Super Bowl 2024: Updates as 49ers take on Chiefs

LAS VEGAS — Super Bowl 58 has kicked off off in Las Vegas, with the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in one of the biggest sporting events of the year. 

Here are the latest updates. Check back frequently for the latest from the game. 

The Chiefs are on the board with a 28-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with 20 seconds left before halftime.

The 49ers have done a nice job on Travis Kelce so far — even in the red zone, where he and the Chiefs are often so effective.

Kelce only has one catch for 1 yard on the day. On that last third down from the San Francisco 9, he lined up in the slot and was covered by safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Kelce appeared to swing an arm in frustration when Patrick Mahomes was taken down before being able to throw.

The San Francisco 49ers got tricky for the first touchdown of the Super Bowl.

Coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a rare trick play that led to a TD pass from receiver Jauan Jennings to running back Christian McCaffrey.

Brock Purdy started the play with a lateral to the left side to Jennings, who immediately threw it back to the other side to McCaffrey, who had a convoy of blockers and ran in for a 21-yard TD to put San Francisco up 10-0.

McCaffrey has tied an NFL record with his seventh straight playoff game with at least 50 yards from scrimmage and a TD.

San Francisco has moved to a 7 1/2-point favorite on FanDuel’s live line after the spread was a good bit closer at the start of the game.

Taylor Swift chugs a drink, draws big applause

There has been plenty of Taylor Swift on the big screens of Allegiant Stadium, and during the last timeout, cameras caught her in a race to chug what appeared to be a beer in her suite.

Swift was the first to finish, and she triumphantly slammed the cup down as the video cut away to other fans. But not before an appreciative roar rippled through the stadium.

If only the Chiefs were able to move the ball as successfully as she downed her drink. Their offense has gone nowhere in the first half of their Super Bowl showdown with the 49ers.

‘Bennifer’ is back for Super Bowl ad

“Bennifer” has teamed up with Dunkin for a second Super Bowl in a row.

In an ad for the Massachusetts-based chain, Ben Affleck enlists Matt Damon, Tom Brady and more to visit Jennifer Lopez at work and give a “DunKings” performance full of Boston pride. Rappers Jack Harlow and Fat Joe also make an appearance in the celebrity-filled commercial.

49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was carted to the locker room midway through the second quarter after injuring his left Achilles tendon in a bizarre moment.

He began to sprint onto the field for the start of a defensive possession when he stumbled, fell and needed medical attention.

Greenlaw already had made an impact in this game with three tackles when he went out.

Travis Kelce bumped into coach Andy Reid and yelled at him after teammate Isiah Pacheco’s red-zone fumble in the second quarter. Frustration is clearly building for KC, which still trails 3-0.

For all the talk of stars Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Travis Kelce, it’s defenses that have had the edge early in the Super Bowl. The teams have combined for one score on the first six drives.

Kansas City looked to be on the verge of a breakthrough when Mahomes connected on a 53-yard pass to Mecole Hardman to get the Chiefs to the 9. But Isiah Pacheco lost a fumble on the next play with Javon Hargrave recovering.

Kansas City had gained only 16 yards in the first quarter and now has gone nine straight possessions in the postseason without a point, dating to the AFC title game.

San Francisco has had its own issues with McCaffrey losing a fumble on the opening drive and Trent Williams committing two penalties to stall the second possession.

Jake Moody made a Super Bowl-record 55-yard field goal just 12 seconds into the second quarter to put the San Francisco 49ers on top 3-0.

Buffalo’s Steve Christie held the record with a 54-yarder against Dallas in Super Bowl 28.

This could be a confidence booster for Moody, who missed field goals in the past two playoff games.

49ers getting in their own way

The 49ers are their own worst enemies midway through the first quarter. Christian McCaffrey fumbled on their first drive, and then San Francisco lost yardage on three consecutive plays — two penalties and a run by Deebo Samuel.

Then as the 49ers were about to punt, they were penalized another 5 yards because of a false start.

That kept the game scoreless even though the Niners have outgained the Kansas City Chiefs 84-6 in yardage.

49ers’ strong opening drive spoiled by McCaffrey fumble

San Francisco opened the game with an impressive drive but wasted the opportunity to score when Christian McCaffrey fumbled at Kansas City’s 27-yard line.

