The American football NFL season culminates in two weeks with the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Kansas City, the reigning champion of the series, defeated the pre-favorite Baltimore Ravens 17–10 in the finals of the AFC conference. In the final match of the NFC conference, the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions in a thriller-like score 34–31.
The Chiefs and 49ers also met in the Super Bowl four years ago, when the Chiefs were better by a score of 30-21.
The successful club of recent years, the Chiefs, did not convince in the regular season, but the team is at its best in the decisive moments of the season. The team’s defense was zeroed out by a star quarterback by Lamar Jackson led by the Baltimore attack almost completely.
– Our defense was incredible. We got the lead and with strong character we were able to hold it, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at a press conference.
The 65-year-old successful coach praised his team’s team spirit and mental fortitude. He gave special praise to, among other things, his team’s offensive and defensive lines.
– Our lines came to win today and played with all their heart, Reid said.
The radar pair shone again
The biggest star of the Chiefs, and maybe the entire franchise, the quarterback Patrick Mahomes was great again in a high stakes match. Among other things, he was successful in his first 11 pass attempts. The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their first two drives.
– It’s something special, Reid summarized.
Mahomes ended up throwing for 241 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Against Baltimore’s defense, which has been brilliant throughout the season, 30 of 39 pass attempts were successful.
A star player who has been on Mahomes’ radar for years Travis Kelce excelled alongside the quarterback. The inside linebacker caught Mahomes’ touchdown and totaled 116 receiving yards. Every throw Mahomes made to Kelce was successful in the match.
With his 11 catches, the 34-year-old Kelce became a sports legend Jerry Rice passed the all-time record for most catches in the playoffs with 152 catches.
If Mahomes shined with his confidence and short throws, Lamar Jackson had a difficult night throughout. The superstar succeeded in 20 of his 37 pass attempts.
The Ravens’ attack seemed uncertain throughout the match, as there was too much rushing, unclear situations and poor care of the game equipment compared to the stakes of the match. Especially when the Chiefs defense was strong throughout the match.
The final quarter saw the moments of fate for the Ravens, when the winger Zay Flowers was about to throw for the clinching touchdown, but the Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed rushed to knock the ball out of Flowers’ hands and the Chiefs got a possession.
About halfway through the quarter, Jackson threw toward the end zone, but linebacker Deon Bush intercepted the pass, and the Chiefs got another offensive shift with a 17–7 lead. Jackson was furious after the situation and threw his helmet to the ground with force.
by Justin Tucker a kick at the end of the game was a thin consolation for the Ravens. The Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in the last five years. Jackson, the 27-year-old Ravens star, still hasn’t lived up to his Reservation Day promise to bring a championship to Baltimore.
Detroit melted away from a massive lead
The regular season winner of the NFC conference, the San Francisco 49ers, came from a 17-point deficit to the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions completely dominated the opening half of the conference finals and the team led 24–7 at halftime.
Detroit managed to crush the 49ers’ defense almost completely with its running game. by Jameson Williams ran for a 42-yard opening touchdown as well by David Montgomery the third touchdown he ran were exemplary examples of this.
The third quarter completely turned the game around, as the 49ers won the quarter by as much as 17–0. After the halftime break, the home team scored as many as 27 points in a row and turned the game around.
A controversial quarterback Brock Purdy petrified after the opening half and the interception he threw. He ended up throwing for a touchdown, 267 yards and nearly 50 yards.
– My task is to distribute the ball to free players. Sometimes there aren’t any and you just have to find the means. I just tried to keep the attack going and move the ball forward, Purdy told the press.
The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to rally from a 17-point halftime deficit to win the conference finals.
– This might have been our only chance (for the championship), Detroit’s head coach Dan Campbell said emotionally at the press conference.
Detroit has gone 66 years in the NFL without a championship. Before the current playoffs, the last time the Lions had won a playoff game was in 1991.
The team’s attack was almost completely suppressed in the second half. Failed catches and the quarterback Jared Goffin there were too many throws. According to Goff, the surprise team’s loss of the lead was not due to the pressure of the conference finals.
– The match was not too big. We didn’t manage to execute the attack in the second half the way we wanted and we lost the match. San Francisco played well in the second half, Goff assessed at the press conference.
The NFL season culminates in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 11. Finnish time, the match will be played on February 12 in the morning. In a rematch from five years ago, the quarterback duel is once again the center of attention.
Chiefs superstar Mahomes is on a 10-year, $450 million contract, while Purdy is on a $3.7 million rookie contract.