Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs couldn't believe Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers' overtime decision in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
On the latest episode of the "New Heights" podcast, Kelce and his older brother, Jason, discussed Shanahan's choice, with the younger Kelce brother believing it gave the Chiefs an overtime advantage.
"You win the coin toss, that's what you get," Travis Kelce said. "You get the opportunity to have the advantage and they handed it right over to us. Not trying to harp on the guy, but it was a huge ...
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"They said we wanted to receive and the ref looked at Fred [Warner] and said 'Are you sure?' And he said 'Yes, I want to receive. I want the ball.' I jumped out of my seat and said 'Here we go, let's go boys. They want to receive? We get second possession and know exactly what they want. Defense, hold them. Hold them to three (points). We're going to go down here and win this thing, baby.' "
Tied at 19 points apiece at the end of regulation, Shanahan and San Francisco won the overtime coin toss, opting to receive the opening kick-off. Quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense marched down the field before the opening drive stalled out, resulting in a go-ahead field goal by rookie kicker Jake Moody which gave San Francisco a temporary 22-19 lead.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense had little trouble moving the ball on the ensuing possession and scored a game-winning 3-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining to cap off a 25-22 Kansas City victory.
San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan's decision to receive the opening kick-off has been met with plenty of criticism, a decision the 49ers coach still defends days after the Super Bowl.
On the Super Bowl edition of "Inside the NFL," Mahomes, Kelce and the Chiefs appeared to be pretty happy with Shanahan and the 49ers' decision in the moment.
"They want the ball! They wanted it!" Mahomes said running back to the sideline after the coin toss.
"We want them to have the ball! They wanted it, they can have it!" Kelce added.
Shanahan defends the decision, claiming it gave the 49ers an opportunity to possess the ball third and potentially win the game if the Chiefs ended up matching the 49ers' score on their ensuing drive.
Of course, the 49ers walked away with just a field goal, giving the Chiefs a chance to win the game with a touchdown, an opportunity they took advantage of, resulting in another heartbreaking Super Bowl loss for the 49ers.