Miami (AP) – After his big comeback gala, Patrick Mahomes kissed girlfriend Brittany, hugged each of his teammates and was looking forward to the reward as Super Bowl champion.
“I’ve wanted to say that all my life: I’m going to Disney World,” exclaimed the star quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs overjoyed. “This is what the world means to us. Standing here is just amazing. ” Traditionally, the NFL master visits the Florida amusement park.
With a chase for the football history books at 31:20 over the San Francisco 49ers, the nervous Mahomes earned the longed-for excursion in a gripping NFL final and ended Mark Nzeocha’s great title dream.
As if petrified, the Franconian stood at the side of the largest single sport event in the world and mourned the chance of becoming only the third German to win the Super Bowl. Instead, after the Chiefs’ first triumph in 50 years, Kansas City players rolled around like little children in red and gold confetti on the lawn of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. They knew who to thank. “It’s Magic Mahomes,” said tight end Travis Kelce with a big grin. “It’s Showtime Mahomes. He is always himself, no matter how it is. You know what? I love him.”
With these great feelings, even the much mocked congratulatory tweet from Donald Trump could not tarnish the joy. The US President wrongly located Kansas City in the state of Kansas and not Missouri. Trump later deleted the tweet and sent it again, corrected.
On an emotional evening with the memory of basketball icon Kobe Bryant before the game and the acclaimed half-time break appearance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, it looked extremely bad for the Chiefs seven minutes before the end. 10:20 was the backlog, Mahomes wobbled, two of his passes had already been intercepted by the 49ers defenders. But then the 24-year-old proved his extra class and played like a big one under the greatest pressure.
With two touchdown passes in the final section, Mahomes turned the game around, and in these playoffs alone the Chiefs made up a double-digit deficit for the third time. No team has done this before. Since the playmaker had already scored the first Chiefs points himself by running into the end zone in the opening quarter, he was named the youngest quarterback in Super Bowl history as the most valuable player. “Mahomes has catapulted himself into legendary status,” wrote the NFL on its website. “This boy is incredible and he’s just getting started,” enthused Chiefs Coach Andy Reid. “He’ll always get better.”
The long career of the 61-year-old veteran threatened to end without the coronation. This flaw has now been eliminated. “I’m so happy for Andy Reid, nobody deserves this trophy more than him,” said Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. With 222 wins as a coach, the meticulous worker Reid is sixth on the all-time NFL leaderboard. The premiere title should not remain the only one. “We need another one,” he announced.
The 49ers, however, missed the chance to catch up with the record winners New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers with their sixth Super Bowl win. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also allowed himself two interceptions, and the offensive lacked the courage. “It is difficult. I’ve never experienced this feeling, “said the 28-year-old, deeply disappointed in the black suit after the game. Garoppolo had already won two Super Bowls at the New England Patriots, but was not on the field in the finals as a substitute for superstar Tom Brady.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, however, suffered his second Super Bowl trauma within four seasons. As attack coach for the Atlanta Falcons, he saw his team lose a 28: 3 lead against the Patriots in 2017. Accordingly, Shanahan now has to ask himself critical questions. “We lick our wounds and will get over it,” said the 40-year-old. The Shanahans are not the first father-son duo to win the Super Bowl as head coach. Mike Shanahan had led the Denver Broncos to the title twice.
As German football professionals, only Sebastian Vollmer and Markus Koch secured the coveted winner’s ring for the champions. For a long time it had looked like a victory for Nzeocha & Co. With a concentrated gaze, the 30-year-old stood at the edge of the game shortly before the game in the US anthem sung by Demi Lovato. Nzeocha was on the grass right on the first move. Especially when the ball was kicked long across the field, it was used in San Francisco. His family around wife Taylor, son Cameron James with headphones and the three brothers watched the game from the stands.
As with the Nzeochas in Miami, there was also great sadness in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. In the Franconian homeland, more than 100 people followed the biggest football game of the year live on a big screen. “The disappointment was palpable at the end,” said Philipp Kimmelmann, who accompanied Nzeocha at the Franken Knights as the first youth coach in disembodied flag football. The head coach of the Knights, Jörg Seybold, would have liked a better ending for Nzeocha. «The mood was bombastic. I thought we’d tear the place down today. In the end, it wasn’t enough, we didn’t demolish the bar, ”said Seybold of the German press agency.
Super Bowl LIV
Information about the Super Bowl
Kansas City Chiefs Cadre
Squad of the San Francisco 49ers
Profile Mark Nzeocha at the NFL
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