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Feb 2nd, 2020 will go down as one of the most exciting, record-breaking and historic Super Bowl finals of all time.
After a competitive start, in the 3rd quarter the Chiefs faded rapidly to look nothing like the same team that had made history in reclaiming the AFC's Lamar Hunt Trophy just 2 weeks prior.
It was as if the entire team had been replaced with dummy look-alikes or drones! Despite all of the hype and hoopla surrounding this dream matchup, Super Bowl LIV was turning out to be a huge disappointment because the Chiefs were simply not in charge.
Front-man Patrick Mahomes' passing was off - repeatedly - and his lackluster grip on the ball led to an easy dispossession by 'Niners line-backer Fred Warner.
I wonder if he'd been lulled into thinking that, for the 3rd time in the playoffs (and 4th overall that season), his team could ride a 10+ point deficit right into the 4th quarter and still come back to win.
But those were lesser contests. Yeah, one of them was the AFC Championship, but the Super Bowl is on a whole other level. You just can't take those kinds of risks when the stakes are this high, especially against a thoroughbred franchise like the 49ers.
On the other side of the coin, the 'Niners smelled blood and - using their superior championship experience to their advantage - wasted no time in capitalizing on Mahomes' blunders.
San Francisco did falter occasionally, but not in the way that one would expect.
Their stellar play was marred by 2 unsportsmanlike incidents: the push-off against Chiefs defenders by 'Niners receiver George Kittle and the touchdown pass interference in the 4th quarter by Tarvarius Moore (on Travis Kelce).
The former offense was noticeably (and unfortunately) supported by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was visibly infuriated by the refs' rectifying call. Even sadder was the taboo play's endorsement by ESPN's Chris Berman and Randy Moss.
Luckily the refs called the infractions both times, unlike what happened to the Saints in the last 2 playoff seasons.
Actually, the overall officiating was excellent, exemplified by the refs' eagle-eye calls that were subsequently backed up by "slow-mo" replays.
The Chiefs finally took over late in the game, with 7 1/2 minutes of pure magic... led off by a bona-fide conjurer, one who uses reality rather than illusion to create special, unforgettable moments.
Mahomes brushed off his psychological bruises from the misthrows and fumbles of the past (almost) 2 quarters to deliver a true never-say-die, MVP-esque performance.
The "Kingdom" also benefited from a bit of luck, as the refs called Damien Williams' heroic finish a legal touchdown before realizing that, due to the absence of goal-line cams, that decision would turn out to be irreversible. It could just as easily have gone San Francisco's way - we'll never know.
So as it turned out, Super Bowl LIV did live up to its billing, with Kansas City storming to victory via some record-breaking, history-making feats:
- They're the 1st team in Super Bowl history to come back from 3 double-digit playoff deficits and win the big prize.
- After making history (during the 2018-2019 season) to become the youngest ever league MVP, Patrick Mahomes did one better this season to become the youngest ever Super Bowl MVP and the youngest ever Super Bowl champion quarterback.
On a lighter note, Mahomes' constant touchdown partner Travis Kelce changed his post-game interview mantra from, "You've got to fight for your right to party" (after winning the AFC Championship), to "You've got to fight for your right to Lombardi" (after the Super Bowl), gyrating in true Lambada style!
Super Bowl LIV was the culmination of a season during which the Chiefs Nation re-stamped its authority as a marquis franchise of the NFL. They ended 50 long years of bitter drought in Kansas City, in no small part due to the superhuman exploits of their Mahomes Messiah.
That's all for now, guys
Donna
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