Back to Back! How Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs rallied for OT Super Bowl win vs. 49ers

A year ago this month, holding his son Bronze, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke candidly with family members backstage after appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“Got the real challenge coming this offseason,” Mahomes said, as shown on Netflix’s “Quarterback” series. “Thought winning the Super Bowl was hard. Two of these bad boys ... “

If only he knew what awaited next.

The Chiefs went through hell and back this season, faced with self-inflicted mistakes and personal demons. They made their way through Buffalo and Baltimore in hostile road environments during the playoffs, then found themselves down double digits in Super Bowl LVIII.

They rose above it all ... and are Super Bowl champions again.

Mahomes led KC on an overtime, game-winning touchdown drive, throwing to Mecole Hardman for a three-yard score as KC rallied for a 25-22 overtime victory in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.

The Chiefs are the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in 2003-04.

San Francisco opened overtime with a field goal, before Mahomes marched the Chiefs on a legacy-defining drive.

On fourth-and-1 for the game, he ran for eight. Facing a blitz, he stood in the pocket on third-and-6 and found Rashee Rice for 13.

He added another scramble for 19 yards, then sealed it when the Chiefs — once again — with “Corn Dog Shuttle,” using the play to help win a second straight Super Bowl.

The Chiefs, trailing for most of the contest, got back into it on special teams; punter Tommy Townsend had a third-quarter boot deflect off the ankle of the 49ers’ Darrell Luter Jr., with KC’s Jaylen Watson recovering at the San Francisco 16.

The next play, tight end Travis Kelce took two defenders in coverage to the outside and pointed to the open man mid-play, with Mahomes finding Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the end zone to help the Chiefs to a 13-10 lead.

San Francisco answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, but Jake Moody’s extra-point attempt had a low trajectory, with Leo Chenal blocking it to keep the score at 16-13.

Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field in the fourth quarter but stalled in the red zone on three plays from inside the 5. Butker added a short field goal to tie it with 5:46 left.

At halftime, the Chiefs trailed 10-3 after many of their regular-season offensive struggles resurfaced.

Mahomes was hesitant with the football and was sacked twice, while flagged for a separate intentional grounding. Hardman had a pre-snap false start, and Justin Watson dropped a pass slightly behind him that could’ve gone for big yardage.

The Chiefs’ biggest mistake happened in the red zone, though; after a Mahomes 52-yard pass to Hardman set up the Chiefs 9, Isiah Pacheco fumbled on the next snap, with the 49ers’ Javon Hargrave recovering.

That led to another familiar scene from earlier in the season: frustration boiling over. Kelce, who’d been taken out of the game when Pacheco fumbled, screamed right after at coach Andy Reid on the sideline before bumping him — an exchange CBS’s broadcast replayed for the millions watching.

The Chiefs also had two first-half personal foul flags, one coming on linebacker Nick Bolton for a horse-collar tackle and another when cornerback L’Jarius Sneed slapped 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk across the helmet after a play was over.

KC’s defense still held its own with timely stops. Linebacker Leo Chenal forced a Christian McCaffrey fumble on the 49ers’ first possession that defensive end George Karlaftis pounced on, and McCaffrey was held to 3.7 yards per carry before halftime.

The 49ers’ touchdown came on a trick play. Receiver Jauan Jennings took a lateral from quarterback Brock Purdy, then threw it back across the field to McCaffrey, who followed blockers for a 21-yard score to make it 10-0.

Mahomes and the Chiefs answered with a 13-play, 65-yard drive at the end of the half for their first points, with Butker kicking a 28-yard field goal to trim the 49ers’ lead to seven.

Reid won his third Super Bowl title, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh for the third-most all-time.

Mahomes’ 15th postseason win also moves him to third all-time among QBs. The 28-year-old passed Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Peyton Manning with Sunday’s victory.