🏈🏈🏈🏈
San Francisco 49ers
vs.
Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 20
The Kansas City Chiefs ended a championship drought that had lasted half a century last night, as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
It required some last minute heroics, and one of the best fourth quarter comebacks in Super Bowl history, however.
Well, I think that many of us, if not even most of us, figured that there would be a good chance that the Chiefs would fall behind in this one, with an offense that looked suspiciously unlike the offense that they had shown all season long. Perhaps they might even fall seriously behind, like they did against Houston in the divisional round. Then, they would then rally back to life with an offense that seemed suddenly unstoppable.
But they waited a long, long time before suddenly coming back to life in this one. They waited so long, that it began to feel like this was just not going to be their day. After all, only one team this entire season had held them to comparable points throughout the course of a game, and that was the Indianapolis Colts, way back in early October. That Colts team handed KC their first loss of the season, using a physical, ball control style offense that mostly relied on strong running, and a physical defense that seemed to make the Chiefs offense uncomfortable.
Was this kind of a replay of that game? As I watched, I could not help but ask myself (and my son, who is not that big of a football fan) whether this was a case of the Chiefs looking this lousy, or the 49ers defense just really being that good?
Yes, because in this game, Kansas City really flirted with disaster. When yet another Chiefs drive ended with that interception after the ball went through the hands of Tyreek Hill and right into the hands of a Tavarius Moore, a 49er defender, it just seemed to be yet one more serious opportunity was squandered. KC had put together a nice drive that showed promise and could get them back in it. The Chiefs needed just six yards to keep the drive alive, but it looked promising, especially after Mahomes had scrambled for 13 yards on the previous play to make a second and forever look a lot more manageable on third and six. Then, the interception. In typical fashion these days, the defense of the 49ers ran to the nearby end zone and posed for the cameras. They were celebrating like they had just clinched the Super Bowl win, and indeed, it looked like they had.
To that point, the Niners had been absolutely dominating. They had overcome a deficit of 10-3 themselves, after one drive (and only one, to that point) where the Chiefs offense had looked like...well, the Chiefs offense. San Francisco's defense seemed just too physical. They were getting to Mahomes often, harassing him, forcing him to scramble and getting in his face regularly. The passing attack was not working, nor the running game. And on offense, the 49ers were really pounding KC's defense. The running game was shredding Chiefs defenders. Even the big question mark, which was how well Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco's quarterback, would play, was going against them. Garoppolo had been playing phenomenally well. Through the first three quarters, he completed 17 of 20 passes for 183 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. As a Giants fan, I was worried that he might challenge the accuracy record of Phil Simms, when he completed 22 of 25, or 88 percent of his passes, back in XXI.
So, it looked like San Francisco had just showed up very incredibly well prepared to win this game. Frankly they looked unstoppable. But in fact, despite that second Mahomes INT that almost seemed to seal the deal and virtually guarantee a Niners victory, there were other trends that were happening. The 49ers were unable to hang onto the ball. Garoppolo lost the hot hand that he had enjoyed through the first three quarters. In the fourth and final, most crucial quarter, he completed just 3 of 11 passes for 36 yards, and a second interception. Meanwhile, once the defense came back onto the field after San Fran's offense could not do much with it, they found themselves suddenly shredded by that dangerous Kansas City offense, which suddenly came alive.
But who could have known? After all, it seemed to that point that San Francisco had answered all of the questions in their favor. Yes, Garoppolo was clearly ready to step into the limelight and help his team win. Yes, the defense was up to the task of containing the explosive Chiefs offense. Yes, the running game was just shredding KC's defense. Yes, head coach Kyle Shanahan's game plan was being executed perfectly, to perfection, almost. When San Fran defenders lined up for the cameras in the fourth quarter after a turnover ended a Chiefs threat, they seemed to be on the verge of putting the game out of reach.
