Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "patrick-mahomes"
Fifty-year wait over! Superbowl LIV Kansas City Chiefs 31 San Francisco 49ers 20
Kansas City's 50-year wait for another Superbowl victory ended in Orlando last night as they came from behind to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. The Chiefs last won Superbowl IV when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23–7 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 11 January 1970.
The 49ers won the toss and deferred, giving the ball to the Chiefs to begin the game, but they were unable to make a first down and went three and out. It was a nervy first series for Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fared little better but in the eighth minute he worked his side into field goal range and the consistent Robbie Gould obliged from 38 yards to give his side a 3-0 lead. It was fairly even for a while thereafter before, with just 31 seconds remaining of the first quarter Mahomes dashed into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown. So with Harrison Butker adding the extra point, the quarter ended with the Chiefs on top 7-3.
Early in the second quarter Butker increased the Chiefs' lead with a 31-yard field goal but with just over five minutes of the half remaining, Garoppolo found full back Kyle Juszczyk with a short pass that he took 15 yards before diving in for the touchdown; the Gould conversion made in 10-10 at the half. It was only the fourth Superbowl in which the teams had been level at half-time.
The third quarter belonged to the 49ers as Gould added a 42-yard field gold and then, capitalising on a rare Mahomes' interception - hs first in 164 pass attempts -, Raheem Mostert, playing for his seventh NFL team, having been cut by the previous six, added a one-yard touchdown run and with Butker's conversion it was 20-10. At this point the Chiefs looked as though they might be in serious trouble but they never give up, as witnessed by the two games that they won to get to the Superbowl when in both of them they came from behind for the victory.
And it turned out no different in Orlando with Patrick Mahomes inspiring his side with some superb play, including the night's longest play on a third down and 15, a marvellous 44-yard pass to Tyreek Hill that, after an end zone pass interference call on a third down and 10, set up tight-end Travis Kelce for a one-yard catch for the touchdown. And with Butker once more adding the extra point, it was suddenly a one-score game at 20-17.
It was then the turn of the Chiefs' defence to step up and they consistently stopped Garoppolo getting his side moving down the field. And with two minutes 44 seconds remaining, the almost inevitable happened. Damien Williams took a five-yard pass from Mahomes for the touchdown to put the Chiefs in front; Butker's kick made it 24-20.
It looked all over from that moment because the 49ers were deflated and again they could not move the ball downfield. So the Chiefs had one further opportunity and Damien Williams cashed in again as he made a 38-yard run down the left-hand touchline to score his second touchdown of the game. Once again Butker converted and at 31-20 that was all she wrote!
It was an excellent game and in the end the Chiefs were deserved winners with Mahomes getting the game's Most Valuable Player Award, making him the youngest player to win the League's MVP (2018) and a Superbowl MVP award. And well respected coach Andy Reid gained his first Superbowl ring, as well as a Gatorade dowsing by his team!
As Andy Reid said, or rather shouted to the fans, from the podium after the presentation of the trophy, 'How about those CHIEFS!'
This could well be the start of another NFL dynasty!
The 49ers won the toss and deferred, giving the ball to the Chiefs to begin the game, but they were unable to make a first down and went three and out. It was a nervy first series for Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fared little better but in the eighth minute he worked his side into field goal range and the consistent Robbie Gould obliged from 38 yards to give his side a 3-0 lead. It was fairly even for a while thereafter before, with just 31 seconds remaining of the first quarter Mahomes dashed into the end zone from a yard out for a touchdown. So with Harrison Butker adding the extra point, the quarter ended with the Chiefs on top 7-3.
Early in the second quarter Butker increased the Chiefs' lead with a 31-yard field goal but with just over five minutes of the half remaining, Garoppolo found full back Kyle Juszczyk with a short pass that he took 15 yards before diving in for the touchdown; the Gould conversion made in 10-10 at the half. It was only the fourth Superbowl in which the teams had been level at half-time.
