49ers vs. Chiefs: Live Updates and Analysis
The moment is finally here for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The opportunity to life the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIV is three hours away for these two teams.
It is a classic matchup of top ranked defense against top ranked offense. Will the 49ers prove history right? Or will the Chiefs defy history?
We have you covered in tonight's Super Bowl LIV matchup from Hard Rock Stadium. Following along and join the conversation with your input as the game progresses.
49ers Inactives
Chiefs Inactives
1st Quarter
15:00 - 49ers have won the toss and will defer to the Chiefs. We get to watch top ranked defense vs. top ranked offense from the jump. 49ers defense has done excellent to hold teams on opening drives, but the Chiefs will put that to the test.
14:05 - Defense holds true for the 49ers as they force Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to go three and out. 49ers will take the field to strike blood first.
8:02 - 49ers have to settle for three after driving the field with authority on the Chiefs defense. Deebo Samuel was the star of the show when he gashed the defense on an end-around run. Chiefs will look to bounce back from their poor opening drive.
49ers 3 Chiefs 0
0:31 - Chiefs answer the 49ers score by one upping them with a touchdown. 49ers had multiple chances on third and fourth down to get off the field, but the play calling of the Chief was too much. Mahomes would run it on a beautiful designed option run play. San Francisco will need a long sustaining offensive drive or it can get ugly.
49ers 3 Chiefs 0
End of quarter
2nd Quarter
14:08 - First turnover of the game comes from an egregious error by Jimmy Garoppolo. He was on the verge of getting sacked and decided to throw it to the sideline. Unfortunately, he did not get enough air on it and so the Chiefs picked him off. 49ers defense will have to quickly get back on the field.
9:36 - Kansas City cashes in on Garoppolo's mistake by putting up a field goal to extend their lead. 49ers defense was bending, but did not break. Next possession will need to last a while for the 49ers to give their defense some rest and time to adjust. So far, Chiefs' utilization of option plays is killing them
49ers 3 Chiefs 10
5:05 - And the 49ers get their ideal, long sustaining drive and cap it off with a touchdown to tie the game. Garoppolo finishes the drive with a touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk. 49ers went back to their methodical running game with Garoppolo showing up in moments. All season long, Garoppolo has followed his turnovers by scoring. He is still 100%. Now to see how the 49ers' defense adjusts.
49ers 10 Chiefs 10
2:00 - Yards per play in the game: 49ers 8.1 - Chiefs 4.8. Considering it is a tie game, the 49ers are showing to have the edge offensively. That includes the one explosive play the 49ers' defense allowed on Sammy Watkins' catch.
0:20 - Following the defensive stop, the 49ers did not use one of their timeouts to stop the clock. It would've given them over a minute and a half of clock to drive the field. Kyle Shanahan is going with the conservative approach. He used this approach against the Ravens in week 13, which resulted in the 49ers' loss.
0:14 - Controversy finally strikes in Super Bowl LIV. Garoppolo hits George Kittle on the best pass play of the game to set them up in the redzone. The play would then be called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Kittle. A penalty that had no business being called. That will loom large in the end.
End of quarter
3rd Quarter
13:14 - 49ers opening the half surging offensively. The way this attack is going, a touchdown could very well become reality to take the lead. San Francisco is still utilizing the weakness of the Chiefs' defense, which is their linebackers.
9:29 - San Francisco fails to convert on third down, so they will settle for a field goal to take the lead back for the first time since the beginning of the game. Deebo Samuel has been the star of the show for the 49ers with the running backs keeping the chains moving. Kansas City will now take it's first crack on offense in the second half.
49ers 13 Chiefs 10
5:23 - Interception! Mahomes gifts the 49ers' defense with a pick. The pass was more egregious than Garoppolo's as the throw was right into the chest of Fred Warner. 49ers now have a chance to put their foot on the throat of the Chief.s
2:35 - Foot has officially been placed on throat. 49ers capitalize on Mahomes' error with a touchdown to give them the largest lead of the game. Jimmy Garoppolo has been on the money since throwing his interception. He is outplaying Mahomes by a wide margin. Momentum is on the side of the 49ers and their defense. How will Mahomes respond?
49ers 20 Chiefs 10
End of Quarter
4th Quarter
11:57 - Another interception! Mahomes' pass gets picked off by Tarvarius Moore who was in the right position for the tipped pass. That turnover is a huge turning point as it keeps the Chiefs off of the board. If the 49ers turn this upcoming drive into points, especially a touchdown, then the Chiefs will struggle to come back given the time.
8:53 - Kansas City's defense holds up well to force the 49ers to punt. That is a enormous break for the Chiefs who desperately need a score on their upcoming possession. With less than nine minutes in the contest, the Chiefs will need to act fast.
6:13 - Mahomes and the offense are back on the board for the first time in the second half. He hits Travis Kelce on the touchdown pass following a defensive pass interference call on Tarvarius Moore. Now the pressure falls on the 49ers' offense who will need to drain the clock again and try to come away with points.
49ers 20 Chiefs 17
5:18 - Three and out for the 49ers who could not get their ideal sustaining drive with points. All the momentum now slides to the Chiefs who could end this with a clock draining drive here.
2:44 - Chiefs are in the driver seat as they have taken the lead on a touchdown pass from Mahomes to Damien Williams. San Francisco's defense was clearly fatigued on that drive and now it all comes down to Jimmy Garoppolo and Shanahan. With less than three minutes left, the 49ers have time to come back. The key will be to erase Chris Jones from the picture or Garoppolo is doomed.
49ers 20 Chiefs 24
2:00 - It all comes down to this. Garoppolo has a chance to be etched in Super Bowl lore if he can lead the 49ers to victory.
:05 - With the final snap, the Chiefs are Super Bowl LIV champions.
Final: 49ers 20 Chiefs 31
