NFL fans saw the league's new postseason overtime rules in effect during Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.
When the game went to overtime, the league reminded X fans of the rules. Both teams have the opportunity to receive the ball at least once during overtime, unless the team taking the throw-in received a safety on the team's initial possession. If a team has more points than its opponent after the two possessions, it is declared the winner.
If the game is tied after two possessions or neither team scored on its first possession, then the game goes into sudden death.
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San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk walks off the field after Super Bowl LVIII, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Chiefs players said they had gone over a strategy in case the game went to overtime. Niners players admitted they didn't know the overtime rules. San Francisco won the toss and elected to receive the ball first.
“You know what? I didn't even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said after the game, via ESPN. “I guess 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 that, no.”
Niners defensive end Arik Armstead didn't know the rules either.
“I didn't even know about the new playoff overtime rule, so it was a surprise to me,” he said via ESPN. “I didn't even really know what was going on in terms of that.”
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San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead celebrates a hit on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Super Bowl LVIII, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Coach Kyle Shanahan suggested he had a strategy for overtime.
“If both teams tied and scored, we wanted to be the ones who had a chance to win it,” he said. “We made that field goal, so we were hoping to limit them to at least one field goal. If we made that field goal, we felt like it was in our hands afterward.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said they had a plan for overtime regardless of the coin toss.
Patrick Mahomes threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman to edge the 49ers, 25-22. He said the team had an overtime strategy.
Mahomes said Hardman was confused about whether he actually won the game.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates his overtime victory in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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“I threw a touchdown to this guy at the end of the game, and he looked at me and had no idea,” Mahomes told NFL Network. “I said, 'Dude, we just won the Super Bowl!' “He fainted, he had no idea. He didn't even celebrate at first.”
