The matchup for the 2024 Super Bowl is set, with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on the San Francisco 49ers. 

Super Bowl LVIII will be broadcast live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on CBS and Nickelodeon and streaming on Paramount+. 

According to CBS news

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to make their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, marking their fourth trip to the NFL championship game in the last five years, following a 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship.

The game, held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, showcased a thrilling showdown between two of the league’s top quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Lamar Jackson of the Ravens. The action started quickly after the Ravens’ initial possession ended without gaining a first down, suggesting an intense game was ahead.

Following that, both teams successfully scored touchdowns on their subsequent drives. The Chiefs orchestrated an impressive 10-play, 86-yard drive that concluded with a touchdown catch by their standout tight end, Travis Kelce—a moment witnessed by none other than Taylor Swift in the audience. The Ravens countered swiftly, with Jackson connecting a 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavian Flowers in a brief 6-play drive, evening the score in just over two minutes.

The Kansas City Chiefs skillfully executed a 16-play touchdown drive that consumed nine minutes of the second quarter, culminating in a two-yard touchdown run by Isiah Pacheco. This put the Chiefs ahead 17-7, marking the last touchdown by either team in the game.

The remainder of the contest was characterized by robust defense and squandered chances. The Ravens’ subsequent drive concluded with a strip sack of Lamar Jackson, which the Chiefs recovered at the Ravens’ 33-yard line. However, despite the advantageous field position, Kansas City failed to score after not succeeding on a fourth-and-one attempt.

Following this, both teams alternated punting on their next few possessions, until the Chiefs ended the half with a 56-yard field goal.

The second half saw two critical turnovers by the Ravens that significantly impacted their chances. The first occurred at the start of the fourth quarter when Flowers lost control of the ball just shy of a touchdown, leading to a Chiefs recovery in the endzone for a touchback.

The Ravens’ following drive was cut short when a pass from Jackson to Isaiah Likely was intercepted in the endzone on a second-and-ten play from the Chiefs’ 25-yard line.

Despite these setbacks for the Ravens, the Chiefs’ offense also struggled to add to their score in the second half.

The game’s final points came with just 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter when Justin Tucker nailed a 43-yard field goal, reducing the Chiefs’ lead to seven. However, the Ravens couldn’t regain possession as the Chiefs managed to maintain control with a crucial 32-yard pass from Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a third-and-nine, securing a new set of downs as the game approached the two-minute warning.

With no timeouts left, the Ravens were unable to halt the clock, allowing the Chiefs to run out the time with a series of kneel-downs, sealing their victory.

The San Francisco 49ers handed the Detroit Lions a heartbreaking 34-31 defeat in the NFC Championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir among the spectators.

The Lions initially took a commanding 24-7 lead by halftime, positioning themselves for a potential first-ever Super Bowl appearance. However, the 49ers mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half.

San Francisco narrowed the gap with a field goal on their first possession of the third quarter, turning the game into a two-score contest. Then, an extraordinary play occurred when Brandon Aiyuk caught a deep pass that ricocheted off a defender’s helmet, giving the 49ers a golden opportunity at the five-yard line. This momentum shift led to the 49ers scoring 27 consecutive points, capped by a three-yard touchdown run from Elijah Mitchell, putting them ahead 34-24 with just over three minutes left in the game.

Source : cbsnews.com