After all, that second Mahomes INT came in the fourth and final quarter. Kansas City had just come out looking flat, aside from the one touchdown drive. The offense just looked out of sync. This was only the fourth time ever that Mahomes had thrown two or more interceptions in a game. Their defense had been pushed around and physically manhandled by San Francisco, particularly struggling to stop or even slow down the Niners rushing attack. It was all too easy to see San Francisco eating up more of the clock, and there was less than 12 minutes to go in the game. At the time, San Francisco had a solid 20-10 lead. Any points that they might get, and any chink of time that they might eat up, would make a rally by the Chiefs look more and more improbable.
San Francisco did eat up some of the clock, but not as much as they surely hoped. They had a 5-play drive, and when they punted the ball back to Kansas City, there was less than nine minutes to go in the game. The 49ers had not been able to do much with the ball, but still, the Chiefs offense had just looked...well, bad, frankly.
Then, it came. The rally, which many felt was inevitable. In retrospect, it reminded me of a boxer who is far behind on points in the late rounds, and needs that knockout blow. That was what the Chiefs needed. Everything had to be just right. The offense needed to click and score some points, and do it quickly. Then, their defense needed to tighten up, and stop San Francisco, and give the ball back to the offense, which would have to score again, and probably quickly. Then, KC would have to hold again.
Hardly seemed likely, and that is putting it mildly.
Yet, that is exactly what happened. The Chiefs got the ball back, and were moving. But the drive became troubled, and KC faced a 3rd and 15, when Mahomes went deep and competed a 44-yard pass to Tyreek Hill. Suddenly, the Chiefs were in business, and many credit that play for turning the momentum in the game completely. A few plays later, Kansas City scored a touchdown when Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone, and the Chiefs were back in the game.
After that, for the first and only time all night, the Chiefs held the 49ers to three and out.
KC got the ball back, and again Mahomes delivered, completing a 38-yard pass to Sammy Watkins, putting the Chiefs in position to score once again. Three plays later, Mahomes found Damien Williams for the touchdown that gave them their first least since the second quarter.
Garoppolo had one more chance to be a hero on the next drive, though. He got SF to the KC 49, but the drive stalled. On third and long, needing to make something big happen, Emmanuel Sanders got free past the Kansas City secondary. Garoppolo's threw for him, but s just out of his reach for and it could have been a spectacular touchdown. Instead, he overthrew it for an incompletion. Sanders dropped down onto the grass in the end zone, showing clear frustration. On the next play, which was a fourth down, Garoppolo was sacked.
When Kansas City had the ball back, it seemed that they would surely milk some time off the clock. It looked like that was what they were doing, too, with runs on the first two plays. However, on that second play, Damien Williams broke free for a 38-yard touchdown basically iced the game, giving the Chiefs an 11-point lead, after trailing just minutes earlier by 10. In fact, the Chiefs became the first team to overcome double-digit deficits in three straight playoff games, and it should be noted that they won each of those same games by double-digits. That is incredible, truly.
For the 49ers, now, there are questions. How did this team come apart in the fourth quarter? Was Kyle Shanahan to blame? He was the offensive coordinator with Atlanta a few years ago, back when they suffered that epic collapse in the Super Bowl, after earning a 28-3 lead. Many felt that they should have run and milked the clock, and that their mistakes in the passing game hurt them, and helped the Patriots win. Well, many are saying that he did not learn the lesson, because the 49ers running game had been working beautifully. Yet, they relied more and more on the passing game as the game wore on, when many felt that they also should have been relying on the run and milking the clock.
But perhaps it was the fault of Garoppolo? After all, he played so well through the first three quarters, but then suffered an inexplicable collapse in the fourth quarter. My guess is that the effectiveness of the running game early on helped him, but that when the ball, and the pressure, were squarely on his shoulders, he grew nervous and fell short.
Also, the defense, which had been celebrating like the Super Bowl victory was a done deal, suddenly collapsed. Tyreek Hill was just way to open on that huge 44-yard bomb, so how did that happen? What happened on that final touchdown, when Williams had a surprisingly easy run to the end zone, putting the game out of reach for San Francisco?
Those questions are being examined now, but the Chiefs undeniably had a tremendous rally that allowed them, finally, to exorcise those demons and ascend, once again, to become Super Bowl champions, for the second time in franchise history, and the first time in 50 years.
