Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl LVIII Transcript

Mahomes, Hardman, and everybody in a Kansas city uniform can celebrate another championship. This is a kingmaker game, and these guys are royalty. The reactions after this epic ended in Las Vegas.

There was no doubt, the guys were great. Defense played out of their mind. How about that D, baby? Our Defense played great, and then the O just kept persevering and pushing and pushing and pushing and did a great job. I’m so proud of the whole group. Special Teams jumped up in there and dominated right at the end there, it was beautiful.

Really, just the whole game was just our whole entire season. It was the Defense just keeping us in there, and then the Offense making plays when it counted. And then of course, Harrison Butker hit is from about 70. So, it was a microcosm of our whole season. I’m just proud of the guys, they kept believing. And I’m proud of the coaches for calling up those plays that got us some touchdowns there at the end. Just know that the Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs. Just know that.

They were three games in a row. They won them all on the field. How some of the key players in this game performed Patrick Mahomes. There were stretches in this game where it was quiet, but he put it well, “When push came to shove, they made the plays they had to make. An MVP performance from Number 15, who led the team in rushing yards to boot. Kelsey after just one catch for one yard in the first half, nearly 100 in the second half.

(01:27)
The man’s literally wiping the sweat from his eyes. You can see the dirt on the jersey, but the smile on the face is Travis Kelsey’s, once again, a world champion. Thank you for throwing the headset on. Let’s start with that beard. Are we going to trim that thing up? The Yeti was out of control this week, man.

Oh, you don’t want to see the Yeti. You don’t want it. I’ll tell you what, I might shave this thing, put it in a Ziploc bag, and hang it as a mural on the wall, baby. This one, it was worth it, and it shows the growth and the grind from the entire year.

I understand that’s what that was all about, and I want to start right there, Travis. You’ve had years where you’ve won these and it looks easy. I know it isn’t, but it appeared so. This felt different. The journey was different to get here, the struggles were seemingly many. How does that add to the satisfaction of it?

Man, it means everything. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys for the fight, the heart, rallying together when everybody was counting us out, when Vegas had the odds against us, we came into Vegas and beat them, baby. And it’s just, it’s a beautiful, beautiful scenario knowing that everything that this team’s been through, man. And man, I hope we can keep this team so we can do it all over again.

You and I have talked not on the air, but just about the idea of the appreciation of what it is you all get to do because this is rare, right? This doesn’t happen a lot. And I know you’re present in that and you understand that. And, you don’t get unlimited runway, any of us, to do the things we do. So given where you are in this journey, not just as a player, Travis, but in life, how does that add to your personal enjoyment of this?

Man, I stopped chasing stats a long, long time ago and started chasing legacy, and what my heart was at, and where I wanted to be as a professional man. And I couldn’t be more proud to just be a part of a team with these guys, and be a part of the greatness every single day and the drive every single day, man. This game is so beautiful when you do things the right way and you put in the grind, you put in the hard work, and you reap those rewards, man. It’s a beautiful, beautiful atmosphere and I just couldn’t be more proud of the guys. And even at this point in my career, man, winning makes you feel like a little kid all over again, baby.

I bet it does. And I can’t remember if it was on New Heights, your very successful podcast with your brother, or if it was in one of the media sessions this week where you were honest about wanting this maybe more than anything you’d ever wanted in your life. And, given that it’s still scoreless and it’s tense and there’s fumbles, was that what the emotion we saw out of you on the sideline there early? The Yeti was roaring. What was that all about?

Man, I was fired up, man. I was fired up and we weren’t hitting on all cylinders, and I had to give Big Red a love tap there and-

Is that what that was?

… and let him know that we were all here fighting for him no matter what.

Okay.

Yeah. You know what? I just had to tell him how much I love him real quick.

Okay. Okay.

And I put so much trust in him and how he goes about being a head coach, as a leader. He’s one of the best leaders in the game, man. And I can’t thank him enough for giving me opportunities year in, year out. And this third one, or this second one back-to-back, the third one overall, baby, this one’s for him, no doubt.

At some point, there’s so many layers in this and there’s so many things that happen, but in the end, it’s hard to ignore that 15 gets the ball and the guy just doesn’t lose a lot. You and I have talked a lot about that over this run. How do you frame what that man does when the ring is right there in front of you guys?

He’s the best football player we’ve ever seen, baby, and I’m so dang gone fortunate that he landed here in Kansas City while we were starting to build this beast of an organization, because he’s absolutely catapulted us into another stratosphere. And the best to ever do it, man. Crown him. What he’s done this year, what he’s done over the course of his career up to this point, nobody’s ever done. And I couldn’t be happier for him, and I love my guy, man.

