Mic’d-Up Chiefs Players Immediately Knew 49ers Erred on Overtime Coin Flip Decision
Although the Kansas City Chiefs have been praised for winning Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers have been almost equally blamed for a critical mistake they made in the loss.
Going into the overtime tied at 19, the 49ers elected to receive the ball and Chiefs players couldn’t believe it. Both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were mic’d up after their decision and were elated.
For those who don’t know, the regular season overtime rule is that if a team scores a touchdown in the first possession, the game is automatically over, making this the right decision in that situation. However, as of 2022, both teams are guaranteed a possession in the playoffs, even if the receiving team scores a touchdown on its first drive.
Instead of getting the advantage, San Francisco scored just a field goal and the Kansas City offense knew exactly what it needed to do: score a touchdown and use all four downs to do it. They did just that, winning the big game 25–22.
After the defeat, several 49ers players admitted they had no idea about the rule change—leaving coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff to answer for the blunder.
