In a historic ending to Super Bowl LVIII,, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to end the night in dramatic fashion.
With three seconds left to play in just the second fifth quarter in Super Bowl history, Patrick Mahomes found a wide open Mecole Hardman Jr. for a two yard touchdown pass to cement the Chiefs’ second championship in just as many years.
With that, the lights have gone dark on the NFL season until September 5th but, there is quite a bit to unpack about the most-watched program in television history and what it told us about the league.
For many NFL fans, most of the interest in the result of the Super Bowl surrounded Mahomes and Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid. Topics will be debated around what a third Super Bowl title in five years means for their expanding legacies, and whether this Kansas City Chiefs organization can officially be labeled a dynasty or if they have to win a third championship in a row. But, what did this wondrous event tell us about the state of the NFL overall?
Well, the NFL is alive and well. And it does not seem to be going anywhere any time soon.
According to Nielsen television ratings, Super Bowl LVIII averaged 123.7 million viewers, the largest audience for a television program on record, eclipsing last year’s number of 115.1 million
Audiences watched Post Malone perform “America the Beautiful” and Reba McEntire sing the National Anthem before the game. Usher performed the Super Bowl’s halftime show, which has now become an event some viewers tune in for alone. He did not disappoint; and he brought out stars like Alicia Keys and Ludacris among others to perform some of his greatest hits like “My Boo” and “Yeah!” with him.
In fact, the entirety of this Super Bowl was all about the stars. Stars on the field, stars in the stands, stars in the commercials. In a rapidly increasing trend that has culminated in present day Super Bowl advertising, nearly every commercial slot was filled by one or multiple celebrities endorsing some type of product, service, or app. During breaks in game action cameras routinely panned to some of the most recognized names in film and music such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady GaGa, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and of course, Taylor Swift (who is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The game itself saw the offenses struggle early on, with the starting running backs for both teams losing fumbles in the first half. The only touchdown accounted for in the half was completed in spectacular fashion by the 49ers on a trick play, with wide receiver Jauan Jennings completing a pass across the field to Christian McCaffrey.
The 49ers led the Chiefs 10-3 at the half.
The third quarter continued with a primarily dominating performance by both teams’ defenses, until a punt was fumbled by the 49ers and recovered by the Chiefs, giving the Chiefs a significant opportunity to score.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown pass on the next play and the Chiefs took the lead for the first time, 13-10. Within the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw a touchdown pass to put his team back out in front by three. In what would turn out to be a fateful play, however, the Chiefs blocked 49ers kicker Jake Moody’s extra point attempt, forcing it to remain a three point game.
The blocked extra point attempt led to a tie game at 19 going into overtime, and ultimately Mahomes’ touchdown pass in the final seconds of the seventh longest NFL game ever played, securing the game.
Super Bowl LVIII ultimately reminded us that the NFL is the premiere sports league in the nation, and everyone else is competing for second place. Patrick Mahomes has solidified his role as the face of the NFL after the retirement of Tom Brady, and that the league is in good hands with Mahomes just entering the prime of his career. With star power to offer on the field and off of it, the NFL has assured us that we will be watching.