The third quarter belonged to the 49ers as Gould added a 42-yard field gold and then, capitalising on a rare Mahomes' interception - hs first in 164 pass attempts -, Raheem Mostert, playing for his seventh NFL team, having been cut by the previous six, added a one-yard touchdown run and with Butker's conversion it was 20-10. At this point the Chiefs looked as though they might be in serious trouble but they never give up, as witnessed by the two games that they won to get to the Superbowl when in both of them they came from behind for the victory.
And it turned out no different in Orlando with Patrick Mahomes inspiring his side with some superb play, including the night's longest play on a third down and 15, a marvellous 44-yard pass to Tyreek Hill that, after an end zone pass interference call on a third down and 10, set up tight-end Travis Kelce for a one-yard catch for the touchdown. And with Butker once more adding the extra point, it was suddenly a one-score game at 20-17.
It was then the turn of the Chiefs' defence to step up and they consistently stopped Garoppolo getting his side moving down the field. And with two minutes 44 seconds remaining, the almost inevitable happened. Damien Williams took a five-yard pass from Mahomes for the touchdown to put the Chiefs in front; Butker's kick made it 24-20.
It looked all over from that moment because the 49ers were deflated and again they could not move the ball downfield. So the Chiefs had one further opportunity and Damien Williams cashed in again as he made a 38-yard run down the left-hand touchline to score his second touchdown of the game. Once again Butker converted and at 31-20 that was all she wrote!
It was an excellent game and in the end the Chiefs were deserved winners with Mahomes getting the game's Most Valuable Player Award, making him the youngest player to win the League's MVP (2018) and a Superbowl MVP award. And well respected coach Andy Reid gained his first Superbowl ring, as well as a Gatorade dowsing by his team!
As Andy Reid said, or rather shouted to the fans, from the podium after the presentation of the trophy, 'How about those CHIEFS!'
This could well be the start of another NFL dynasty!
Here We Go Again!
Kansas City Chiefs 27 Baltimore Ravens 20
The 2024 NFL season began with Kansas City Chiefs embarking on an attempt to achieve a third successive Superbowl success but their opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead was not going to be an easy test to start with. A Lamar Jackson-led Ravens were expected to be a stern task of their aspirations. And although the Chiefs controlled most of the game, it was all credit to the Ravens for managing to keep the game to one score.
And that’s how it was when the final play took place on the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with just four seconds remaining. The Ravens had already had two attempts at getting the ball home from that spot but Jackson had missed an almost open Isiah Likely in the end-zone and had to throw another attempt away. Success on either pass would have made the score 27-26 with an extra point to come.
Wind forward to the final play with those four seconds remaining and Jackson danced around to avoid being sacked before spearing a pass to an unmarked Likely at the back of the end-zone. A leaping catch resulted with Likely toe-tapping on the very back line; the Ravens celebrated, and coach John Harbaugh, at 61 the oldest coach in the League (to his surprise) signalled for the offence to go for two points to seal a victory rather than kick the one point to go to overtime.
Alas he was not able to see his plans come to fruition for by the skin of their teeth, or rather the length of a toe-nail, a closer look at the catch revealed Likely’s toe to be just over the end-zone boundary line and the catch was declared incomplete. The Chiefs, therefore, opened their season with, dare I say it, a nail-biting victory 27-20.
In the game Patrick Mahomes was his usual mercurial self, particularly impressive when, near the end of the game on a third down, he rescued a potential interception rather dramatically. Deep in his own half his attempted pass was tipped and looped up into the air but, flanked by two huge Ravens’ linebackers, he leapt between them and caught his own pass to allow the ball to be punted away. This subsequently set up that dramatic end.
There were praiseworthy performances from Ravens’ Isiah Likely who had nine rushes for 111 yards and a touchdown and, of course, Jackson, who was the side’s leading rusher with 16 attempts for 123 yards as well as his 26 passes from 41 attempts for 273 yards. But Derrick Henry was restricted to 46 yards from 13 rushes with a longest of just 10 yards; he did score one short-run touchdown to open the scoring.