All right, I’m going to close with this. You’re in a city that’s built to stay awake all night and keep it going until you guys decide you’re done. In general, where does the rest of this night go for you, Travis, you and your family and your people?

Oh. Follow your nose, baby. You’re going to find some fun out here, it’s going to be an absolute blast. The Vegas atmosphere was electric all week, man. I couldn’t thank the fans for both the Niner Gang and Chiefs Kingdom for showing up and every NFL fan out there, man. You guys made this so special for me, and I’m about to go-

Yes, sir.

… party my tail off.

Thank you so much.

(05:57)
Well, I appreciate you, man, and I thank you for taking a minute out of the celebration. Go get to it, and be well until our paths cross again, okay?

I owe this one to you, baby. I appreciate USVP for everything you do for sports, baby.

Right on. Be well. Enjoy the night. Man didn’t owe me a thing. Grateful that he would take the time. Kansas City solidifies its place among the all-time dynasties in this sport. The scariest part is how young the quarterback is. They’re the fourth franchise to win three in five seasons, joining New England who did it twice, Dallas and Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, it is a bitter pill for San Francisco to swallow on the losing end, again. Here’s Coach Shanahan on the emotion of this moment.

I don’t care how you lose when you lose Super Bowls, especially ones you think you can pull off, it hurts. But, I think, I don’t know, when you’re in the NFL, I think every team should hurt except for one at the end. We’ve gotten pretty damn close, but we haven’t pulled it off, and we’re hurting right now, but it doesn’t take away from how proud of our guys I am. I’m real proud of them today, too.

(07:06)
There’s not much to say. You let guys deal with it. You got to feel this, it’s not something that just words or anything makes it feel better. You sit there, and you deal with it, and you got to do that for a while. But, I’m so proud of Brock, how he shows up every week, how he plays. He had an unbelievable year, and he did a hell of a job today.

When you have a good offense like the Chiefs do and what Mahomes can do, for us, it’s like all right, we have to score touchdowns. And, we had opportunities to do so, I think. Shot ourselves in the foot with just penalties, and the operations and stuff. So, I got to be better, in terms of leading the guys and just I think how I handle things in the huddle and telling them what to expect, stuff like that. But yeah, at the end of the day, I think we have the team, the offense to score touchdowns, and I think I failed to put our team in position to do that.

Tim Hasselbeck. One last time, been with us all season long, now we get to talk about the most important game. Man, there’s so many things here. But it would try to narrow it down to the most important stuff from your perspective. There were stretches where Kansas City couldn’t do a ton offensively, but when they got it cooking, there was one play in particular that they leaned into. It was what?

I think they discovered something, and you showed it in the highlight. They hit the Niners with a zone read. So you have a zone run, and then you have a zone read, which means the quarterback could keep it, and then they had an arrow attached to it, where it basically turns into option football, and they’re reading Bosa. So this is in the middle of the third quarter. They do it, Bosa clamps down, and then Mahomes rips off this big run. Well remember that, because now we get much later in this football game, fourth and one in overtime. It’s a slightly different formation, but it’s the same thing, Scott. There’s the run, the quarterback can keep it, and then you’ve got Kelsey going into the flat.

Yep.

They’re reading Bosa. He’s going to squeeze down once again. So when you got to have it, put the ball in your best player’s hand, let him read one of their best players on the defensive side of the ball.

(09:04)
Now, the game winner, what do you think we’re going to get? We’re going to get a very similar look. You’re going to have a run, and then after this motion, there’s the flat and the quarterback’s got the ability to keep it. We’re going to read Bosa who’s coming off the edge. So in the most critical moment after running it in the third quarter, they do it again. This time they account for Mahomes as a runner, and Hardman’s there for the score. I just think it’s one of those situations, you mentioned not really getting things going offensively for much of the game. It’s kind of the brilliance of Andy Reid. Because you uncover something, and then you go back to it in a critical moment, go back to it again in a critical moment, you end up winning the football game.

Think about this from the Chief’s perspective. You lose Greenlaw, how does that change their ability on defense? He’s one of the more impactful players. Deebo was out for a little bit, George was out for a little bit, kittle was out. But I’m sure Chiefs would say we had guys banged up too. Again, there’s just so many layers. We don’t do nuance well in our business, and so Brock Purdy as a topic, I’m sure everybody will take their swings. At Stanford, Steven and I were talking watching this game, the guy left the field leading the last couple of times he had the football. In the end it wasn’t enough because they only got field goals. As you take inventory on his very first time on this stage, how would you frame what he did?