Hail to the Chiefs!
It required some last minute heroics, and one of the best fourth quarter comebacks in Super Bowl history, however.
Well, I think that many of us, if not even most of us, figured that there would be a good chance that the Chiefs would fall behind in this one, with an offense that looked suspiciously unlike the offense that they had shown all season long. Perhaps they might even fall seriously behind, like they did against Houston in the divisional round. Then, they would then rally back to life with an offense that seemed suddenly unstoppable.
But they waited a long, long time before suddenly coming back to life in this one. They waited so long, that it began to feel like this was just not going to be their day. After all, only one team this entire season had held them to comparable points throughout the course of a game, and that was the Indianapolis Colts, way back in early October. That Colts team handed KC their first loss of the season, using a physical, ball control style offense that mostly relied on strong running, and a physical defense that seemed to make the Chiefs offense uncomfortable.
Was this kind of a replay of that game? As I watched, I could not help but ask myself (and my son, who is not that big of a football fan) whether this was a case of the Chiefs looking this lousy, or the 49ers defense just really being that good?
Yes, because in this game, Kansas City really flirted with disaster. When yet another Chiefs drive ended with that interception after the ball went through the hands of Tyreek Hill and right into the hands of a Tavarius Moore, a 49er defender, it just seemed to be yet one more serious opportunity was squandered. KC had put together a nice drive that showed promise and could get them back in it. The Chiefs needed just six yards to keep the drive alive, but it looked promising, especially after Mahomes had scrambled for 13 yards on the previous play to make a second and forever look a lot more manageable on third and six. Then, the interception. In typical fashion these days, the defense of the 49ers ran to the nearby end zone and posed for the cameras. They were celebrating like they had just clinched the Super Bowl win, and indeed, it looked like they had.
To that point, the Niners had been absolutely dominating. They had overcome a deficit of 10-3 themselves, after one drive (and only one, to that point) where the Chiefs offense had looked like...well, the Chiefs offense. San Francisco's defense seemed just too physical. They were getting to Mahomes often, harassing him, forcing him to scramble and getting in his face regularly. The passing attack was not working, nor the running game. And on offense, the 49ers were really pounding KC's defense. The running game was shredding Chiefs defenders. Even the big question mark, which was how well Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco's quarterback, would play, was going against them. Garoppolo had been playing phenomenally well. Through the first three quarters, he completed 17 of 20 passes for 183 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. As a Giants fan, I was worried that he might challenge the accuracy record of Phil Simms, when he completed 22 of 25, or 88 percent of his passes, back in XXI.
So, it looked like San Francisco had just showed up very incredibly well prepared to win this game. Frankly they looked unstoppable. But in fact, despite that second Mahomes INT that almost seemed to seal the deal and virtually guarantee a Niners victory, there were other trends that were happening. The 49ers were unable to hang onto the ball. Garoppolo lost the hot hand that he had enjoyed through the first three quarters. In the fourth and final, most crucial quarter, he completed just 3 of 11 passes for 36 yards, and a second interception. Meanwhile, once the defense came back onto the field after San Fran's offense could not do much with it, they found themselves suddenly shredded by that dangerous Kansas City offense, which suddenly came alive.
But who could have known? After all, it seemed to that point that San Francisco had answered all of the questions in their favor. Yes, Garoppolo was clearly ready to step into the limelight and help his team win. Yes, the defense was up to the task of containing the explosive Chiefs offense. Yes, the running game was just shredding KC's defense. Yes, head coach Kyle Shanahan's game plan was being executed perfectly, to perfection, almost. When San Fran defenders lined up for the cameras in the fourth quarter after a turnover ended a Chiefs threat, they seemed to be on the verge of putting the game out of reach.
After all, that second Mahomes INT came in the fourth and final quarter. Kansas City had just come out looking flat, aside from the one touchdown drive. The offense just looked out of sync. This was only the fourth time ever that Mahomes had thrown two or more interceptions in a game. Their defense had been pushed around and physically manhandled by San Francisco, particularly struggling to stop or even slow down the Niners rushing attack. It was all too easy to see San Francisco eating up more of the clock, and there was less than 12 minutes to go in the game. At the time, San Francisco had a solid 20-10 lead. Any points that they might get, and any chink of time that they might eat up, would make a rally by the Chiefs look more and more improbable.
