Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid pull off comeback win over San Francisco 49ers

Dan Bernstein

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Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid pull off comeback win over San Francisco 49ers image

The Chiefs have scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to claim a 31-20 Super Bowl win over the 49ers.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes bounced back from a pair of interceptions to lead the charge, and running back Damien Williams finished off the victory with a 38-yard touchdown run.

MORE SUPER BOWL 54:
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Miami's Hard Rock Stadium hosted Sunday's big game.

Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Super Bowl 54 between the 49ers and Chiefs. Here's how Kansas City won:

Super Bowl 2020 final score

  1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q F
49ers 3 7 10 0 20
Chiefs 7 3 0 21 31

Highlights from Chiefs' Super Bowl 54 victory

10:11 p.m. — Final score: Chiefs 31, 49ers 20.

10:07 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. Kendall Fuller seals the deal with a pick.

10:02 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, Chiefs. That's the dagger. Williams beats the 49ers defense to the edge and accelerates to the end zone. 31-20, Chiefs.

10 p.m. — San Francisco's fourth-down play has no chance, with Garoppolo under immediate pressure. The Chiefs take over possession with 1:25 remaining.

9:59 p.m. — On third-and-10, Garoppolo misses Sanders, who was open, with a long downfield heave.

9:56 p.m. — The 49ers advance past midfield with a pass from Jimmy G to Bourne.

9:53 p.m. — Two-minute warning.

9:52 p.m. — Mostert starts the 49ers drive with a 17-yard run.

9:46 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, Chiefs. Williams makes a catch in the flat and barely extends the ball past the goal line before stepping out of bounds. The call stands after a replay review. 24-20, Chiefs.

9:45 p.m. — Mahomes to Sammy Watkins! Watkins beats Richard Sherman one-on-one and picks up 38 yards. Huge play.

9:43 p.m. — Kansas City is past midfield with less than four minutes remaining.

9:41 p.m. — The Chiefs force a quick three-and-out and will get the ball back with about five minutes left to play.

9:35 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, Chiefs. Travis Kelce cuts into San Francisco's lead with a wide-open catch in the end zone. 20-17, 49ers. 

9:32 p.m. — Right after Mahomes' second-down pass to Hill is wiped away by a challenge, Mahomes connects even deeper to his trusted target for a 44-yard gain.

9:29 p.m. — Mahomes completes to Hill for 16 yards and a first down past midfield. The 49ers will challenge the catch, though. CALL IS OVERTURNED. NO CATCH.

9:21 p.m. — San Francisco is forced to punt with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

9:18 p.m. — This is the scenario in which the 49ers are most comfortable. Protecting a lead, they can pound the ball on the ground and run down the clock. They've averaged more than 6 yards per carry tonight.

9:14 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. 49ers cornerback Tarvarius Moore secures a deflected third-down pass. That's Mahomes' second pick of the game.

9:10 p.m. — Mahomes is nearly picked off again on the first play of the fourth quarter, his pass ticking off the hands of linebacker Kwon Alexander.

End of third quarter: 49ers 20, Chiefs 10

9:04 p.m. — Mahomes runs for a first down after barely avoiding a Bosa tackle behind the line.

9:03 p.m. — San Francisco's pass rush is applying far more pressure in the second half than it did earlier in the game.

8:58 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, 49ers. San Francisco takes full advantage of its takeaway with a ruthless drive. Raheem Mostert finishes it off on a short-yardage carry. 20-10, 49ers.

8:57 p.m. — Garoppolo finds Kendrick Bourne for a big play that moves San Francisco into the red zone.

8:52 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. Mahomes throws a pass right to 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, who had dropped back into coverage.

8:50 p.m. — Bosa strips Mahomes, but the quarterback is able to fall on the loose football.

8:40 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, 49ers. Gould good from 42 yards out. It was a missed chance for San Francisco, though: On third-and-5 from the Chiefs 27-yard line, Garoppolo targetted Tevin Coleman short of the marker when Kittle appeared to be wide open downfield. 13-10, 49ers.

8:35 p.m. — The 49ers break out the play-action pass right away, and it catches the Chiefs off-guard. Sanders gains 15 yards on the catch-and-run.

8:32 p.m. — San Francisco receives the second-half kick, and we're into the final two quarters of football this season.

