Monday, January 27, 2025, 2:48AM |  32°
MENU
SECTIONS
OTHER
CLASSIFIEDS
CONTACT US / FAQ
Advertisement
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III walks off the field after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22 against the 49ers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
2
MORE

49ers' decision to take the ball first in Super Bowl overtime will be debated for a while

ASSOCIATED PRESS

49ers' decision to take the ball first in Super Bowl overtime will be debated for a while

LAS VEGAS — It used to be one of the easiest decisions in football: If you win the toss in overtime, you take the ball.

The rules are different now, however, and that choice by San Francisco in the Super Bowl will be debated all offseason.

The 49ers took the ball and drove for a field goal, then lost 25-22 when Patrick Mahomes guided Kansas City 75 yards the other way for the winning touchdown Sunday night. San Francisco's drive ended when the 49ers kicked a field goal on fourth-and-4 from the 9.

Advertisement

If they'd known three points wouldn't be good enough, they could have gone for a touchdown in that spot.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Associated Press
Patrick Mahomes leads Chiefs over 49ers in overtime thriller to win 2024 Super Bowl

“That’s something we talked about," San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said. "None of us have a ton of experience of it.”

For many years, overtime ended as soon as one team scored. Then the rule was altered so both teams could possess the ball — unless the first team on offense scored a touchdown. In that case, the game would end on that TD, and that’s what happened when New England beat Atlanta, 34-28, in Super Bowl 51.

An even more recent rule change mandated that in the postseason, both teams can possess the ball even if the first offensive team scores a touchdown. Now NFL playoff overtime even more closely resembles the college OT format, where teams alternate possessions. And in college, teams often like to have the ball second because they’ll have a better sense of what they need on their drive.

Advertisement

This time, Kansas City had that advantage, which meant the Chiefs had no choice but to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 34, down three. They converted and eventually reached the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman.

“There’s two ways: You kick it off or you receive it," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "I'm not sure there's a right answer, necessarily. Ours ended up being the right one. That's what we felt was the right thing to do.”

Reid's comments suggest there's no obvious consensus among coaches about what to do, but if the Chiefs had won the toss, they were prepared to kick off and play defense first.

“We talked for two weeks about new overtime rules," defensive tackle Chris Jones said. "Give the ball to the opponent. If we score, we go for 2.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
Josh Dubow
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan suffers 3rd Super Bowl heartbreak

One defense of San Francisco's decision to take the ball involves what happens if the game is still tied after both teams have had a possession. Then, the game DOES become sudden death — so there's a clear potential edge in having the ball third. If the game was still tied after the first two possessions, the 49ers could have gotten the ball and any score would have won it.

But overtime never made it that far.

“We went through all the analytics and talked to those guys,” Shanahan said. “We wanted the ball third. If both teams matched and scored, we wanted to be the ones with a chance to go win.”

Overtime can reach a third possession if each team kicks a field goal.

“We got that field goal, so we knew we had to hold them to at least a field goal," Shanahan said. "And if we did, we thought the game was in our hands after that”

If each team scores a touchdown, then as Jones said, the second team could simply go for a 2-point conversion to prevent its opponent from getting the ball again.

It turned out Kansas City didn't have to worry about any conversion because once the 49ers settled for a short field goal, the touchdown by the Chiefs won the game.

And Jones was a big reason it worked out that way. He came through unblocked on San Francisco's last offensive play, forcing an incompletion that set up a short field goal by Jake Moody.

First Published: February 12, 2024, 10:30 a.m.

RELATED
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs kisses Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
W.G. Ramirez
Travis Kelce brings home the hardware to hold up his 'end of the bargain' with Taylor Swift
This photo provided by Dunkin' shows Ben Affleck in a still from the company's 2024 Super Bowl NFL football game ad campaign.
Wyatte Grantham-Philips
Super Bowl ads keep it heavy on the celebrities, light on the politics
Taylor Swift reacts during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Dave Skretta
Taylor Swift chugs beer, cuddles Blake Lively and gets mobbed as Chiefs beat 49ers in the Super Bowl
Usher and Alicia Keys perform onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review: Usher shines at star-studded 2024 Super Bowl halftime show
Jauan Jennings of the San Francisco 49ers throws the ball to Christian McCaffrey for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
49ers receiver Jauan Jennings throws for touchdown pass in Super Bowl
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) and head coach Kyle Shanahan, left, celebrate after the NFC Championship NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.
Chris Dell
Post-Gazette '6 Pack of Player Props': Super Bowl LVIII betting strategy, prop guide and best bets
People stand by signage for the Super Bowl as the Bellagio fountains erupt along the Las Vegas Strip ahead of the Super Bowl 58 NFL game Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Spencer Ripchik
Pricey Super Bowl: Some NFL fans pass on expensive tickets and just have ‘a good time’ in Vegas
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, right, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrate victory over the Philadelphia Eagles after the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Post-Gazette Super Bowl LVIII Prop-A-Palooza: Favorite props to bet from our entire sports staff
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs the ball and scores a touchdown during the first half of the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, in Baltimore, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.
Gene Collier
Gene Collier: Running on empty — and running hard
SHOW COMMENTS (2)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Pedestrians walk past the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, where the governor's office is located. Republicans are planning their 2026 bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro..
1
news
Pa. Republicans planning 'unified and strategic' approach to unseating Josh Shapiro in 2026
Bill Sunseri, president of Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., stands in his family’s store on Jan. 6 in the Strip District.
2
life
Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. has a new full owner at the helm
Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart (4) runs off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Auburn, Ala.
3
sports
Ray Fittipaldo's first 7-round Steelers mock draft: Deep DL class too enticing?
Firefighters responded to a house fire in Upper St. Clair on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. One person was killed, and four were injured, including two police officers.
4
local
A wave of deadly Pittsburgh-area house fires puts a spotlight on safety
Meredith Miller of Upper St. Clair.
5
news
Woman who died in Upper St. Clair fire remembered as devoted churchgoer and teacher
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III walks off the field after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22 against the 49ers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (28) leaves the field after overtime of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)  (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story