2020 Super Bowl Recap

By: Wayne

I needed a day to process what a crazy game Super Bowl LIV turned out to be between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. To start, I want to give a massive amount of props to Andy Reid. Big Red deserved a Super Bowl win after a phenomenal career, and I couldn't help but be happy for him as he smiled on the sideline and told the reporters that he was headed for the biggest cheeseburger of his life, maybe even a double. The way Pat Mahomes came back from a horrendous start, including the worst interception I've ever seen him throw, to lead the Chiefs to three straight touchdowns in the 4th quarter was the stuff of legends. The kid has balls of steel and is the perfect face of the NFL for the next decade as we might be finally moving on from the Patriots dynasty.

All that said, in the heat of the moment, as I watched the 49ers blow a 20-10 lead and my bets in the process, I was pissed. I was pissed at Kyle Shanahan, for not calling a more aggressive offense and sitting on a lead against a team who could catch fire at any time. I felt like it was a repeat performance from what we saw out of him as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons as they blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. There is no excuse for blowing a 10-point 4th-quarter lead in the Super Bowl, and the Niners cannot be absolved of any blame. But after processing, watching tape, and processing some more, I've come to a conclusion - the referees botched the shit out of the Super Bowl.

When I was watching back through the footage from the game, I wanted to find the exact moment when momentum flipped. It felt like the Niners were well on top for most of the game. The game was tied at halftime, but the Niners were set to receive the ball after the half and I felt like they executed their strategy very well - the game was being played at the pace they wanted. Their defense was suffocating Mahomes, and Nick Bosa was all over the field. They probably should have pushed for a touchdown when they had the ball before halftime and used their timeouts, but then again somebody told Shanahan you only get one timeout per half in the Super Bowl - it's excusable. Still, Jimmy G chucked a long pass to George Kittle who hauled it in at the 13-yard line. Suddenly, the 49ers were in business right before half - if not for a flag. Offensive pass interference on Kittle. Are you fucking kidding me? I know the NFL is trying to crack down on this more, but it's the goddamn Super Bowl. You're really going to throw a flag on a play as important as that one? For a small extension of the arm? Check out the play here - George Kittle Offensive Pass Interference

Exhibit B of egregious missed calls in this game came on a 3rd and 14 for the 49ers, not exactly a high-percentage play to be fair. As Jimmy Garopollo scrambled out of bounds on the sideline, he was terrorized by Chiefs defensive back Rashad Fenton. Kyle Shanahan was standing right in front of the sideline where it happened, as was a ref, and the Niners coach was absolutely livid. NBC's Mike Florio did a great job of breaking down this specific play, which also featured a missed offsides call on Chiefs defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon here Missed Unnecessary Roughness - Pro Football Talk

The 49ers were still fine, as they scored a couple of times after halftime and found themselves up 20-10 with just 7:13 remaining in the game. The Chiefs came up with a 3rd-and-15 and it felt like Jimmy G would be doing the Shakira booty shake after the game in celebration. Then, all hell broke loose. Patrick Mahomes uncorked a long pass deep to Tyreek Hill, who found himself open 44 yards downfield. This was it - that moment that swung momentum towards KC. It would have been fine too, a moment of brilliance from Mahomes even if there wasn't such an egregious hold on Nick Bosa. Eric Fisher, who is pictured here giving Bosa a great big hug, is the true Super Bowl MVP. The Chiefs were almost held to a field goal, if not for defensive pass interference being called on Tavarius Moore on 3rd and 10. The very next play would be a one-yard touchdown completion to Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs were back in it.

Missed Call on Holding Play on Nick Bosa

That missed holding call was descriptive of an entire evening of non-calls from a unit of refs that might have been even more overmatched than the Chiefs unit of offensive linemen. Seriously, for Arik Armstead, DeForrest Buckner, Dee Ford, and Nick Bosa to not generate ONE holding call the entire game is fucking ridiculous. Holding happens on pretty much every single play in the NFL, and I'm all for keeping flags out of the game in the Super Bowl, but not calling a single holding on this dominant pass rush as they were repeatedly grabbed and fondled is absurd.

The 49ers would go 3-and-out on their next drive. On the next drive, Sammy Watkins beat Richard Sherman on a timely 38-yard catch from Sammy Watkins on an inside release play that he watched Davante Adams pull off to perfection against Sherman in the NFC Championship game. Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown to Damien Williams 3 plays later to put the Chiefs up 24-20. With the 49ers now trailing, Jimmy Garopollo was faced with the most pressure he possibly could - needing a touchdown in the Super Bowl. This was the moment every media member said he couldn't handle this week, and now we would get to see it. He almost had it too, on a 3rd and 10 pass to Emmanuel Sanders that could have gone for a touchdown if it wasn't missed by about a yard.

Jimmy G would be sacked on the next play by Frank Clark, delivering him his memorable moment and giving the Chiefs the ball in San Fran territory. Damien Williams put the game away two plays later with a 38-yard touchdown run. The 49ers would get the ball one more time, long enough for Jimmy G to toss an interception to Kendall Fuller on an ill-advised throw deep. By that time, the game was already over though. The Chiefs prevailed, 31-20, in what felt like two entirely separate contests. For much of the first half, Patrick Mahomes looked completely flustered by the 49ers pass-rush. Nick Bosa ran roughshod on the Chiefs' offensive line, making Eric Fisher look like a blocking dummy in the process. The 49ers dominated defensively even more than I thought they were capable of, and I felt confident I was on my way to winning my San Fran bet.

Bosa finished the game with a 33.3% pressure rate, the best mark in postseason history for any player to play at least 15 snaps. Jimmie Ward had 11 tackles and forced a Pat Mahomes fumble that fortunately, for the Chiefs, bounced out of bounds. Deebo Samuel had the longest rush for a wide receiver in Super Bowl history and produced 92 all-purpose yards. DeForrest Buckner produced 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks. On another day, these would have been the stars of the game. But it wasn't meant to be for the 49ers.

Instead, the Chiefs took home their first Lombardi Trophy in 50 years, and the first of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes' respective careers. Reid will inevitably be immortalized in Canton, and Mahomes has a long career of success ahead of them. I don't want to take away anything from the best coach/quarterback duo in the league this year. But when you hear people talking about whether or not the Chiefs won or the 49ers lost this game, the answer is neither - the refs fucked up so many times that momentum swung into the favor of the Chiefs, and they took advantage. This should have been the 49ers game, and the loss is another stain on the resume of young offensive supermind Kyle Shanahan. Reid bested him this time, but the botch job by the refs has to be a part of the conversation for what was otherwise a very entertaining Super Bowl.