For the Chiefs, Mahomes had 20 completions from 28 attempts for 291 yards and one touchdown and also became the Chiefs’ all-time passing leader with, at the moment, 28,508 yards thus overtaking the late great Len Dawson’s record. Rashee Rice held seven catches for 103 yards and it was good to see the rookie, speedy Xavier Worthy have a receiving touchdown, two catches for 47 yards, and a rushing touchdown, one attempt for 21 yards and he will be one to look out for. In addition Isiah Pacheco was impressive with 18 rushes for 46 yards and a touchdown plus two catches for 33 yards, another from whom more impressive performances will be expected.
One frustrating thing for Harbaugh was the number of illegal formation penalties that the Ravens incurred and he will definitely be looking for those to be cut out.
It was an enthralling opening game in which Kansas City Chiefs, while perhaps not being at their very best did nothing to dispel thoughts that they will be contesting Superbowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February 2025.
The 2024 NFL season began with Kansas City Chiefs embarking on an attempt to achieve a third successive Superbowl success but their opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead was not going to be an easy test to start with. A Lamar Jackson-led Ravens were expected to be a stern task of their aspirations. And although the Chiefs controlled most of the game, it was all credit to the Ravens for managing to keep the game to one score.
And that’s how it was when the final play took place on the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with just four seconds remaining. The Ravens had already had two attempts at getting the ball home from that spot but Jackson had missed an almost open Isiah Likely in the end-zone and had to throw another attempt away. Success on either pass would have made the score 27-26 with an extra point to come.
Wind forward to the final play with those four seconds remaining and Jackson danced around to avoid being sacked before spearing a pass to an unmarked Likely at the back of the end-zone. A leaping catch resulted with Likely toe-tapping on the very back line; the Ravens celebrated, and coach John Harbaugh, at 61 the oldest coach in the League (to his surprise) signalled for the offence to go for two points to seal a victory rather than kick the one point to go to overtime.
Alas he was not able to see his plans come to fruition for by the skin of their teeth, or rather the length of a toe-nail, a closer look at the catch revealed Likely’s toe to be just over the end-zone boundary line and the catch was declared incomplete. The Chiefs, therefore, opened their season with, dare I say it, a nail-biting victory 27-20.
In the game Patrick Mahomes was his usual mercurial self, particularly impressive when, near the end of the game on a third down, he rescued a potential interception rather dramatically. Deep in his own half his attempted pass was tipped and looped up into the air but, flanked by two huge Ravens’ linebackers, he leapt between them and caught his own pass to allow the ball to be punted away. This subsequently set up that dramatic end.
There were praiseworthy performances from Ravens’ Isiah Likely who had nine rushes for 111 yards and a touchdown and, of course, Jackson, who was the side’s leading rusher with 16 attempts for 123 yards as well as his 26 passes from 41 attempts for 273 yards. But Derrick Henry was restricted to 46 yards from 13 rushes with a longest of just 10 yards; he did score one short-run touchdown to open the scoring.
For the Chiefs, Mahomes had 20 completions from 28 attempts for 291 yards and one touchdown and also became the Chiefs’ all-time passing leader with, at the moment, 28,508 yards thus overtaking the late great Len Dawson’s record. Rashee Rice held seven catches for 103 yards and it was good to see the rookie, speedy Xavier Worthy have a receiving touchdown, two catches for 47 yards, and a rushing touchdown, one attempt for 21 yards and he will be one to look out for. In addition Isiah Pacheco was impressive with 18 rushes for 46 yards and a touchdown plus two catches for 33 yards, another from whom more impressive performances will be expected.
One frustrating thing for Harbaugh was the number of illegal formation penalties that the Ravens incurred and he will definitely be looking for those to be cut out.
It was an enthralling opening game in which Kansas City Chiefs, while perhaps not being at their very best did nothing to dispel thoughts that they will be contesting Superbowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February 2025.
