The San Francisco 49ers had an ill-fated day at the grand finale of the tournament. But something had a big role to play in their defeat. With the Super Bowl LVIII playing out in the favor of the Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers had to go home empty-handed with nothing but their feelings of loss. But what should’ve been a joyous occasion ended with a confused bunch of 49ers on the field.

Both teams gave it their all in the presence of over 60,000 fans in the city of sin, but in the end, it was the Chiefs who prevailed with a close score of 25-22. After an unbelievable season from the 49ers, the fans were on the edge, waiting for their ultimate glory. But alas! It was the Mahomes side that were crowned the champions of the 2023 season. Though the loss was by a very near score, the team has claimed that the Super Bowl overtime rules confused them, which eventually led to their fated loss.

The San Francisco 49ers and the overtime rules

With the team walking back to the locker room with sad faces, the players, as well as the management, had a lot to answer for. After they won the overtime coin toss, they decided to receive the ball and began the extra period. However, their 13-play drive came to an end with a 27-yard field goal by Jake Moody, setting up Mahomes to lead the Chiefs to victory with a 13-play drive of his own, which was capped off by a game-winning 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman, sealing the 25-22 triumph.

Here is a brief look at the overtime rules that ended up confusing the 49ers. There will be a 15-minute overtime period. Unless the side that kicks off the overtime period scores a safety on the receiving team’s beginning position, both teams will then get a chance to possess the ball at least once. The team with the most points at the end of each team’s possession of the ball is deemed the winner. The next team to score will be deemed the winner if the team with the ball doesn’t score or if there is a tie after every team has had a chance to possess the ball. Regardless of the number of 15-minute sessions required, another overtime period will start if the score is tied or if the second team’s initial possession hasn’t concluded.

In response to the confusion, fullback Kyle Juszczyk said, “You know what? I didn’t even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime. I assume you just want the ball to score a touchdown and win. I guess that’s not the case. I don’t totally know the strategy there. We hadn’t talked about it, no.” 

Read more: “We Were Hurt”: Kyle Shanahan Breaks Silence on OT Loss vs. Chiefs as 49ers HC Gracefully Accepts Super Bowl Result

Moreover, Niners’ defensive lineman Arik Armstead also added to the conundrum and said, “I didn’t even know about the new playoff overtime rule, so it was a surprise to me. I didn’t even really know what was going on in terms of that.” It’s unclear whether the team would’ve gone on to win the Super Bowl if it weren’t for the confusion in the team, but this is the defense that the 49ers had after bowing out to the Chiefs. Here’s a look at what HC Kyle Shanahan had to say about the massive upset.

Coach Kyle Shanahan speaks up on the loss to the Chiefs

In what should’ve been a very close victory for the 49ers, they had to return home empty-handed and give the Chiefs their second consecutive Super Bowl win. With so much pressure on players like Brock Purdy, and Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers were expected to perform better than a 22-point performance. The overtime strategy wasn’t discussed with the players at all but was talked about with the analytics staff, which played a pivotal part in their loss.

Shanahan referred to the loss that is going to haunt the team for a while and said, “It was a good team. We went back and forth throughout the whole game. And both teams played their a**es off and then they got it done. We were hurt. Our team’s hurt, but that’s how it goes when you put yourself out there.” 

Thus, the Kansas City Chiefs are celebrating in style as the losing team continues to think about the blunders that cost them the Super Bowl.

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