San Francisco did eat up some of the clock, but not as much as they surely hoped. They had a 5-play drive, and when they punted the ball back to Kansas City, there was less than nine minutes to go in the game. The 49ers had not been able to do much with the ball, but still, the Chiefs offense had just looked...well, bad, frankly.
Then, it came. The rally, which many felt was inevitable. In retrospect, it reminded me of a boxer who is far behind on points in the late rounds, and needs that knockout blow. That was what the Chiefs needed. Everything had to be just right. The offense needed to click and score some points, and do it quickly. Then, their defense needed to tighten up, and stop San Francisco, and give the ball back to the offense, which would have to score again, and probably quickly. Then, KC would have to hold again.
Hardly seemed likely, and that is putting it mildly.
Yet, that is exactly what happened. The Chiefs got the ball back, and were moving. But the drive became troubled, and KC faced a 3rd and 15, when Mahomes went deep and competed a 44-yard pass to Tyreek Hill. Suddenly, the Chiefs were in business, and many credit that play for turning the momentum in the game completely. A few plays later, Kansas City scored a touchdown when Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone, and the Chiefs were back in the game.
After that, for the first and only time all night, the Chiefs held the 49ers to three and out.
KC got the ball back, and again Mahomes delivered, completing a 38-yard pass to Sammy Watkins, putting the Chiefs in position to score once again. Three plays later, Mahomes found Damien Williams for the touchdown that gave them their first least since the second quarter.
Garoppolo had one more chance to be a hero on the next drive, though. He got SF to the KC 49, but the drive stalled. On third and long, needing to make something big happen, Emmanuel Sanders got free past the Kansas City secondary. Garoppolo's threw for him, but s just out of his reach for and it could have been a spectacular touchdown. Instead, he overthrew it for an incompletion. Sanders dropped down onto the grass in the end zone, showing clear frustration. On the next play, which was a fourth down, Garoppolo was sacked.
When Kansas City had the ball back, it seemed that they would surely milk some time off the clock. It looked like that was what they were doing, too, with runs on the first two plays. However, on that second play, Damien Williams broke free for a 38-yard touchdown basically iced the game, giving the Chiefs an 11-point lead, after trailing just minutes earlier by 10. In fact, the Chiefs became the first team to overcome double-digit deficits in three straight playoff games, and it should be noted that they won each of those same games by double-digits. That is incredible, truly.
For the 49ers, now, there are questions. How did this team come apart in the fourth quarter? Was Kyle Shanahan to blame? He was the offensive coordinator with Atlanta a few years ago, back when they suffered that epic collapse in the Super Bowl, after earning a 28-3 lead. Many felt that they should have run and milked the clock, and that their mistakes in the passing game hurt them, and helped the Patriots win. Well, many are saying that he did not learn the lesson, because the 49ers running game had been working beautifully. Yet, they relied more and more on the passing game as the game wore on, when many felt that they also should have been relying on the run and milking the clock.
But perhaps it was the fault of Garoppolo? After all, he played so well through the first three quarters, but then suffered an inexplicable collapse in the fourth quarter. My guess is that the effectiveness of the running game early on helped him, but that when the ball, and the pressure, were squarely on his shoulders, he grew nervous and fell short.
Also, the defense, which had been celebrating like the Super Bowl victory was a done deal, suddenly collapsed. Tyreek Hill was just way to open on that huge 44-yard bomb, so how did that happen? What happened on that final touchdown, when Williams had a surprisingly easy run to the end zone, putting the game out of reach for San Francisco?
Those questions are being examined now, but the Chiefs undeniably had a tremendous rally that allowed them, finally, to exorcise those demons and ascend, once again, to become Super Bowl champions, for the second time in franchise history, and the first time in 50 years.
Hail to the Chiefs!
My Pick: Accurate
Super Bowl LIV Champions
Kansas City Chiefs
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