I thought his poise was remarkable. Thought he was a good decision maker and played with a calm about him the entire game. He led two game-leading drives in the fourth quarter, to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Then he did it again in overtime. In that stage, against that quarterback, with that type of pressure against the second leading defense in terms of scoring defense in the NFL this season, that’s remarkable. And so I think any question that you would have about, “Is he good enough to win a Super Bowl?” I know they didn’t win one. I guess here’s the nuance, they didn’t win one. There’s no question, he’s good enough to win one.

Demonstrated as much. Again, they led when he walked off the football field the last two times he touched it. But you settle for three and then Mahomes goes and ends it, and now Mahomes has three in five years, and he’s 28 years old. So, understanding that we aren’t great at nuance and we aren’t great at being reasonable, I’m opening ears to any unreasonable feeling you might have, because I don’t think anything. Literally, Tim, what could you say that’s unreasonable at this point? What do you say about what he’s doing?

What I thought was unreasonable was when, with somebody beating Brady’s record of winning six Super Bowls. There are some records, I think as quarterback records. Say, Brett Favre and the consecutive starts. The rules of the game have changed, where I just don’t think that’ll ever happen again.

Right.

When I see Brady get to six Super Bowls, I think, “There’s no shot that someone could ever catch that.” This guy’s not even 30 years old. He’s halfway there. So to me, I just feel like some of these records that maybe we thought wouldn’t be broken-

He’s seven, right? It’s seven for Brady because he got the one in Tampa. Got one in Tampa, just want to get the bookkeeping right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that’s what I mean.

So it’s even harder.

It’s even harder. But I’m sitting here thinking, “This guy’s not even 30 years old yet, and I think that he can accomplish it because look, he could play until he’s 40.: So I just, it’s maybe the best start to a football career that we’ve ever seen from somebody.

I don’t think maybe is the word. I think you could, again, there’s facts and opinions, and opinions get framed hopefully by facts. The facts of what he’s done already make what you say, “This trajectory is the only one there is like this.”

And I would say this too. Everyone kind of wants to run Andy off at 66 to say-

Why?

And he’s having fun. I don’t know why he would stop. And so the pairing of those two, I think we’re going to see a lot more of that for years to come.

There’s two ways you can go with it. You can either kick it off, or you can receive it. And I’m not sure there’s a right answer, necessarily. Ours ended up being the right one, but that easily could have gone the other way. But, that’s what we felt was the right thing to do. I’m never going to question Kyle because he’s brilliant. And so, that was just something that we chose and through our studies we felt was important.

What goes through your mind when they say they want this ball to start in overtime?

They’re crazy. They’re crazy. Yeah, yeah. Because the overtime rules, that’s changed where both teams get the ball no matter who score. So, originally you want to let the other team get the ball, stop them holding the three, so you know where you got. Or, if you stop them, they plenty, then all you have to do is kick three.

The important thing about what Kyle said is, “We wanted the ball third.” Meaning, if both teams scored a field goal or a touchdown, then it becomes sudden death. They could have won it, possessing it third. Speaking of third, this is the third Super Bowl Championship that Jones and Reid celebrate together. Jones has been with Kansas City his entire career. Quite a moment there.

(14:16)
Some different twists and turns in the story, but it ends the same with the Chief Super Bowl Champions. Ryan Clark joins us from Las Vegas. And Ryan, I want to start with the Defense, something on Monday Night Countdown and here, all year long we’ve talked about them, and it showed itself again. When push came to shove in some critical third downs, with San Francisco driving late in regulation and then in overtime Spags and that Defense dials up pressure, how significant was that in the outcome in the end?

That was huge, Scott. When you look at this game and the way it started, with the way Christian McCaffrey was moving the football up and down the field, you thought that this might be the day and the sort of game the San Francisco 49ers wanted to have. But as the game got tighter and Patrick Mahomes and that Offense was able to move the ball, we saw Steve Spagnola dial up the pressure, and none bigger than late in the game when they’re forcing Brock Purdy into a throwaway in the Red Zone. But you saw it throughout the second half. Trent McDuffie was amazing the entire day. We watched backers from the second level put pressure on Brock Purdy. And when the defensive line needed to step up, they did as well. Steve Spagnola once again showed us why he’s the best big-game Defensive Coordinator of our generation.

And Patrick Mahomes showed us why he’s the best athlete in the world. It’s absurd, man. You played this game. He does things that just can’t possibly be this easy, and the tool belt is unlimited. What tools in the end were the ones that helped separate him and this team?

