The Chiefs won their first Super Bowl since the 1969 season and they broke their 50 year drought by coming back from a 10 point deficit in the 4th quarter to defeat the 49ers 31-20. Pat Mahomes won the Super Bowl MVP award to complete his amazing two-year run as the Chiefs starter, and Andy Reid broke through to win his first Super Bowl in his long career. The Chiefs are now at the top of the mountain in the NFL, and they might be there for a long time. Here is my recap of the game...
1) I thought this was a good Super Bowl. It was certainly better than last year's 13-3 Patriots win over the Rams. It was 24-20 Chiefs with the 49ers trying to drive to win the game with less than two minutes to go. That is all you could ask for in a Super Bowl. The final touchdown run by Damien Williams to make it 31-20 was more like an empty net goal to put the game away.
2) Make not mistake about it: The 49ers had this game and let it slip away. The game played out perfectly for them for the first 54 minutes. They were up 20-10 and they had frustrated Pat Mahomes, picked him off twice, got after him in the pocket, and they didn't let the Chiefs beat them with explosive plays. They were in control and then it fell apart. That will eat at 49ers fans for the rest of their lives. They had it right there.
3) Pat Mahomes was not good for the first 52 minutes of this game. He threw two really bad interceptions and he just wasn't playing well. He was playing the worst game of his career until they were down 20-10 and facing a 3rd and 15 with less than 7 minutes to go in the game. He hit Tyreek Hill on the big throw into SF territory and it set up the touchdown to Travis Kelce to cut the score to 20-17. The Chiefs were also aided by a pass interference call down to the 1 yard line. It helped KC eventually score on that drive. The pass from Mahomes to Hill turned the game and will be the moment from this Super Bowl that everyone remembers.
4) A lot of people were criticizing Kyle Shanahan for not killing the clock and running the ball more when they got the ball back, but I'm not going to go there. Shanahan had to be aggressive in my opinion and if it wasn't for Chris Jones being a force on the defensive line, then Jimmy Garappolo would have completed a few passes to George Kittle and the 49ers could have bled the clock.
5) Once the Chiefs got the 3 and out at 20-17, you just had a feeling that Mahomes was going to take advantage. You could feel it and then he hits the big pass to Sammy Watkins, who beat Richard Sherman, into SF territory, and you knew it they were going to score. Mahomes finished off the drive with a TD pass to Damien Williams, and the Chiefs took the lead 24-20 with only 2:44 left. The Chiefs were down 10 with under seven minutes to go, then five minutes later, they scored two touchdowns and were up by four. Amazing.
6) The 49ers got the ball back and had some hope by getting a couple big plays through the air, and they had the ball at midfield until the drive stalled. Garoppolo missed an open Emmanuel Sanders on a post route that would have given the Niners the lead. Sanders was behind the DBs, but Jimmy G just overthrew him. He has to make that throw in that spot. That throw will haunt the Niners all offseason, and if Jimmy G hit that throw, it might have put him on the map with one of the greatest clutch throws in Super Bowl history. He got sacked on the next play and the drive ended, and so did the hopes of the Niners.
7) Kyle Shanahan will have to live with the fact that his team was up 20-10 with under seven minutes to go in the Super Bowl, and they lost. He was also the OC in Atlanta when the Falcons were up 28-3 and blew that Super Bowl to the Patriots, so he has now been apart of two of the worst collapses in Super Bowl history. He has to live with that until he wins one.
8) The Niners defense was a really good defense all year, but they failed them in the last seven minutes of the game. Nick Bosa and the front was awesome, and I think Bosa could have made a case for MVP if the Niners had won. They have to shut the door on the Chiefs on 3rd and 15 in that spot. This game will be very tough for the entire 49ers franchise and fanbase to get over.
9) We now live in a world where the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions. It is always nice to see a team and a fanbase end a long championship drought, and I'm sure there are plenty of Chiefs fans that have suffered through some terrible losses, but I just can't be happy for them. As a Broncos fan, the Chiefs have been the biggest rival in my lifetime, so I just can't be thrilled for their fans.
10) The Pat Mahomes era has officially begun. The torch from Peyton Manning and Tom Brady has been passed to Mahomes and he is now the face of the NFL. It is scary to think about how this could be the beginning of the next dynasty in the NFL and the beginning of Mahomes putting together one of the greatest QB careers in NFL history. His time has arrived, and it is safe to say that Mahomes and Reid are not done winning Super Bowls together.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Super Bowl LIV Preview and Predictions!
After the Chiefs dispatched the pesky Titans, and the 49ers thrashed the Packers on Championship Sunday, we have ourselves a very good Super Bowl matchup. The high-scoring Chiefs led by Pat Mahomes take on the young, well-built 49ers in a game that could set up to be a classic. Super Bowl LIV will feature a game between two teams that could be back here many times in the future. It's a classic offense vs. defense chess match. It's a tough game to call either way, and there are valid reasons for siding with one team or the other to win the game. Here are the storylines that I am looking at heading into the game...
Storylines
I) Andy Reid's Moment: One of the most successful NFL head coaches is still looking for his first Super Bowl win. The last time Reid got here was in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 with the Eagles and they lost to the Patriots. Now, he has a chance to get that elusive title, and this might be his time to get it.
II) Pat Mahomes Era Begins: Mahomes has been the best QB in the NFL the last two years, and he looks like he will be the face of the NFL for the next decade at least. He reached the Super Bowl in only his second year as a starter. This could be the beginning of his Tom Brady-like run on championships if he wins it this year.
