The 2023/24 National Football League (NFL) season climaxed last Sunday with a contest for the ages, where the Kansas City Chiefs emerged 25-22 winners over the San Francisco 49ers, after a ding-dong battle that resulted in the second Super Bowl to be decided in overtime. The first was in 2017 when the New England Patriots won the title in a legendary comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

Before a reported stadium audience of 61,629 — the smallest crowd in Super Bowl history except for the pandemic game in Tampa, Florida, three years ago between the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — at the comparatively compact Allegiant Stadium, and with a record-setting 123.4 million viewers — bettering the record of 115.1 million set by last year’s Super Bowl — tuned in, the Chiefs officially placed themselves squarely in the ‘dynasty’ conversation.

With the victory, they became the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls as underdogs (the Philadelphia Eagles were favourites a year ago), the ninth NFL team to repeat, and the first back-to-back champions in 19 years — the last being the Patriots in 2005. They have been to four Super Bowls in the last five seasons, winning three, and to cap off the magnitude of their status, 28-year-old quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP), his third honour in three Super Bowl wins, equalling Hall of Famer Joe Montana for the second-most Super Bowl MVPs in NFL history, trailing only Tom Brady, who won five. Montana was 33 when he won his third MVP and Brady was 37.

The game itself was a defensive battle, pitting the NFL’s ranked second (Chiefs) and eighth (49ers) in total defence, and second (Chiefs) and third (49ers) in scoring defence. San Francisco utilised a four-man defensive rush for the better part of the game that had Mahomes on his toes and the Kansas City defence combined to stave off any long plays by their opponents. Both Mahomes and 49ers QB Brock Purdy finished the first half with 123 passing yards and Travis Kelce, (arguably) the best tight end in the league, was held to only one catch, for only one yard at half-time (he finished with 93 yards), with the defending champions trailing 3-10.

However, despite the low first-half points output, the first 30 minutes had its moments. Most notable was a 21-yard touchdown pass by 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who had never thrown a pass in an NFL game, to Christian McCaffrey, for the first touchdown of the game and certainly the outstanding highlight before half-time.

Jennings caught a touchdown pass in the second half which made him the second player in Super Bowl history with a throwing and a catching touchdown, joining Eagles quarterback Nick Foles who did it six years ago.

Another big first-half moment was San Francisco kicker Jake Moody setting a Super Bowl record in the second quarter for the longest-ever field goal (55 yards), only to have it eclipsed by Kansas City’s Harrison Butker in the third quarter (57 yards). The previous record of 54 yards, was held by Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills in 1994 (Super Bowl XXVIII). Butker totalled four field goals for the game, which tied a Super Bowl record held by the 49ers’ Ray Wersching (Super Bowl XVI) and the Green Bay Packers’ Don Chandler (Super Bowl II).

The game turned in the third quarter on a critical turnover, when San Francisco’s Ray-Ray McCloud failed to gather a punt that hit teammate Darrell Luter Jr’s leg and the Chiefs recovered the ball at the 49ers’ 16-yard line. This led to a passing touchdown by Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Kansas City’s first lead of the game, 13-10.

A back-and-forth fourth quarter ensued and, with the 49ers leading 16-19 and 1:53 remaining in regulation, Mahomes turned on the magic. He connected with Kelce for a 22-yard pass play, to set up a Butker 29-yarder, tying the game with 3 seconds remaining, and forcing overtime.

The Chiefs trailed 22-19 in overtime after Moody kicked a 27-yard field goal for San Francisco, but with almost eight minutes left on the clock, Mahomes rallied the troops to complete another epic comeback victory.

The game-winning drive took 13 plays, seven minutes and 19 seconds, and covered 75 yards (their longest drive of the game), which included two scrambles by Mahomes — eight and 19 yards, respectively — that converted first downs on each occasion. The victory was capped by a three-yard Mahomes throw to Mecole Hardman who strolled into the end zone for a walk-off touchdown. The despondent 49ers could only watch as the clock (and time) stopped, and confetti rained on their heads.

San Francisco’s Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is now 0-2 as a head coach in Super Bowls — at the hands of the Chiefs — and 0-3 overall, having been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons in their infamous Super Bowl collapse against the Patriots. His inability to get over the hump has been a recurring decimal and will be his demon until he proves otherwise. His 49ers also saw a 10-point lead evaporate in the fourth quarter of the 2021 National Football Conference Championship game, to lose to the Los Angeles Rams and lost again at the same stage last season to Philadelphia, but they did play a large portion of that game without an effective quarterback.

The Kansas City offence was contained for the majority of the game by an elite San Francisco defensive unit, but the defensive effort appeared less effective as the game wore on (particularly on the last two Kansas City drives).

The Chiefs, who played the most games of any team this season, have made it a habit of falling behind by double digits in Super Bowls, then dramatically rallying for a come-back win. It happened in the previous match-up with the 49ers (2019), then with the Eagles last year, and they took a similar route this year.

Mahomes was below par at the start of the game, throwing an early interception, but with the game on the line, he put on his Superman cape, completing the final drive a perfect eight-for-eight, for 42 passing yards, while running for 27 more. He finished 34 of 46 for 333 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Chiefs in rushing yards (66), to earn MVP honours.

Super Bowl LIX will be played in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, and JustBet already offers odds for the game: the 49ers as favourites, the repeat champions following closely as second-favourites, and the Baltimore Raven behind them. But between now and then, JustBet continues to offer attractive betting options on all popular sports and events (including virtual games) as soon as they become available. Please visit one of the over 130 locations (or visit mobile.justbetja.com) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the GAME!