“Inside the NFL” cameras caught referee Bill Vinovich praising Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes late in Super Bowl 58 against the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers and Chiefs were tied 16-16 at the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-5 situation at the KC 35, the 49ers just needed one first down to melt the clock and attempt a game-winning field goal.
During the timeout, cameras caught Vinovich telling one of his crew members, “Your best play that you have in your book right now, ’cause you don’t wanna give Mahomes the ball back.”
Well, Vinovich certainly wasn’t wrong. The 49ers were stopped on the play and had to settle for a 53-yard field goal from Jake Moody. That left Mahomes and company too much time, and they forced OT with a late field goal from Harrison Butker.
The 49ers got the ball first in overtime and settled on a short field goal from Moody. The new playoff overtime rules meant that Mahomes was getting the ball back regardless of what the 49ers did on their first possession.
San Francisco was once again unable to stop Mahomes, who pieced together a surgical game-winning drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.
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With the victory, Kansas City became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships since the 2003 and ’04 New England Patriots. And with three titles in five years, KC cemented themselves as a dynasty.
