My Super Bowl LIV Notebook

posted 2/3/2020

1. The questions I had going into Super Bowl LIV were about the defenses. Would a much maligned Kansas City defense step up and stop a San Francisco offense ready to run, run, and run some more? And would the 49ers be able to hold off the high powered Chiefs long enough to win?

Well, the Chiefs held the Niners to 141 yards rushing and forced San Francisco to lean on the passing game. They stayed at home more, not biting on misdirections and made Jimmy Garappolo uncomfortable in the pocket all game. On offense, Kansas City pulled the reigns on the passing attack, keeping a more balanced attack with runs from Damian Williams (104 yards rushing) and more short passes. The Chiefs averaged 5.8 yards per pass (compared to the 49ers 6.6.) Mahomes only completed two passes longer than 20 yards.

The 49ers had the right game plan for 52 of the 60 minutes. They stayed with the four man rush that produced four sacks and seemed to have an answer for Mahomes, as much as a team can. But they just couldn’t hold him back long enough. One big pass to Tyreek Hill started their demise.

2. It’s great to see one of the best coaches in NFL history finally get his moment. Andy Reid’s reach throughout the league runs deep. There are six head coaches with ties to Reid as well as countless former coaches now in coordinator positions. Reid is highly respected around the NFL, his former players and staffers love him, and he’s great with the media, often being very self-deprecating during press conferences. This time, the good guy won.

3. With this loss, I think Kyle Shanahan will be labeled as an over-thinker until he can show that he isn’t. Shanahan was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator in Super Bowl LI when the Falcons squandered a 28-3 lead to the Patriots. He was criticized for his play calling then and will be again today. Despite having the better defense, running attack, and a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, it was the 49ers that lost their confidence. 

This is the same team that threw the ball just eight times in the NFC Championship game. But in the two possessions before losing a ten point lead, San Francisco ran two running plays and threw the ball six times. Garappolo was just 1-4 for 12 yards on those attempts. 

Why the Niners didn’t run the ball more against a Chiefs defense that was just okay throughout most of the game is a head scratcher.

4. Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was only great for eight minutes in the game. The trophy should have gone to Mira Mesa High alumni Damian Williams.

5. I was ready to find something on YouTube to tide me over at halftime, but I thought Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were pretty good. These two women are closer to my age (48) but are in better shape than I ever was or ever will be. It wasn’t my kind of music, but it was perfect for Miami.

6. The best commercials: Hyundai’s “Smaht Pahk” commercial with Bostonians Chris Evans, Rachel Dratch, John Krasinski, and “his bigness” David Ortiz. But according to the Boston Globe, nothing is ever just “wicked.” Wicked is used as an adverb as in, “wicked smaht” and “wicked awesome.”

7. I laughed at Rocket Mortgage’s “Comfortable.” I knew that Jason Mamoa’s perfect body and long locks was just CGI!

8. Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” actually got the normally advertising-adverse Bill Murray to reprise his Phil Connors role on Groundhog Day.

9. It was really cool to see all the living legends on the field to celebrate the NFL Top 100 players. I loved seeing Tom Brady defer a bit to his idol, Joe Montana. And in a funny and great trolling moment, as Bill Belichick was greeted to a chorus of boos by the Miami crowd, he actually smiled and flashed his Super Bowl rings to the camera.

10. Kansas City, enjoy it. As one of the best fan bases in sports, you deserve this. And with that, another NFL season ends as does my NFL Notebook column. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more columns and more podcasts.