PARADISE, Nev. -- Patrick Mahomes won Super Bowl MVP, Travis Kelce led his team in receiving, and the Kansas City Chiefs hoisted the Lombardi Trophy once again, outlasting the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Sunday's championship.
But this Chiefs title may have been the most balanced team effort of any Super Bowl victory in the Mahomes-Andy Reid era. The first half was dominated by defense and special teams. The second half belonged to Mahomes and a near-flawless output from an otherwise overlooked receiving corps.
Who else deserves props for helping K.C. capture its third trophy in five years? Here are five unsung heroes:
RB Jerick McKinnon
Sidelined for close to two months with a groin injury, McKinnon was activated at the last minute, and while he managed just two touches against San Francisco, he made them count. His second one -- a first-down catch on third-and-2 near midfield -- helped set up the Chiefs' game-tying field goal in the waning minutes of regulation. Reid clearly trusted him as a safety valve on third downs, during which he also allowed physical starter Isiah Pacheco (72 total yards) to catch his breath in the backfield.
WR Rashee Rice
Kelce gets the headlines and Mecole Hardman scored the walk-off touchdown, but Rice also came up big precisely when it mattered most. His 13-yard first-down catch working against Charvarius Ward with 4:10 left in overtime kept momentum squarely in Kansas City's favor, allowing the Chiefs to milk the clock before their final score. He was also responsible for another positive gain on the game-winning drive, cementing himself as a reliable up-and-coming playmaker for Mahomes.
CB Trent McDuffie
The second-year cover man was well-regarded coming into the matchup, but he turned it up a notch working against a lethal receiving corps starring Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, who briefly appeared to be a strong Super Bowl MVP candidate. Early on, he broke up a potential deep-ball TD to Samuel in the end zone, and he finished with two other pass deflections, plus two QB hits, overcoming a late defensive holding penalty to keep San Francisco out of the end zone in overtime.
S Justin Reid
While the 49ers made Super Bowl LVIII a close contest, they never really took the top off the Chiefs defense, and Reid had a lot to do with it. A tone-setter whose physicality nearly provoked a few extracurricular scuffles, he finished second on K.C.'s defense with nine tackles, while also disrupting the pocket with a half-sack and hit on Brock Purdy. His steady hand as the last line of defense is one of the most underrated reasons for the Chiefs' back-to-back championships.
K Harrison Butker
Special teams dominated a good chunk of the game, but let's be honest: Kickers could always use more love. And Butker was literally perfect at his job against the 49ers, finishing 5-for-5 on kicks -- including 4-for-4 on field goals -- while easily connecting on a Super Bowl LVIII long of 57 yards. There was never a doubt from anyone on the Chiefs sidelines when he took the field, and for good reason: A year after enduring a career-low FG percentage, Butker was money for all of 2023, and in fact never missed a kick this postseason.
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