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I knew what was going to happen because I had seen it before. Several times. So how on earth didn’t the San Francisco 49ers know what was going to happen?
It could be the same one that’s in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl playbook. “Even if we play poorly, even if we’re down by double digits, we almost always come back and win.” It happened the first time the Chiefs and Niners met. It happened last year against the Philadelphia Eagles.
And it happened again Sunday night, when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs erased a 10-point first-half deficit, tied it twice with 5:49 left to force overtime, then won with a cold-blooded drive for the game-winning point. I got it. The soul of San Francisco and its fans is pouring out. This is the second consecutive Super Bowl victory for the Chiefs, the first team in 20 years to win it back-to-back, and the third time since 2020.
And the 49ers have no one to blame for this loss but themselves.
Whether it’s because it was in the script, because Travis Kelce’s girlfriend is a psychic, or because of some other nonsensical conspiracy theory spun by right-wing demagogues who fear powerful women and happy people. do not have. That’s because San Francisco learned nothing from the last time the teams met in the Super Bowl, a whopping four years ago.
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The Niners had the Chiefs on the ropes for almost the entire first half. Mahomes looked like he was dying, Kelce looked like he was melting down, and the normally stout offensive line looked porous. The first four drives were punt, punt, fumble, punt for a total of 79 yards, most of which came on a series that ended in a red zone fumble.
Meanwhile, San Francisco was crushing Kansas City’s defense. Christian McCaffrey was doing Christian McCaffrey things and Brock Purdy was pitching for what seemed like hours.
What the Niners didn’t do was score points and stop themselves with stupid penalties over and over again. At halftime, the 49ers led 10-3, but easily could have been 30-3.
And it made sense considering who they were playing.
“It wakes us up a little bit. It gave us the spark we needed,” Mahomes said of facing another double-digit deficit in the Super Bowl.
“It should be easier, but what’s the fun in that?” he added.
more:Patrick Mahomes lifts Chiefs to thrilling OT win to win third Super Bowl MVP
It’s fun for Mahomes and the Chiefs, but it’s a nightmare for their opponents. But if anyone could prepare for this fever dream, it was San Francisco.
When the two teams met four years ago, the game was tied at halftime. Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners then stormed out in the third quarter, putting the Chiefs within 10 unanswered points. Meanwhile, Kansas City was a mess, with Mahomes intercepting the Chiefs on the first two possessions of the second half.
You know the rest of the story. Mahomes threw for one touchdown and ran for another. Damien Williams scored his third goal, the defense removed Garoppolo, and the Chiefs won their first of three Super Bowl titles in five seasons.
And now Mahomes has done it again for the Niners.
Mahomes and the Chiefs outgained San Francisco by almost 100 yards in the second half and overtime. Mahomes didn’t throw his first touchdown until late in the third quarter (2:32 left, to be exact), but he kept the Chiefs close to the Niners and never trailed.
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“The offense was successful with plays when they needed to be,” Mahomes said.
When San Francisco was forced to kick a field goal on the first possession of OT, everyone at Allegiant Stadium and watching at home knew how this was going to end. No, I wasn’t looking into a non-existent script. All I know is that Mahomes will do what he always does in situations like this.
Sure enough, facing a fourth-and-one, Mahomes converted on an 8-yard run. Six plays later, he broke for a 19-yard gain and all that was left was to clinch the Lombardi Trophy.
Mahomes’ second-half dominance earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. He joins Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players to win the award three times.
“We never stopped believing,” Mahomes said. “We never stopped believing.”
Of course it wasn’t. When Mahomes and the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl, everyone knows no lead is safe.
And if the Niners don’t, that’s on them.
Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
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