Stars deliver: This is how the Chiefs won the Super Bowl

Up to that point, the Chiefs had failed to achieve anything, especially offensively. Until four minutes before half-time, they had gained just 79 net yards of space. They had to punt the ball three times, plus the aforementioned fumble. The Chiefs were dominated primarily by the 49ers' defensive line; quarterback Patrick Mahomes couldn't find any passing spots and then got a lot of pressure. Kelce only caught one ball for one yard in the first half. The only positive thing: It was only 3:10. Which stars ultimately turned up the heat and paved the way to victory:

Of course, the quarterback was a deciding factor. Although he only threw one interception at the beginning of the third quarter and it took a while, but then he was there. When the 49ers accidentally touched the ball during a Chiefs punt and Kansas City was able to capture it at the opposing 16-yard line, Mahomes callously took advantage of this to score the first touchdown and the Chiefs' first lead of the day.

In overtime he showed why he is the best quarterback in the league. After the 49ers set up a field goal, Mahomes led his men 75 yards down the field in 13 plays. During the drive, he didn't throw a single incomplete pass and ran several times himself – including to turn a fourth attempt into a first down. In the end there was the decisive touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman. With this drive, Mahomes became the most valuable player (MVP) and decided the game.

The Chiefs were dominated at the line of scrimmage in the first half. In the second half, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo changed the approach a little, like Cornerback Trent McDuffie explained: “He told us defensive backs that he relies on us in a lot of man-to-man situations.” The Chiefs often played a “Cover Zero”, in which all of the opponent's wide receivers were just off each other Only one player is covered; there is no help from a safety. If you lose your duel, it quickly means a touchdown. In return, you can put more players at the line of scrimmage to create pressure.

This was also the case shortly before the end of regular time: the 49ers had a third attempt in the Chiefs' half after the two-minute warning. A first down here and San Francisco could have run down the clock and very likely won. Spagnuolo again opted for a Cover Zero and also sent McDuffie on a quarterback hunt with a blitz. “Whenever he does that, I know it works,” the cornerback said afterwards. And that's how it was: McDuffie broke unblockedkt through and forced San Francisco's quarterback Brock Purdy to make a hasty pass that didn't arrive. So the 49ers only scored a field goal and the Chiefs had enough time to reach overtime.

As mentioned at the beginning, the tight end was basically signed off in the first half and was only noticed for his bump into Coach Reid (for which he later apologized). On the field, it was Kelce himself who was constantly being jostled by the 49ers defenders at the line of scrimmage and was then unable to escape the coverage of strong linebacker Fred Warner. But the Chiefs found solutions later in the game – and Kelce caught in the second half and in the Overtime eight more passes for 92 yards.

On half of the catches, Kelce was sent into motion beforehand, so he changed his position again shortly before the start of the play and was therefore free. The last two clearly showed Kelce's class: In the fourth quarter, Warner was once again right in front of the Tig's noseht ends, but Kelce evaded him by pretending to go outside but then sprinting inside. That one-step gain was enough to gain 22 yards and put the Chiefs within range for the overtime field goal. Before the decisive touchdown, it was also Kelce who did the preparatory work. He initially blocked the move, but then let go of his opponent, turned around and caught the ball from Mahomes. By the time the 49ers could respond, Kelce was already on his way forward and got to the three-yard line. Mahomes then decided the game with a touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.

The defensive tackle is one of the best the NFL has to offer at this position. And especially in the big games, Jones regularly turns up the heat. Same in the Super Bowl. Numbers can't really reflect what Jones has achieved. Again and againHe fought his way to 49ers quarterback Purdy and put him under pressure. And even if he didn't get through, he cleared the way for his teammates at some point.

What also doesn't appear in any statistics: Jones prevented two touchdowns. Because twice, Purdy had a completely free wide receiver in the Chiefs end zone, but didn't have time to throw the pass there because Jones was already attacking him. This was crucial in overtime: The 49ers apparently had coordination difficulties in the offensive line on the third attempt just before the end zone, because nobody seemed to be responsible for Jones in this crucial play and he immediately broke through to put Purdy under pressure. He could only throw the ball away, even though Brandon Aiyuk was completely free in the end zone. The 49ers only scored one field goal, but in return the Chiefs won by a touchdown.