2023 NFL Season Part 4: Super Bowl LVIII Quiz

Answer: Chiefs 17-10

The AFC Championship Game was hosted by the Baltimore Ravens for the first time in their franchise history and the first such game not hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs since 2017 as it was also the sixth straight AFC Championship Game appearance for the Chiefs.

The Ravens could only punt on their initial drive but the Chiefs got onto the scoreboard straight away with a 'traditional' opening drive TD with a 12-play 81-yard effort as Mahomes passed deep right to Kelce for a 19-yard touchdown. Baltimore responded with a TD of their own (Jackson pass deep right to Flowers for 30 yards) to close out the first quarter. 17-7 at the half.

The Chiefs scored a touchdown again on the opening drive of the second quarter and apart from a field goal to close out the second quarter did not score again for the entire match. But it was enough. While the Ravens' defence did not concede another point, the Chiefs' defence rattled the normally smooth workings of Lamar Jackson and his crew. The Ravens managed a field goal late in the final quarter to make it a one-score game. but with 2:34 left on the clock Kansas City held onto the ball for nine plays to close out the match 17-10.
It was the fourth AFC Championship by the Chiefs in five years.

Answer: Almost halfway through the last quarter

The Lions had a roaring start to the match with two converted touchdowns in the first quarter. The 49ers pulled one back early in the second quarter but on their second drive of the quarter, the Lions scored from an interception making it 21-7 at the long break. San Francisco had never conceded 21 points in the first half in any game in 2023. An upset was on the cards.

This was a game of two halves. Whilst Detroit dominated the first half, the 49ers went up a gear in the third quarter and up another in the last. In the third, the 49ers scored two TDs and a field goal to the Detroit no score to make it tied at 24 at the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, the 49ers' first two possessions yielded a field goal and then a touchdown. Detroit was able to score a touchdown late in the quarter but they were one score short and lost 34-31.

Answer: False

Using their prior seasons as a benchmark, the Kansas City Chiefs' 11-6 regular season result was below par for them. (The Bills and Dolphins also went 11-6 in the AFC). It was the Baltimore Ravens that set the AFC standard going 13-4 for the number one seed. Buffalo finished second, ahead of Kansas City based on their head-to-head victory (20-17 at Arrowhead - Week 14), forcing the Chiefs down to third seed.

In the NFC, no team did better than the 12-5 by the 49ers but Dallas and Detroit matched them. San Francisco (10-2) finished ahead of Dallas (9-3) and Detroit (8-4) based on conference record. This allowed the 49ers to take the number one seed in the NFC.

So the Super Bowl was played between the number one seed from the NFC (NFC West champion) and the number three seed from the AFC (AFC West champion).

Answer: Lamar Jackson

The NFL Most Valuable Player Award is determined by fifty sports writers from the Associated Press. It is considered the de facto NFL Most Valuable Player Award. It covers the regular season but results are not announced publicly until the week before the Super Bowl. In 2023 it was won by Lamar Jackson, quarterback for the Ravens. This was his second MVP win. Starting in the 2023 season, AP voters filled out a ranked MVP ballot of five players. Jackson received 49 first-place votes and one third-place vote. This gave him a total of 493 out of 500 potential points. (In 2019, his first win, it was a unanimous vote).

The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award winner for 2023 was Christian McCaffrey (49ers) and Myles Garret (Browns) was the Associated Press NFL Defence Player of the Year.

Answer: 0

Allegiant Stadium is a domed stadium which opened in 2020. The NFL Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Rebels college football teams play there. The stadium was built because the Oakland Raiders stadium was considered unsuitable and they had been trying to build a stadium there since 1980 without success. A relocation to Nevada was possible but a new stadium was required.

The result was the Allegiant Stadium, which was the second most expensive stadium ever built when opened. The relocation of the Raiders to Las Vegas was the first time that Nevada had an NFL team. The state now had an NFL standard stadium, hence Super Bowl LVIII was the first SB held in Nevada.

Answer: No, they punted

The first quarter was a dour affair with each side holding the ball twice with the 49ers fumbling on their opening drive and punting on their second. The Chiefs punted twice to yield a scoreless first quarter. Both sides produced exceptional defensive efforts but it wasn't a pretty quarter to watch.

Answer: 10

The 49ers held the ball last in the first quarter and did not have to travel far to pot a field goal early in the second quarter. More good defence saw fumble-punt-punt before McCaffrey scored a 21-yard 9-play touchdown off a trick play. The Chiefs scored their first points of the game with a field goal just before half-time making it a one-score game 10-3.

At this stage, Kelce had one reception for 1 yard gain. Taylor Swift had more TV coverage than her boyfriend at this point.

Answer: From a recovered SF fumble, Mahomes threw deep right to M.Valdes-Scantling for 16 yards

The Chiefs saw their opening drive of the third quarter fumbled. The two teams then traded punts until Butker kicked a 57-yard field goal (a Super Bowl record) for the Chiefs halfway through the quarter. Another punt to each team followed, but the 49ers made a crucial mistake receiving a punt: Luter dropped the catch, which was touched at the SF 19-yard line, and recovered by the Chiefs' Watson at the SF 16-yard line. From there it took only two plays for Mahomes to throw to Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard TD.

The Chiefs led for the first time at the end of the quarter 13-10.

Answer: The extra point was no good

There were four drives in the quarter - all resulted in scores - a bit different to the first half. San Francisco scored a touchdown from their opening drive of the last quarter (Purdy passed short right to Jennings for 10 yards) but crucially, Moody missed the point after touchdown. (It was costly!) 49ers 16-13.

The Chiefs then scored a field goal to tie the score again. On their next drive, the 49ers kicked a field goal only to be matched by KC on their next drive. Tied at 19 at the end of regulation time, the Super Bowl went into overtime for only the second time (the first was SB LI in Feb. 2017).

Answer: Touchdown - pass short right to Hardman for 3 yards

In overtime, the 49ers took 17 plays to kick a field goal after 7 minutes 38 seconds. The Chiefs were patient and took 7.19 to get to first and goal with six seconds left. Most QBs would not have taken the risk and kicked a field goal just to keep them in the game. However, if both teams score on their opening drive, then the game becomes the next score wins and the 49ers would receive. So Mahomes chose to not rush (the least risky option after the field goal), but pass. So Mahomes passed Hardman deep right who scored, winning the game for the Chiefs 25-22 in overtime.

That pass was such a risky move but Mahomes backed himself and his team and so the Chiefs won with three seconds on the clock. It was probably that play that earned Mahomes the Super Bowl MVP. The Chiefs had won their third Super Bowl in five years.

You have to feel for Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers coach. This was the second Super Bowl that went to overtime. In the first, Super Bowl LI, the Patriots came from 28-3 down to win it 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. In that game, Kyle Shanahan was the Falcons offensive coordinator and the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.