Heading into Super Bowl 54, there were plenty of story lines to tickle your fancy. If its superstar quarterbacks you like, look no further as no QB match-up in the history of the Super Bowl featured two players with a higher winning percentage than that of San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo and Kansas City's reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes. If head coaches are more your style, you'd be treated to two of the best minds the game has ever seen, both old school and new. If you prefer big-time play-makers on offense, take your pick as both teams featured a plethora of players in the receiver, tight-end and running back departments capable of making the highlight reel. If it was defense you desired, the 49ers showcased one of the best young defenses we've seen in years. And for three and a half quarters, that defense would look the part. Unfortunately, as we've witnessed all too often, if you don't show up for all four quarters in the NFL, you're likely to lose. That's unless your team possesses one Patrick Mahomes.
No stranger to winning the big game in Miami, the San Francisco 49ers who had claimed two of their five Super Bowl titles in the Magic City, were hoping to make it a third on Sunday while donning their white away uniforms. In comparison, the Kansas City Chiefs were out to get their second title in franchise history while making their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, things began looking up for Kyle Shanahan's 49ers squad who after forcing Kansas City to punt on a three and out, were able to strike first and get on the scoreboard early. Thanks to a big play on the ground by rookie receiver Deebo Samuel, the Niners crossed midfield, but were unable to reach the red zone and had to settle for a Robbie Gould field goal. Inspired by San Francisco's 10-play drive that took nearly six minutes, Mahomes and company did them one better by orchestrating a 15-play drive that chewed up almost seven and a half minutes and ended with a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Mahomes himself. Any hopes of a response from Garoppolo would be shot down rather quickly as the 49er QB hurried a pass after feeling the pressure of a potential sack and fluttered the ball up in the air and into the arms of a Chiefs defender who came up with the interception. Taking advantage of the early turnover, K.C. increased their lead with a field goal.
Like he's done so often this season, Garoppolo shook off the early interception with a touchdown-scoring drive that would tie the game at 10-all. Having relied heavily on his fullback for his run-blocking prowess, Jimmy G awarded him with a touchdown reception as Kyle Juszczyk made the catch, fought off a defender and plunged into the end zone for the 15-yard score. With the fullback position deemed a dying breed in today's NFL, it would be the first TD scored by a fullback in the Super Bowl since Tampa Bay's Mike Alstott in Super Bowl 37. Getting the ball back following a K.C. punt, the 49ers had a chance to retake the lead heading into the half as just 59 seconds remained. In possession of two of their three timeouts, coach Shanahan didn't appear all that interested until third down as he drew up running plays on each of their first two downs. It wasn't until a 20-yard pass to fourth-string running back Jeff Wilson Jr. that Shanny and the Niner offense began taking things serious before halftime. With 14-seconds left, Garoppolo connected on a 42-yard pass to his tight-end George Kittle that would've put San Francisco in field goal range. Instead, Kittle would be flagged for a rather questionable offensive pass interference call that turned a 42-yard gain into a 10-yard loss that ended the half. In only the fourth Super Bowl to ever feature a tie game at the half and first since Super Bowl 49, the 49er defense would hold the Chiefs offense to their fewest first half point total of the season in preparation of a wild second half.
Opening the third quarter the same way as the first, the 49ers managed to take a 13-10 lead with Robbie Gould's second field goal of the night. Looking to make their first stamp of the game on defense, rookie sensation Nick Bosa nearly caused the first Chiefs turnover when he stripped the ball from the hands of Mahomes who was quick to recover the fumble. However, Mahomes wouldn't be as lucky on the next play as the 49ers would get their turnover in the form of a Fred Warner interception as he jumped in front of a pass intended for Tyreke Hill. Cashing in on the rare quarterback miscue which marked Mahomes' first career postseason interception, running back Raheem Mostert plowed his way into the end zone for a touchdown. Mahomes would be intercepted for a second time on the very next drive as a pass thrown behind the receiver went off the hands of Hill and into the arms of safety Tarvarius Moore who collected his first career pick. With a chance to blow the game open, San Francisco's offense was unable to do anything with the Chiefs' second consecutive turnover as K.C. was given another chance. And like they've shown on multiple occasions this year and more specifically this postseason, Mahomes and company would capitalize on that opportunity and make the opposition pay.
With under nine minutes remaining and Kansas City starring down a 10-point deficit, Andy Reid's offense would take us on a roller coaster ride that caught the emotions of both teams' fans and players alike. No one play would exemplify that more than a pivotal 3rd and 15 play that would turn the tide and shift all momentum from the side of San Francisco to that of Kansas City. Converting on the third and long, Mahomes lobbed a strike to the speedy Hill who got behind the defense with a 44-yard reception that ultimately broke both the back and the spirit of the Niner D. On what would be the most important play of the game, K.C. appeared to get away with a holding call as Nick Bosa applied pressure to the QB but was taken out of the play by offensive-tackle Eric Fisher. Following consecutive incompletions, a crucial pass interference penalty against Moore on Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce turned a would-be 4th and 10 from the 21 yard-line into a 1st and goal from the 1. One play later, Kelce would not be denied as he was left all alone in the back of the end zone where Mahomes would find him for the easy score. Holding on for dear life with their 10-point lead cut to just 3 at the 6:17 mark, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers began to appear as if they were playing not to lose opposed to playing to win.
