the playoffs for a coach in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes drove for a game-tying field goal in the final 1:53 of regulation and then a game-winning TD pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime after Shanahan opted to take the ball first in the extra session.
The Niners could only manage a field goal by Jake Moody when Chris Jones forced Brock Purdy to throw an incomplete pass on third-and-4 from the 9.
“It looked like there was a protection bust up the middle,” Shanahan said. “We were going to Jauan (Jennings). It looked like Jauan killed him pretty good (on the route). But Chris Jones got loose up the middle. I think there was a mistake. I’m not sure. Obviously he’s a hard guy to block.”
On the Chiefs’ final two possessions, Mahomes completed 13 of 15 passes for 99 yards to become, at 28, the fifth QB to win three Super Bowl titles in his career.
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Kyle Shanahan – NBC Sports-Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver Jauan Jennings, 15, throws a second quarter pass to running back Christian McCaffrey, 23, who ran it in for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Kyle Shanahan – NBC Sports-Post Game)
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Kyle Shanahan – NBC Sports-Post Game)
Before Mahomes’ late-game wizardry, the 49ers were in position to win their first Super Bowl title since January 1995.
That was thanks to a clutch late-game performance by quarterback Purdy, two long field goals by rookie kicker Moody, some nervy decisions by head coach Kyle Shanahan and an out-of-nowhere performance by No. 3 wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who became the second player in Super Bowl history to have both a passing touchdown to (49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey, that run for a touchdown after catching a pass from wide receiver Jennings in the second quarter) and also a receiving score.
The 49ers took a 19-16 lead with 1:53 left in regulation on Moody’s 53-yard field goal, his second of 50-plus yards, and braced themselves for Mahomes.
After Moody’s go-ahead kick, Mahomes engineered a game-tying, 64-yard drive for a field goal in which he completed 5 of 7 passes for 58 yards. Harrison Butker made a 29-yard kick with three seconds left to force overtime for the second time in Super Bowl history.
After the teams combined for just 16 points in the first 42 minutes, the game kicked into higher gear to become an instant classic.
The 49ers led 10-6 with about three minutes left in the third quarter and had just forced a punt when the game’s tenor changed. Tommy Townsend’s punt hit 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter’s left foot as he was blocking and returner Ray-Ray McCloud couldn’t cleanly pick up the ball after it bounded to him. The Chiefs recovered and they immediately cashed in: Mahomes tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to wideout Marques Valdes-Scantling on the next play to give the Chiefs their first lead at 13-10.
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Krueger & Crew-Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey, 23, runs for a touchdown after catching a pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings, 15, in the second quarter during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Krueger & Crew-Post Game)
2024.02.11 – 49ers vs. Chiefs (Krueger & Crew-Post Game)
San Francisco’s defense then couldn’t come up with a stop against Mahomes, allowing him to convert both a fourth and third down with his legs.
Mahomes then sent the Niners home with a loss when he found Hardman wide open after faking across the formation in motion and reversing field.
Mahomes and the Chiefs have now handed Shanahan’s 49ers two Super Bowl losses in the past five seasons as the dynastic franchise from the 1980s and ‘90s has now gone 29 straight seasons without winning a title.
“It’s part of sports, it’s part of football, it’s part of life,” Shanahan said. “I thought we put ourselves out there. I love our team. We’ll recover and we’ll be back next year strong.”
Now Shanahan must hope to follow the path of his father, Mike, who lost his first three Super Bowl trips — all as an assistant in Denver — before winning one as coordinator for the 49ers in the 1994 season and back-to-back titles for the Broncos in 1997-98.
UP NEXT
49ers: The off-season.
Chiefs: The Super Bowl parade in Kansas City.
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Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
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