5 key takeaways from Super Bowl LIV

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the weekend's action and examines the significance of those events moving forward.

It's Patrick Mahomes' world now

Patrick Mahomes picked a bad night to not perform well for three quarters in what was shaping up as the first poor game of his young career.

He picked the perfect time to lead a fourth-quarter comeback for the ages, capping the first chapter of what could one day be the greatest story in football.

Hyperbole? Maybe. But Mahomes is capable of blowing away even the loftiest projections for what he might accomplish.

No quarterback has ever possessed his combination of arm strength, passing touch, mobility, unflappability, and utter audacity. But raw skills only take a passer so far, and Mahomes' ability to harness his rare talents in the biggest moments makes him special.

It showed up late, but his greatness was on display Sunday.

For the first three quarters, Mahomes missed easy throws, and he tossed the first and second interceptions of his postseason career. Faced with a relentless 49ers pass rush, for a moment it looked like Mahomes was starting to see ghosts.

And then suddenly none of that mattered, even while trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter and facing third-and-15.

With nothing going his way, Mahomes opened up and did what he does better than anyone on the planet, launching a pinpoint deep pass to Tyreek Hill. Moments later, the Chiefs scored to draw within three points, and they never looked back.

Mahomes is only just getting started, and he's now the youngest player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, and be named a Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP.

Reid cements place in Canton

In a fair world, Andy Reid shouldn't have needed to win a Super Bowl to be recognized as one of the best coaches in NFL history and earn a gold jacket. But much like quarterbacks, head coaches need to win the big one to make it into the Hall of Fame. Only Marv Levy and Bud Grant have made it to Canton without securing a Lombardi Trophy.

Prior to Sunday's game, Reid's 207 career wins ranked seventh all time. The six men ahead of him - Don Shula, George Halas, Bill Belichick, Tom Landry, Curly Lambeau, and Paul Brown - combined to win 29 NFL championships.

But with a dramatic comeback win in Super Bowl LIV, Reid finally captured his elusive first title, shedding the label of being the man who could come close to winning it all without getting over the finish line.

The outpouring of love for Reid after the Chiefs clinched their victory highlights the level of respect and admiration the 61-year-old draws around the league. Even his former team celebrated Reid finally getting over the hump.

It was a long road for Big Red. With 21 seasons under his belt, no one has ever coached longer before winning their first Super Bowl. But considering Kansas City's talent, and the phenom under center, Reid's wait for his second title could be far shorter.

Don't overlook Chris Jones' big plays

The San Francisco 49ers' pass rush drew the attention for much of the Super Bowl, as the Niners recorded four sacks and eight quarterback hits on Mahomes.

But Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones' performance deserves plaudits. His stat line doesn't jump off the page, but he arguably impacted the game more than his 49ers counterparts, batting down three passes while also destroying Jimmy Garoppolo's pocket from up the middle.

It was Jones who got to Garoppolo first and forced him to reload on his first-quarter interception. It was Jones who knocked down a pass with five minutes left after the Chiefs had cut their deficit to 20-17, forcing an important third-and-5 that the Niners wouldn't convert. And it was Jones who batted down a Garoppolo throw with San Francisco at the 50-yard line and trailing 24-20 with 1:49 left in the game.

Garoppolo missed his next two throws and was sacked on fourth down, essentially ending the contest. Jones wasn't going to win Super Bowl MVP with those plays, but it's fair to question whether the Chiefs would have won the Super Bowl without them.

Shanahan got conservative and it cost the 49ers

As offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI, Kyle Shanahan kept calling pass plays when he should've called runs. His excessive aggression and the clock stoppages that resulted helped fuel the New England Patriots' legendary 25-point comeback.

In Super Bowl LIV, Shanahan went in the opposite direction, getting overly conservative before halftime and costing San Francisco a chance to break a 10-10 tie.

With less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter and the Chiefs lining up to punt, Shanahan refused to call his first of three timeouts, allowing 40-plus seconds to tick off the clock. Upstairs, 49ers general manager John Lynch was signaling for a timeout, realizing a golden opportunity for points was being wasted. San Francisco got the ball back with 59 seconds left, then Shanahan called back-to-back running plays.

On third down, the Niners broke off a chunk play. But there were only 14 seconds left when they called a timeout, and that wasn't enough time to get into the end zone or advance to field-goal range. The wasted opportunity was particularly confusing after San Francisco had driven the field for a touchdown on its previous possession.

Near the end of the game, San Francisco trailed by four and needed a long drive. They advanced one yard past midfield but didn't get further. Scoring more points at the end of the first half sure would have come in handy. The 49ers didn't get those points, or a Super Bowl victory, leaving Shanahan heartbroken on the biggest stage for the second time in his young career.

49ers' future remains bright

It's going to be tough for the 49ers, and their fans, to take any positives away from such a crushing defeat. Winning the Lombardi Trophy is all that really matters, but there's still so much for San Francisco to be excited about looking ahead.

Top rookies Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel played a big role in getting the 49ers to the Super Bowl and putting the team in position to win on Sunday. There probably weren't any players on either team who had been playing at a higher level when the NFC champs were sitting on a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Bosa, the runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year winner, is already one of the NFL's premier pass-rushers. He showed that throughout the Super Bowl, beating Chiefs linemen like a 10-year veteran while helping to limit a big-play passing attack. Samuel, meanwhile, has quickly become the 49ers' best playmaking receiver, and the club's clear effort to get the ball in his hands as much as possible is a testament to just how dangerous he is after the catch.

It wasn't enough this time, but there's a ton of talent on this young 49ers roster, and the team will only improve if John Lynch and his staff can keep repeating their draft success.

And don't forget, San Francisco was 4-12 just one year ago. There's still so much room for the 49ers to grow, and something tells us they'll be back here sooner than later.