III) The Niners Return To Glory: The Team of the 80s is back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012, and they return with a team that is loaded with young talent. They are 5-1 in Super Bowls all time, and they were 4-12 a year ago. Their coaches were coaching in the Senior Bowl last year, and now they are in the Super Bowl. If they win, it would bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay area for the 6th time and return the Niners back to NFL royalty.
IV) Two Possible Dominant Forces: This Super Bowl could be a game that features two franchises that might be back a bunch of times over the next few seasons. Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have built a really solid team that could be the class of the NFC for years to come. In their preview for the Super Bowl, the Ringer staff called the 49ers a football battle station. I think they sums up this group of Niner players.
Onto the preview and predictions for Super Bowl LIV...
Last Week's Playoff Record: 1-1
Overall Playoff Record: 5-5
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
A Case for the 49ers: They have been the best team in the NFC wire to wire. From Week 1 to the domination in the NFC Championship Game win over the Packers, the 49ers have been the best team. They beat the Saints in New Orleans, lost a close game to the Ravens in Baltimore, swept the Rams, beat Seattle on the road to win the division, dominated the Vikings in the Divisional Round, and destroyed the Packers in the NFC Title Game. Their defense, especially their front seven, is built to stop Pat Mahomes and this Chiefs offense. In recent Super Bowl history, the top defenses have gotten the better of the top offense, so no one will be surprised to see the 49ers defense step up and slow down the Chiefs. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is a great play caller, and you have to expect him to get his team ready for a fast start. Pound for pound the 49ers are the better team, and they just might be too much for the Chiefs.
A Case for the Chiefs: It might finally be Andy Reid's time to win a title. He has been such a successful coach, and the last piece to his possible Hall of Fame resume is a Lombardi Trophy. You have to think he is due for a championship. Pat Mahomes has been so good the last two years that this might be his moment of glory. He is the face of the league, and this might be his crowning achievement as he ushers in his era. This Chiefs team got breaks to get here and it might just be their year. They got the bye in the first round when New England lost to Miami in Week 17, avoided the Ravens and the Pats in the AFC Playoffs, and got to host Houston and Tennessee. The franchise and their fans have waited 50 years to get back and win a Super Bowl, and now they are here and their opportunity with a golden opportunity to get it done. It might just be their time.
Prediction: KANSAS CITY (-1) over San Francisco: In a game that goes back and forth and is certainly more exciting than last year's Rams-Pats game, the Chiefs pull away at the end, and Pat Mahomes wins the Super Bowl MVP award and gives Andy Reid his first ever Super Bowl Title.
Final Score: Chiefs-30 49ers-22
Storylines
I) Andy Reid's Moment: One of the most successful NFL head coaches is still looking for his first Super Bowl win. The last time Reid got here was in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 with the Eagles and they lost to the Patriots. Now, he has a chance to get that elusive title, and this might be his time to get it.
II) Pat Mahomes Era Begins: Mahomes has been the best QB in the NFL the last two years, and he looks like he will be the face of the NFL for the next decade at least. He reached the Super Bowl in only his second year as a starter. This could be the beginning of his Tom Brady-like run on championships if he wins it this year.
III) The Niners Return To Glory: The Team of the 80s is back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012, and they return with a team that is loaded with young talent. They are 5-1 in Super Bowls all time, and they were 4-12 a year ago. Their coaches were coaching in the Senior Bowl last year, and now they are in the Super Bowl. If they win, it would bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay area for the 6th time and return the Niners back to NFL royalty.
IV) Two Possible Dominant Forces: This Super Bowl could be a game that features two franchises that might be back a bunch of times over the next few seasons. Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have built a really solid team that could be the class of the NFC for years to come. In their preview for the Super Bowl, the Ringer staff called the 49ers a football battle station. I think they sums up this group of Niner players.
Onto the preview and predictions for Super Bowl LIV...
Last Week's Playoff Record: 1-1
Overall Playoff Record: 5-5
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
A Case for the 49ers: They have been the best team in the NFC wire to wire. From Week 1 to the domination in the NFC Championship Game win over the Packers, the 49ers have been the best team. They beat the Saints in New Orleans, lost a close game to the Ravens in Baltimore, swept the Rams, beat Seattle on the road to win the division, dominated the Vikings in the Divisional Round, and destroyed the Packers in the NFC Title Game. Their defense, especially their front seven, is built to stop Pat Mahomes and this Chiefs offense. In recent Super Bowl history, the top defenses have gotten the better of the top offense, so no one will be surprised to see the 49ers defense step up and slow down the Chiefs. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is a great play caller, and you have to expect him to get his team ready for a fast start. Pound for pound the 49ers are the better team, and they just might be too much for the Chiefs.
A Case for the Chiefs: It might finally be Andy Reid's time to win a title. He has been such a successful coach, and the last piece to his possible Hall of Fame resume is a Lombardi Trophy. You have to think he is due for a championship. Pat Mahomes has been so good the last two years that this might be his moment of glory. He is the face of the league, and this might be his crowning achievement as he ushers in his era. This Chiefs team got breaks to get here and it might just be their year. They got the bye in the first round when New England lost to Miami in Week 17, avoided the Ravens and the Pats in the AFC Playoffs, and got to host Houston and Tennessee. The franchise and their fans have waited 50 years to get back and win a Super Bowl, and now they are here and their opportunity with a golden opportunity to get it done. It might just be their time.
Prediction: KANSAS CITY (-1) over San Francisco: In a game that goes back and forth and is certainly more exciting than last year's Rams-Pats game, the Chiefs pull away at the end, and Pat Mahomes wins the Super Bowl MVP award and gives Andy Reid his first ever Super Bowl Title.
Final Score: Chiefs-30 49ers-22
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