Super Bowl LIV Victory (2020)

Lore & Background

Mahomes led Kansas City to a 12–4 regular season record and the team's third Super Bowl appearance overall, their first since Super Bowl IV. With the emergence of sixth-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers finished the regular season with a 13–3 record and advanced to their seventh Super Bowl appearance overall, their first since 2013's Super Bowl XLVII. The first half of the game was back and forth between both teams, with the game tied 10-10 at halftime. In the third quarter, the 49ers took advantage of a Robbie Gould field goal and a touchdown run by Raheem Mostert, putting San Francisco ahead 20-10 leading into the fourth. However, in the game's final seven minutes, the Chiefs quickly overcame their 10-point deficit, with Mahomes completing two touchdown drives to Travis Kelce and Damien Williams, in addition to a late touchdown run by Williams and an interception by Kendall Fuller, to seal their comeback. This was the Chiefs' first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl IV in 1970, their first NFL championship since joining the league in the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, and also subsequently ended their 50-year championship drought. Kansas City's head coach Andy Reid also won his first NFL championship as a head coach, previously being defeated as the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. The 49ers were handed their third Super Bowl loss in franchise history after Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XLVII.

In Their Own Story

The humidity in Miami hung heavy, but inside Hard Rock Stadium, the air crackled with the static of a decade of waiting. As the final seconds ticked away on the clock, the roar from the Chiefs sideline didn't just rise; it erupted, shaking the foundations of the stadium. Mahomes, helmet askew and eyes wild, was swarmed by teammates who had spent years chasing this specific moment. In the stands, a fan in his seventies clutched a faded, red-and-gold cap from 1970, tears cutting tracks through the face paint on his cheeks. He wasn't just watching a win; he was witnessing the end of a fifty-year silence, the moment the ghost of Super Bowl IV finally found peace.

Reader's Guide

The game has been positively received in retrospect with several outlets praising the Chiefs' dramatic late comeback. However, the officiating in Super Bowl LIV was met with criticism, with many questionable calls in favor of the Chiefs. The game's broadcast in the United States by Fox, along with the halftime show headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, was seen by an estimated 103 million viewers—a slight increase over Super Bowl LIII in 2019 (which had seen the smallest audience for the game in 10 years). Due to the seating capacity of Hard Rock Stadium, this game also had the fourth lowest attendance in Super Bowl history (behind Super Bowl I, Super Bowl LVIII, and Super Bowl LV the following year). This was the first time in four years that the Super Bowl did not feature the New England Patriots since they were eliminated in the Wild Card round by the Tennessee Titans.

Did You Know?

• This was the Chiefs' first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl IV in 1970, ending a 50-year championship drought.
• Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP for the first time in his career.
• The halftime show was headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.