The best and worst of Super Bowl LVIII

In overtime, he was 8-for-8 for 42 yards and added 27 yards on two runs, including a crucial fourth-down conversion. 

Only three quarterbacks in NFL history have won more Super Bowls than Mahomes (Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw), and we won't count him out to add more rings to his collection in future years.

Worst: 49ers muffed punt

San Francisco's turnover on a third-quarter punt return gave the Chiefs the ball inside the red zone, which Mahomes promptly turned into a touchdown.

The ball hit defensive back Darrell Luter Jr.'s foot and return man Ray-Ray McCloud couldn't corral the loose ball. One play later, Mahomes connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard touchdown and a 13-10 lead. 

Best: Jauan Jennings

The biggest shame of the 49ers' loss is Johnson's performance being potentially lost to the annals of history. He became the second player in Super Bowl history to have a receiving and passing touchdown, joining former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles.

First, Jennings completed a pass to running back Christian McCaffrey on a trick play to put the Niners up 10-0, then caught a pass NFL Next Gen Stats gave him a 4% chance of scoring a touchdown on that gave San Francisco a 16-13 advantage.

If the 49ers won, Jennings would have been an easy choice for MVP. Instead, his performance is a footnote to the Chiefs' growing legend.

Worst: Kyle Shanahan's overtime decision 

The Niners head coach's career arc is taking the shape of a Greek tragedy.

For the third time as an NFL coach (either head coach or coordinator), Shanahan's team held a double-digit lead in the Super Bowl ... and lost.

He made a tough, gutsy call in a three-point game inside the red zone that led to Jennings' second touchdown, but his curious decision to receive the opening kick of overtime instead of deferring and conservative play calling during the overtime period ultimately were San Francisco's undoing.

Best: The defenses

In a game that featured the 2023 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time MVP and a pair of All-Pro tight ends, the defenses made big statements. 

Starting running backs McCaffrey (22 carries, 80 yards) and Isiah Pacheco (18 carries, 59 yards) were both held under four yards per carry.

Both defenses also kept the quarterbacks in check, doing so in vastly different ways. Per NFL NGS, the Chiefs blitzed Brock Purdy on 51.2% of his dropbacks, while the Niners relied on their front four to hold Mahomes in check. 

Edge Nick Bosa finished with a game-high 10 pressures as San Francisco finished with a 12.5% blitz rate. Bosa had 118 total pressures this season, tied for the most in a single season since 2018.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnolo's strategy worked perfectly, with his blitzes resulting in Kansas City having a season-high nine unblocked pressures. It also gave cornerback Trent McDuffie multiple one-on-one matchups, and he largely succeeded. 

Per NFL NGS, he was targeted 10 times and only allowed five receptions for 51 yards.

Best: Andy Reid

As big as the win was for Mahomes' legacy, it was equally as significant to Reid's. He's in elite company among NFL head coaches who've won at least three Lombardis.

Among his championships, this one might be Reid's most impressive coaching job. 

Kansas City went on the road and defeated the Bills and Ravens prior to the Super Bowl, and then had to beat a 49ers squad many viewed as the better team entering Sunday. 

Reid, 65, has dealt with questions about his future, but as long as he's at the top of the sport, he has no business hanging it up. The only thing we know for certain about Reid's future is those hamburgers are going to taste extra nice.