Winning the Super Bowl MVP award can be a legacy-defining moment, and Patrick Mahomes, unsurprisingly, is currently the favorite to take home the trophy on Sunday.
This is the second meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl over the past five years. Let’s dive into what we saw when these teams last played with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.
Which Chiefs Player Won the MVP in Super Bowl 54?
Super Bowl LIV MVP, Patrick Mahomes: 26/42 for 286 yards, two TDs, two INTs (29 rush yards, including a touchdown)
The Chiefs were the second seed in the AFC after a 12-4 regular season that saw them finish with six straight wins before their playoff run. The Baltimore Ravens won 14 games and were the top seed in the conference, but after the Tennessee Titans beat them 28-12 in the Divisional Round, Kansas City assumed the role of the AFC favorite.
They were facing a 49ers team that was the NFC’s No. 1 seed thanks to a three-way tie-breaker with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, all of whom won 13 regular-season games.
The Super Bowl was possession-oriented at the beginning. After a three-and-out by the Chiefs, these two teams traded double-digit-play drives that resulted in points. The game was deadlocked at 10 heading into halftime, and it looked destined to come down to the wire.
Coming out of the break, San Francisco orchestrated a 60-yard drive to get the lead and intercepted Mahomes’ fourth pass of the half. Six plays later, Raheem Mostert punched in a one-yard score, and the 49ers followed that up with an interception inside of their 25-yard line.
Was this game over?
The Chiefs were able to get a stop on the ensuing drive. Then, Mahomes offered up a legacy-building stretch of three drives.
- 83 yards, touchdown
- 65 yards, touchdown
- 42 yards, touchdown
Ball game.
In under 7.5 minutes of game time, Mahomes and the Chiefs went from dead man walking to dynasty run coming.
MORE: Does Mahomes Think He Can Catch Tom Brady?
It is said that “big-time players make big-time plays.” While you could argue that Kansas City was in a bad spot due to Mahomes’ mistakes, his willingness to embrace the moment and produce when his team needed him most was nothing short of special.
- Quarters 1-3: 145 pass yards, zero touchdowns, one interception
- Quarter 4: 141 pass yards, two touchdowns, one interception
In staging the massive comeback, Mahomes became the first quarterback since 2007 Eli Manning to throw for 140 yards and multiple touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl win.
This performance will live on in Super Bowl lore for a long time. It will be a discussion point whenever the “Is Mahomes the best to ever do it?” conversation comes up.
Mahomes also became the first passer since Tom Brady in 2014 to reach double-digit touchdown passes in a single postseason — just one more list that those two share.
Will Mahomes pass Brady as the GOAT? Only time will tell, but an encore performance against San Francisco that looks anything like the first meeting would be a nice step in that direction for the 28-year-old.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