If Patrick Mahomes was a superhero, he’d be Batman, because he has that dad bod, right? And he makes all the people at home feel like this isn’t that difficult. Because Batman was just a regular man who chose to be a vigilante, but he had a utility belt. And in that utility belt, he had all kinds of gidgets and gadgets that could get the job done. That’s what Patrick Mahomes has. If he needs to use his legs, like the two times on the last drive, he can do that. If he has to get out of the pocket and extend plays, he can do that. And early on in the game, we saw that he can roll to his left, throw back across his body to the right side of the field, and hit Mecole Hardman in stride. He is the best quarterback that has ever played this game. No, I’m not saying he’s reached Tom Brady yet, because Tom Brady has seven. But when you look at the start of Patrick Mahomes’ career, we can say we’ve never seen nothing like it, and it will not be hyperbole.

(16:39)
When the San Francisco 49ers didn’t get that ball in the end zone, we all knew it. You said it before we came on. Patrick Mahomes is inevitable. You have to go kill him, because if you don’t, you only get one chance and you better be like Iron Man and take it, because if he gets the ball back, you’re done.

Lights out, man, lights out. We’re done. This season’s done and at the end of this long season, I tip my cap. I always used to say to Stuart Scott, we laugh with each other. I’d say, “It’s easier to say, I got love for you than just to say what I want you to hear me say.” I love you like a brother. Ryan, you know that, and I thank you for the journey.

I love you too, family.

My man. Ryan Clark. Super Bowl LVIII ended with the ball in this man’s hand. Mecole Hardman joins me after he and the Chiefs win. Little kids, we do this right? Whether it’s basketball, 3, 2, 1 shots in the air, whatever you’re doing playing football, but this is the Super Bowl and you win it with your catch. What happens in your brain and in your soul when that moment becomes real?

Hey, man. I literally blacked out, man. I ran the play, and when I caught the football, I blacked out and I seen Pat running towards me I’m like, “Oh yeah, we just won it.” And it came reality and a feeling that’s so indescribable.

It kind of looked like that. When you’re holding the ball up in your brain, you’re trying to process, “Wait. Did we win?” I get that the rules are wild, but very quickly it’s obvious that the confetti’s falling, and then what’s the experience like at that point?

Oh, it’s indescribable. It’s a great feeling. Winning this game, the Super Bowl. It’s celebrating with your teammates, it don’t get no better than that. And just to do it in that fashion, overtime coming back down I think what, 10 points I believe and winning in this fashion, it don’t get no better.

And for you personally, every man on that team has his own journey to this moment, but yours, as we know, you were there, and then you weren’t there to start, and now you end there. When you reflect on all that, your year was, your personal journey, what’s the most satisfying page in the story?

Just Kansas City welcomed me back and actually traded for me. It was a lot of ups and downs in the beginning with the Jets, and now that Kansas City, Veach coming back and get me, I couldn’t appreciate it more. And Chief’s Kingdom welcomed me back with open arms. It still has some up and downs, but just the end this way, I don’t think I wanted it any other way.

The story from the outside looking in, we see the challenges, the struggles at times, but the group has done it. You all have done this before and now you’ve done it again. Could you explain to us the level of belief that existed within your locker room about what you might be able to do throughout these playoffs?

Our confidence was through the roof. We had the belief that we can beat any team. We went to Buffalo, beat Buffalo, went to Baltimore, beat Baltimore. It’s like, “What else do y’all want to see from us to tell you that we actually can win the whole thing?” and I believe everybody just down on us making us underdog, they just added fuel to the fire. So, our confidence, I believe we knew we could do exactly what we wanted to do as long as we came together as a team and do the right things.

How much of that confidence is borne out of the fact that you’ve got 15 under center, and when push comes to shove, he mostly just does not lose?

Hey, man. Pat is one of the ones, man, especially in a situation like this. He done done it time and time again, and I guess I don’t know how many times he got to prove to y’all that he’s that guy. And whenever we get to a crunch situation like this, we all looking at Pat and his decision-making. So whatever he want to do, we good with it because he done proved himself day in, day out. And we looked at him as a leader, and we trust him whatever he want to do, and we’re going to go from there.

I don’t feel like people doubt it. I’ll own this myself, Mecole. I just said, “I just want to see the guy go on the road at some point.” Don’t make faces at me like I thought your guy wasn’t great. I just wanted to see you guys go on the road at some point Because I think the best in any sport at some point need to look adversity in the eye and then stare it down. You guys clearly did that. But I don’t feel like anyone was acting like he was anything other than who he is. Is that fair?

I don’t know. Maybe not you, but it’s definitely the people that was like, “He never played on these road games, and can he do this and do that?” It’s like, man, I don’t know how many times he got to prove it to y’all, but luckily we went on two road games this year with Baltimore, I mean the Bills and Baltimore, so hopefully that narrative kind of slow down a little bit now.

