The biggest play of the Super Bowl came down to a narrow review that ruled a Chiefs running back broke the end zone plane before stepping out of bounds
- The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20, in Super Bowl 2020.
- Running back Damien Williams scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:44 left, extending the ball over the goal line as he ran out of bounds.
- The play was reviewed and showed that he may have had his toe out of bounds as the ball broke the plane in the end zone, but ultimately, there wasn't enough to overturn the call.
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The Kansas City Chiefs' game-winning touchdown over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 2020 was as narrow as they come.
Trailing the 49ers, 20-17, with under three minutes remaining, from 3rd-and-goal, Patrick Mahomes tossed a short pass to the right to running back Damien Williams. Williams took it to the end zone, reaching the ball over the goal line as he ran out of bounds, avoiding contract with oncoming Niners defenders.
What initially looked like an easy touchdown revealed itself to be extremely close to coming up short upon replay.
As Williams extended his arms to reach over the goal line, his left foot stepped out of bounds.
Here's the play:
The referees reviewed the play to see whether Williams had stepped out of bounds before the ball broke the plane.
It was about as close a call as could be made:
As NFL rules expert Mike Pereira said on the broadcast, the play was likely too close for the referees to overrule the touchdown. Ultimately, the referees agreed, giving the Chiefs the go-ahead score.
The NFL world agreed with the refs while also noting that it may have been too close to definitively know.
The Chiefs took a 24-20 lead, then came up with a crucial stop on defense to get the ball back, and seal the win with a 38-yard run from Williams to boost the Chiefs' lead to 31-20.
Still, the contingent of football fans who want better technology, like a chip in the ball, to better determine where the ball lands won't be quieted after Super Bowl 2020.
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