8:10 p.m. — Thoughts on that first half: Overall, it's been a very even game, and the only big mistake was the second-quarter pick Garoppolo threw under duress. As expected, Kansas City was the more aggressive team as it tried to capitalize on the brilliant arm of Mahomes. The 49ers will stick to their running game until they're forced out of it — they averaged 7.3 yards per carry in the opening 30 minutes.

8:05 p.m. — Mahomes went 12-for-18 through the air for 104 yards in the first half and rushed for a touchdown. Garoppolo was 9-for-11 passing for 89 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Halftime: 49ers 10, Chiefs 10

8 p.m. — San Francisco hits on a third-down pass over the middle. On the next play, Garoppolo connected with Kittle for a huge gain that would have taken the 49ers into field goal range, but the play is erased by offensive pass interference. That will take us to halftime.

7:46 p.m. — San Francisco runs again on second down, and the Chiefs call timeout hoping to get the ball back before halftime.

7:54 p.m. — The 49ers begin their drive on the ground, perhaps signalling a conservative approach.

7:51 p.m. — Kansas City punts it through the end zone for a touchback. The 49ers have 59 seconds and three timeouts to work with.

7:46 p.m. — Two-minute warning.

7:39 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, 49ers. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk catches a short pass and does the rest of the work with his legs. 10-10.

7:37 p.m. — After the Garoppolo interception, the 49ers are back to the rushing game. It's working. They're inside the opposing 30.

7:30 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, Chiefs. Harrison Butker is good from 31 yards. San Francisco broke up a pass over the middle on third down to force the kick. 10-3, Chiefs.

7:28 p.m. — For the second time in the first half, the Chiefs convert on fourth down. This one moves them into the red zone.

7:23 p.m. — Kansas City is moving the ball after its takeaway. The Chiefs could make this a two-score game with a touchdown.

7:20 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. Garoppolo takes a hit as he throws, and his wobbly pass is easily picked off by the Chiefs.

End of first quarter: Chiefs 7, 49ers 3

7:10 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, Chiefs. Mahomes runs the ball into the end zone after rolling outside of the pocket to the right. It appeared he had an option to pitch the ball but correctly decided to keep it himself. 7-3, Chiefs.

7:08 p.m. — After refs ruled Mahomes was just short of the marker on third down, the Chiefs go for it on fourth down and convert. First-and-goal coming up.

7:07 p.m. — Ward is able to get up and jog off the field under his own power.

7:05 p.m. — Mahomes scrambles close to a first down but gets absolutely popped by 49ers safety Jimmie Ward. Ward took the worst of the contact, though, needing medical attention after making the tackle.

7:01 p.m. — Damien Williams gashes the 49ers' defense up the middle, sprinting through a wide open hole created by his linemen.

6:57 p.m. — Kansas City picks up a quick first down, then gains another 8 yards on a swing pass to speedster Tyreek Hill.

6:52 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, 49ERS. The Chiefs do well to avoid giving up a touchdown, but San Francisco takes the lead with a 38-yard kick from Robbie Gould. 3-0, 49ers.

6:46 p.m. — Now rookie wideout Deebo Samuel picks up a big chunk on sweep run. San Francisco is past the 50.

6:45 p.m. — George Kittle picks up a first down to move the chains for the first time in this game.

6:43 p.m. — Kansas City goes three-and-out and will punt.

6:38 p.m. — We're underway. Mecole Hardman takes the opening kickoff out of the end zone and is brought down at about the 25.

Pregame

6:33 p.m. — The 49ers win the coin toss and choose to defer. The Chiefs will get the ball first.

6:29 p.m. — Demi Lovato finishes the national anthem and we're closing in on kickoff.

6:26 p.m. — Bill Belichick trolls fans booing him by flashing his rings.

6:20 p.m. — The Chiefs take the field.

6:05 p.m. — Another look at that moment of silence.

5:54 p.m. — Here's part of the pregame tribute.

5:38 p.m. — Mahomes fires up his squad.

5:28 p.m. — There will be a pregame moment of silence.

5:20 p.m. — No Patriots in the Super Bowl probably has a lot of people happy. Not Julian Edelman, though.

5:10 p.m. — Jerry Rice is on the field before a Super Bowl game, just like old times.

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Dan Bernstein