With a three and out coming at the worst possible time for the Niner offense, the Chiefs began clicking once again with everything working in their favor as Mahomes slipped a potential sack from Bosa to find Kelce for the first down. Two plays later, receiver Sammy Watkins used his quickness to breeze by Richard Sherman and catch a pass in stride for a 38 yard reception. It was at that moment that you knew it was only a matter of time before K.C. took the lead and whether or not San Francisco would have enough time of their own to try and answer. Facing 3rd and goal, running back Damien Williams caught a pass and extended the ball over the goal-line just enough to break the plain for the go-ahead touchdown before stepping out of bounds. From leading 20-10 to trailing 24-20 in a matter of minutes, the 49ers suddenly found themselves in unfamiliar territory and in need of a touchdown-scoring drive. With the two-minute warning approaching and all three timeouts remaining, the 49ers appeared to have K.C. right where they wanted them. And a 17-yard carry by Mostert on 1st down gave us a flash of what we thought was a sign of things to come and a repeat of what ultimately led the Niners through each of their previous two playoff wins spearheaded by the dominant run-game. Instead, that game plan would be abandoned.
Having relied heavily on the running aspect of the offense, Mostert's carry on the first play of the drive would be the last rushing attempt by the 49er offense. Following a false start penalty by Emmanuel Sanders that would bring up 1st and 15, Shanahan called for six consecutive passing plays. Facing 3rd and 10 near midfield following a pair of tipped and batted down passes, Garoppolo dropped back and chucked a bomb to Sanders who had broke free of the secondary. Overthrown on the pass, the possibility of a game-winning touchdown reception in the final minutes would leave Niner fans wondering, "what if?" And on 4th and 10 with the play clock at 0, Garoppolo would be sacked for the turnover on downs. Adding salt to the wound, the Chiefs would take advantage of a winded 49er defense to put the final nail in the coffin as Damien Williams broke for a 38-yard rushing touchdown. Facing their largest deficit of the game trailing 31-20 and in need of a miracle, K.C. would apply the dagger into the hearts of Niner fans as Kendall Fuller intercepted a pass from Garoppolo to seal the deal.
Snubbed by his own quarterback for Super Bowl MVP honors, Chiefs running back Damien Williams rushed for 104 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries, while also adding 29 yards and a receiving touchdown on 4 receptions. Tyreke Hill led all receivers in receiving yards (105) and receptions (9), and Patrick Mahomes out dueled Jimmy Garoppolo by throwing for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions to Jimmy G's 219 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. By taking home the hardware, Mahomes is the first player in NFL history under the age of 25 to be named both league MVP and Super Bowl MVP and win a Super Bowl, and just the second youngest QB to win a Super Bowl (Ben Roethlisberger). Not nearly as lethal as he was in the NFC Championship game against Green Bay, 49ers running back Raheem Mostert still averaged close to 5 yards per carry by rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts (4.8 avg). Last but not least, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid captures his first career title that has long illuded him and took him 21 seasons to accomplish as he becomes the 6th oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl at 61 years, 320 days. Winning the big one would be a long time coming for Chiefs fans who've anxiously waited to see their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy exactly 50 years in the making.
As for the 49ers who all season long had celebrated the 25th anniversary of their last title during the 1994 season, fans like myself are still waiting and hope to one day see the team return to glory like they did oh so often during the 80's and 90's. With only three losses in the regular season, all of which coming by single-digits and on the final play of the game, Sunday's outcome which the final score would not reflect given the last-minute touchdown, would be a different kind of hurt for the 49er faithful. After all, it's not the loss that hurts, but rather the fashion in which they lost. Nevertheless, players like George Kittle and DeForest Buckner are already counting down the days until next season and like their chances of returning to the Super Bowl in what they're calling their, "redemption tour."
What went Wrong - Though I'm not one to blame a loss on poor officiating, there were several head-scratching calls that I thought put a dent in San Francisco's chances of winning this game. But even then, they should've still won. To me, there wasn't one reason or thing that led to San Francisco's downfall, but rather a combination of things that led to them shooting themselves in the foot. Though there was a mixture of poor clock-management and bad play-calling in my opinion on behalf of the coaching staff, the on-field execution in the fourth quarter by the quarterback was equally to blame for their collapse. Ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day whether true or false, is Jimmy G will be looked upon as a liability despite the team's 4-20 record without him under the current regime, and that this is the second game now in which a Shanahan-led offense has built a large lead in the biggest game of his team's life, only to let it slip away in the second half. The overthrown pass by Garoppolo to Sanders wasn't the only missed opportunity late by the QB, only the most visible as George Kittle was also left open on several plays but either never had the ball thrown his way or the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage before it could get to him. And then there's the simple thought of continuing to feed running back Raheem Mostert who played a large role in helping the 49er offense get to the Super Bowl in the first place.
