Give a cheer for Kansas City

February 12, 2024

What a crazy game. I think I might have lost several years off of my life watching the Super Bowl last night. I was on edge most of the night. But I will say that the Chiefs know how to make the game exciting. All three of their wins over the last five years have been comebacks. I think last night’s game is the most memorable of the three.

I had said last week that if they were to lose, I wanted it to at least be a close game. The first quarter felt eerily similar to the game they played against Tampa Bay three years ago. The offense struggled and the 49ers were putting a lot of pressure on Mahomes. And the 49ers offense had so much momentum. But the Chiefs defense was able to stop them time and time again.

I was glad that the Chiefs were able to get three points before the end of the half. It felt good to go into the locker room only down by a touchdown. But my heart sank when Mahomes threw an interception on the first drive of the second half. That was right after they almost lost the ball on a fumble. They just did not look in sync and it felt so similar to the Tampa Bay game. But once again, the defense was able to hold San Francisco and hope remained alive.

There was a point in the third quarter when I felt like the momentum had shifted. I think it was because the Chiefs defense was shutting down the 49ers offense. Purdy was not looking as confident as he was in the first half. And I knew that Mahomes and the Chiefs shine in the second half of Super Bowl games.

And then the moment came. A punt hit one of the 49er players and the returner could not get possession of the ball. All of a sudden, the Chiefs had the ball close to the end zone. And they capitalized for their first lead of the night. I leaped off the couch when they recovered that fumble. It was the big play that they had needed all night. Sports always contain a bit of luck–both bad and good. That play was a gift and the Chiefs did not squander it.

As a sports fan, you want to have those special moments where you can see your team shine. But in order to get there, you have to have the drama, which means the game is tense. You have a chance of it ending in disappointment. It was so hard to watch the game in that last quarter and into overtime. But there is a part of you that thrives on that because you know that there is a possibility of something very exciting and magical waiting at the end of it.

We got that moment last night. We got to see Mahomes engineer a winning drive to take home the trophy. But it was not without its challenges. One play could have ended it. But Mahomes stepped up and ran for a first down. And then he ran some more. And all of the sudden, they were on the cusp of victory.

I was glad that Mecole Hardman got to catch the game-winner. I was sad to see him leave the team in free agency after last year. I was happy when they picked him back up this season after the Jets released him. And then three weeks ago, he made a big mistake that could have cost them the game against the Bills. He tried to stretch out for a touchdown and had the ball knocked out of his hands for a fumble that went through the end zone and gave the ball to the Bills.

In a year where the Chiefs wide receivers dropped a lot of passes and fumbled the ball in the AFC divisional game, it was great to see two of those receivers have big moments catching touchdown passes. It felt a bit like redemption for both of them.

By the way, I believe that the final play was the “corn dog” that the Chiefs ran twice against the Eagles for touchdowns in their win last year.

Update: The last play is called “Tom and Jerry.” It is a cousin of the “corn dog,” according to The Athletic. The “Tom and Jerry” play has Kelce run a corner route, which usually draws two defenders to him. It worked last night, if only for a split second and Hardman went into the end zone untouched for the game-winner.

It took me a while to calm down after that exciting game. I watched the highlights on YouTube before I finally went to bed around 1. It was fun to relive it one more time last night.

The Chiefs are champs again. Dynasty is the word now being thrown around. And Mahomes says they are not done yet. They are hoping to become the first team to win three in a row. All I can say is don’t doubt them. They have shown they can overcome, time and time again.

How ‘about those Chieeefs?!