Leo Chenal knocked the ball out of McCaffrey’s hands, and fellow Chief George Karlaftis recovered.

The Chiefs had a turnover ratio of minus-11 in the regular season, among the NFL’s worst.

This is the fourth time since 2000 that the game’s opening drive ended in a turnover.

The Chiefs didn’t do anything with the turnover, going three-and-out. That ended a streak of eight straight playoff games in which Kansas City scored on its opening possession, an NFL record.

A huge roar went up when Kansas City won the toss. Either Chiefs fans felt that was unusually crucial in this game — or a lot of people had bet on heads.

KC deferred its choice to the second half, meaning the 49ers get the ball first.

Reba sails through national anthem

Reba McEntire made quick but majestic work of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The “Queen of Country” sang the national anthem moments before kickoff, backed by a recorded track of a country band with a horn section. Flag-bearing service members stood behind her, a huge U.S. flag covered most of the field, and military jets flew over Allegiant Stadium as she sang.

She got through the song in about 1 minute 40 seconds. That’s a good 10 seconds longer than the over-under from oddsmakers, but still the quickest version of the anthem at the Super Bowl since Kelly Clarkson sang it 12 years ago.

Post Malone offers twang-y take on “America the Beautiful”

Grammy-nominated musician Post Malone sang “America the Beautiful,” bringing his unique vocal tone — most frequently paired with his idiosyncratic approach to pop-rock-rap — to the Super Bowl.

Wearing a bolo tie and playing acoustic guitar, Malone’s take on the song was twang-y, his Texas roots taking a front seat. Mid-song, cameras cut to Taylor Swift and Blake Lively holding each other and enjoying the performance. Earlier this week, Malone’s breakout hit, “Sunflower,” with Swae Lee — released for the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack — was named the first-ever double-diamond single in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) history.

Andra Day lifts voice with gospel choir

Andra Day gave a stirring, gospel-flavored rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song that has become known as the Black national Anthem, before kickoff.

Day, wearing a gray suit, was backed by a choreographed choir. Day told the AP during the week that she planned to calm her nerves with pregame prayers.

Hers was the first of three anthemic performances. After the teams take the field, Post Malone will perform “America the Beautiful” and Reba McEntire will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The game is set to be a rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago in Miami. In the 2020 match, the Chiefs took home the game 31-20. 

Gates to Allegiant Stadium opened just after 11 a.m. local time, unleashing a flood of fans in red.

Among those entering the stadium: the queen of country. 

Reba McEntire walked into Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl about 3 1/2 hours before kickoff Sunday. She was wearing a puffy, gray faux fur coat and holding hands with her partner, Rex Linn.

McEntire is due to perform the national anthem before kickoff. She will have a lot to live up to after Chris Stapleton’s performance last year in Arizona received high praise.

Taylor Swift finished her epic trek from the Tokyo Dome to Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl. Blake Lively, Ice Spice and a few others joined as the pop star, wearing a black dress with a red jacket slung over her shoulder, entered the stadium.

Super Bowl LVIII (which stands for Super Bowl 58) kicks off Feb. 11 at approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (5:30 p.m. Central Time, 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time and 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time)  

Betting markets are split on the likely winner of Super Bowl LVIII, with professional betters favoring the 49ers and casual gamblers heavily in favor of the Chiefs. 

R&B icon Usher will headline the Apple Music Halftime Show this year, performing for more than 100 million viewers during one of the most-watched television events of the year. 

The halftime show itself is one of the biggest musical events in the world, with about 1 out of every 3 Americans tuning in. 

Usher will be performing in celebration of the 30th anniversary of his debut, self-titled album in 1994. “Usher” put the singer on the charts with hits like “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Pop Ya Collar.” 

Players on the winning team in Super Bowl 58 will get $164,000 each. Players on the losing team will get $89,000. That’s $7,000 more than last year’s Super Bowl bonus. 

In the first Super Bowl back in 1967, players on the winning team received $15,000 and the losing team got $7,500. Technically the winning prize has increased 993% but that doesn’t account for inflation. 

That $15,000 prize in 1967 would have the same buying power as nearly $140,000 today, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.