A look Ahead - If there is such a thing for a heartbroken fan base that could almost taste the champagne of victory, making sense of the gut-punch that is defeat, is best done when looking at the glass as half full. At least in the case of this young San Francisco team. After becoming just the third franchise to punch their ticket to a Super Bowl after winning only 4-games the previous season, albeit following a season-ending injury at the quarterback position three weeks into the year, it's hard not to believe that this won't be the first of many Super Bowl appearances to come for this young squad. Though nothing is ever granted in the sport of football, San Francisco possesses the perfect ingredients to make playing on Super Bowl Sunday an ongoing trend. While it does not take away from the sting and disappointment of the loss itself for a team that was mere minutes and a blown 10-point lead away from hoisting a record-tying sixth Lombardi trophy, it does make for a positive outlook in the foreseeable future. After playing in a Super Bowl that the 49ers really had no business being in if you stop and think about the blueprints of this team that has performed and developed ahead of schedule up to this point, you'd have to think that greener pastures lie ahead. Not to mention 2019-20 marked the first full year for Jimmy Garoppolo as a starter and in this offense. With the brain trust of Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch entering year four of their six year deals and a nucleus of young talent on both sides of the ball in place for many years to come, the 49ers are in prime position to be perennial contenders for the better part of the next decade. However, things won't be easy in their own backyard of the NFC West which has proven to be one of if not the toughest division in all of football. With the Los Angeles Rams only a year removed from making a Super Bowl appearance of their own and Russell Wilson continuing to put up MVP-caliber seasons for Seattle, the Arizona Cardinals are not to be slept on and are expected to be much improved in year two of Kyle Murray and Kliff Kingsbury's careers.
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NFC Championship - After hosting their first ever playoff game a week ago at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara by handily beating the Minnesota Vikings, Conference Championship Sunday would bring another first to the San Francisco 49ers who despite playing in their NFL-leading 16th NFC Championship, hosted their first ever title game at their new digs and first overall since 2011. Playing host to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers who Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team beat to a pulp during Week 12 of the regular season, all the talk coming into the game was how things would play out differently in the rematch for the Packers quarterback. But even for a future Hall of Famer and former Super Bowl winning QB who will be remembered as one of the greatest of all-time at his position, the combination of San Francisco's lethal running game and dominant defense once again proved to be too much for the Chico, California native who grew up rooting for this 49ers team that has now handed him three early exits from the postseason throughout his career.
Though Sunday's game didn't get out of hand quite as quickly as it did in the Week 12 meeting, once the Niners got rolling on offense, there was little to nothing Green Bay could do against the runaway train that was the San Francisco run game. With Green Bay winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, it was the Packers defense that made the initial stop by forcing a 49ers three and out on their opening possession. Failing to take advantage of the early opportunity, the Packers, too, would have to punt which triggered six consecutive scoring drives for Kyle Shanahan's offense. It wasn't long before the game turned into the Raheem Mostert show as the undrafted running back out of Purdue opened the scoring with a 36-yard rushing touchdown before setting multiple postseason franchise records. With starting running back Tevin Coleman carted off the field with a shoulder injury, the Niners' radio call would sound like a broken record as Mostert scored all four of San Francisco's touchdowns and by halftime, the 49ers had jumped out to a 27-0 lead. When Green Bay wasn't calling on the punt team in the first half, they were left scratching their heads as the 49er defense forced turnovers on back to back possessions when a fumbled snap put an end to the Packers' best-looking drive of the half, followed by Emmanuel Moseley's interception which kept the shutout alive heading into halftime.
Rodgers and company would open the second half with their longest and most successful drive of the game when he helped lead the offense on an 11-play drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown pass to running back Aaron Jones. But answering Green Bay's first score of the game would be Mostert who made NFL history by becoming the first player to ever score four rushing touchdowns in a conference championship. The Packers would string together touchdowns on each of their next two drives, but a Robbie Gould field goal and a Richard Sherman interception following the two-minute warning, would spell doom for Rodgers and co. who came up short both on the clock and on the scoreboard as San Francisco pulled off the 37-20 win to punch their ticket to Miami for Super Bowl 54. In just their third year at the helm, the brain trust of Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch got the 49ers back to the promised land of competing for and appearing in a Super Bowl.