Well hey, listen. I’ll be honest. I know how the receipts work. I picked San Francisco and I said, I’m going to feel like a dummy when they lose because of 15 and here I am, talking to you, and you caught the touchdown that ended it. Congratulations, it’s every kid’s dream and it’s your reality. So enjoy this night, and congratulations on the ring, all right?

Yes, sir. I appreciate you so much, thank you.

Thank you. So after this victory, Mahomes declared the Chiefs are never underdogs, and he’s got a fair point, doesn’t make a lot of sense to make them that. Never lost as a playoff underdog in his tenure. Three of those postseason games came in a row, this postseason twice in the Super Bowl, three point victories for KC in each of them.

(22:00)
We welcome Lewis Riddick to the program from Las Vegas with the Chiefs, our Champions once again. I want to get to the role Patrick Mahomes plays in this, which is what you kind of forecast way back when it all got started. But I have a question about a specific layer to this game that I think might get lost. This Niners Defense is doing a great job. They’re bottling up the Chiefs, they’ve got the lead, they get a pick to start the second half, don’t do anything with it. A great punt, get the ball back, don’t do anything with it. How critical was that stretch of time, where they had a chance to perhaps create a lead that might’ve been insurmountable, and didn’t?

It’s very significant. It’s kind of like one of the underlying themes of the game. All most people will remember is the fact that in the end, Patrick Mahomes makes a great play after a drive where he converts on a fourth and one, and he’s sitting in the gun and he runs for it. But the fact of the matter is the Chiefs Defense really stiffened up, Scott, in the Red Zone in particular. I think about the overtime possession where Chris Jones alters Brock Purdy’s throwing lane, and he isn’t able to maybe complete a pass that may have been a touchdown in the End Zone that may have forced this game into a double overtime type of situation. And it was the Chiefs Defense time and time again, especially in the Red area, where these guys really tightened down and battened down the hatches. And when it got to third down in the Red area in particular, that’s where Steve Spagnola really went to work.

(23:24)
Every time up here in the booth we said, “Look, here’s the time where pressure is coming. They are going to absolutely force Brock Purdy to speed up his process and make a perfect play.” And look, he made some great plays in this football game, but he wasn’t able to make the perfect play at the perfect time against some of the pressures that they dialed up. And you have to tip your cap to Kansas City’s Defense because you know what? It’s been that way all season long. They hold down the fort, hold down the fort, hold down the fort, long enough for Patrick to figure out along with the rest of the Offense, how we can make enough plays to win football games in critical moments.

You and I had a real fun talk the other day, off-air in Las Vegas about us in media, and our inability at time to find the nuance. It’s just the thing that’s the headline that screams the loudest. But when Patrick Mahomes goes down the field and does what he does in this case, the guy you dubbed the Maserati early on, I’m willing to listen to any and all that anyone has to say about him. What’s fair, what’s reasonable, Lewis, to say about Patrick Mahomes already in his career?

Well, I’m going to correct you. I called him the Ferrari. I called somebody else the Maserati.

Ferrari, Maserati, I get it confused.

No, no, no. But you know what? It didn’t work out with the other guy, so I’m not even going to mention that. But I’ll tell you this. What stands out to me about him, is when you talk about force multipliers. When you talk about guys who tangibly affect the performance of other players: the level of accountability, the level of preparation, their level of attention to detail in critical moments. And the way that they affect it is, they don’t want to be the guy to mess up or let down the guy who they know is going to come through in those critical moments. We talk about those kinds of leaders all the time. We talk about those kinds of players that ideally that’s who we’re looking for. Ideally, almost like it’s some kind of mythological creature that doesn’t really exist.

(25:11)
Well, now it exists. It truly exists right now, and we just saw it again tonight in Patrick Mahomes. I guess I would crystallize it and really kind of sum it up by saying this. He has such an effect on this organization, not just on the football field, but off the football field in the way that they prepare, the way they scout, the way they practice, the way they play games, the way they win Super Bowls, that he is an absolute bargain to the Kansas City Chiefs at half a billion dollars. There is nobody probably in the history of the game I’d I count on more than him, because of his combination of physical ability, and mental ability, and ability to get everyone else to raise their game. It’s unbelievable to watch.

Just to finish up that conversation you and I had in Vegas, you know what he is? He’s all cake, all substance, doesn’t need any icing. It’s all cake-

There you go.

… with Number 15. Lewis-

There you go.

… always appreciate the time in conversation, whether it’ off-air, or even better yet here for our viewers on-air. Be well until our paths cross, okay?

You bet. Thanks, Scott.