Though Rodgers would pass Packers great Brett Favre for the most postseason passing touchdowns in franchise history and moved into a tie with Peyton Manning for 4th most all-time postseason passing TD's with 40, he dropped to 0-5 in his career as a starter in the postseason against teams ranked top 10 in pass defense (SF ranked No. 1). In their two meetings combined this season, the 49ers have outscored Green Bay 50-0 in the first half. Perhaps the most remarkable stat of the entire game was that of 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo and just how little was needed from their franchise quarterback. Despite dispatching the Packers for the second time this season, the Niners needed only eight pass attempts from their star quarterback on Sunday as Jimmy G finished the game 6 for 8 with 77 yards, no giveaways and a 104.7 passer rating. In contrast, Rodgers who is now 0-3 in his career during the postseason against the Niners, finished with 326 yards passing on 31 of 39 attempts, threw for a pair of touchdowns but had three giveaways on his way to a 97.2 passer rating. With no answer for the Niners rushing attack from Green Bay, Shanahan was able to feed his running backs and bleed the clock in route to a record day from one of the most unlikeliest of heroes.
NFL Cinderella - One story that cannot be talked about enough is that of 49ers running back Raheem Mostert. Cut from seven teams before landing with the Niners, including the woeful Cleveland Browns, Mostert who did not have a single rushing attempt in the NFL before landing in Kyle Shanahan's system, became the first player in NFL history to record 150+ rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in a single half of a playoff game. Compiling a conference championship record of 220 yards on 19 rushing attempts to go along with his four TD's, Mostert could not be stopped on Sunday. It would be the most rushing yards in 49ers postseason history and the 2nd most in NFL postseason history as his 36-yard score in the first quarter was the 49ers' longest rushing touchdown in the playoffs since former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick's then record-setting performance against Green Bay in the 2012 divisional round which helped pave their way to Super Bowl 47.
Super Bowl Preview - The table is officially set for Super Bowl 54 as the San Francisco 49ers will take on the winners of the AFC in the Kansas City Chiefs. Making their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years and their third appearance overall, the Chiefs who under head coach Andy Reid and led by 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes, were able to book their flight to Miami after pulling off a pair of thrilling come-from-behind victories against both the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans. Despite earning the top seed in the AFC a year ago, making it back to the Super Bowl has been a long time coming for K.C. fans who witnessed their team fail at making it past Tom Brady and the Patriots in last year's conference title game. Still chasing the Lombardi Trophy in what is his 20th season as a head coach in the NFL, the former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles will now look to his young star quarterback to help him secure that piece of hardware that has long eluded him. When that game kicks off two weeks from now, Mahomes will become the 5th youngest QB to start a Super Bowl and would be the 2nd youngest ever (Ben Roethlisberger) to win it. Something Nick Bosa and the 49ers defense will do everything in their power to try and prevent from happening in what will be San Francisco's seventh Super Bowl appearance.
No strangers to playing the big game in Miami where the 49ers have won two of their five Super Bowl titles, San Francisco is only the third team to reach the Super Bowl after coming off a 4-win season and first to do it since the 1999 St. Louis Rams who went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The only other team to accomplish the feat was the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals who lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl 23 in 1988. But unlike that Super Bowl winning team that was part of a 49er dynasty, this team will have to deliver against the best arm in the game. Having struggled this year against mobile quarterbacks, the San Francisco defense can ill-afford to let Mahomes get comfortable when scrambling out of the pocket and need to prevent him from extending the play. They'll also have their hands full with one of the more dangerous receiving corps in the league when they lineup against speedsters Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins as well as one of the best tight-ends in the league in Travis Kelce. Much improved from last year, the Kansas City defense was able to do something no team had done since Week 8 by holding the Titans to under 100 yards rushing in their 35-24 win on Sunday. Containing 2019 rushing champion Derrick Henry to just 69-yards, the Chiefs will try to employ a similar game plan against Mostert and the 49ers run game.
With a limited arsenal from Jimmy Garoppolo and the passing game which saw only one target and completion to George Kittle in what was the second consecutive game in which Kittle was asked to do very little outside of blocking his tail off, I expect Shanahan and the Niner offense to dial up a heavy dose of action for their All-Pro tight-end come Super Bowl Sunday. With seven players on their roster with Super Bowl experience, San Francisco enters the game as 1.5 point underdogs. In what should be a spectacular match-up of two explosive teams on both sides of the ball and two rabid fan bases, Super Bowl 54 has the makings of what could be an instant classic that could very well come down to who's able to play mistake-free football and steer clear of the costly turnovers and penalties. Adding some spice on Sunday whether intentional or not was Chiefs defensive-end Frank Clark who in an expletive-laden post-game interview following the win over Tennessee, referenced the infamous off-sides penalty by former Chief and current 49er Dee Ford. Clark who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to replace Ford who was then traded to San Francisco, also wears Ford's old jersey number 55.
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