Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs vs 49ers Game Thread

bankshot1

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If we're going to compare opponents, the Chiefs beat the Texans and Titans, two of the greatest post-season team to ever don pads.

and if the Texans hadn't crapped themselves with one of the NFL's greatest crapfests...

I think I'd hold off calling the Chiefs unstoppable.

In 2 games last year the Pats found a way to negate them for a half, and won both games

and IMO, the 49ers are a better D team than last year's Pats
 

tmracht

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I think the game needs to end with Dee Ford lining up offside on a 3rd and short late in the game, with the Chiefs down 3 in field goal range, they come up short and accept the penalty. Then the next play is a Dee Ford strip sack to ice the game.
 

DeadlySplitter

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From an SI article today:

The Rest of the AFC Must Feel Sick: Goodness, behind Mahomes, Kansas City is poised to rule this conference for—conservatively—a decade.

I mean, wait. Just a couple of weeks ago, Lamar Jackson was the best player on the best team in the conference, with a SB-winning head coach and a system that simply hadn't been stopped. Suddenly it's KC that is poised to rule the conference for (conservatively) a decade?

If it was Baltimore in the Super Bowl instead of KC, wouldn't that headline say the same thing, just changing "Mahomes, Kansas City" to "Jackson, Baltimore"?

And wait. til. these. guys. get. paid. Then they'll see how hard it is to put a quality team together when the QB is making megabucks.
while this is an obvious media narrative to hype up right now, I think there's some truth to it. Mahomes is amazing, Jackson... got exposed against the Titans. badly. shame on everyone (and me) for not seeing that earlier.
 

DeadlySplitter

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SF outgunned New Orleans 48-46 in New Orleans. while I'm on johnmd20's side that KC is unstoppable right now, SF is capable of winning a shootout too.
 

BaseballJones

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while this is an obvious media narrative to hype up right now, I think there's some truth to it. Mahomes is amazing, Jackson... got exposed against the Titans. badly. shame on everyone (and me) for not seeing that earlier.
I agree that Mahomes is a much better QB than Jackson. I'm pointing out the fickleness of the media.
 

BigSoxFan

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SF stopped a modest GB team and a modest Minnesota team. They are great, no doubt about it, they are in the Super Bowl. But, right now, the Chiefs are unstoppable. Until I see otherwise, I'm going to assume they cannot be stopped. Jimmy G will probably have to make some throws to win.

I'm saying he won't make them.
True but SF showed in New Orleans that they can outgun a top offense when needed. Jimmy has a ton of pressure on him to match Mahomes but he also has some serious weapons in Kittle, Sanders, and Deebo. If KC gears up to stop the run, Jimmy needs to kill them with those guys.
 

Ale Xander

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SF outgunned New Orleans 48-46 in New Orleans. while I'm on johnmd20's side that KC is unstoppable right now, SF is capable of winning a shootout too.
Also think that the Saints have a better pass defense (with the tOSU secondary and Cameron Jordan) than the Chiefs
 

johnmd20

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True but SF showed in New Orleans that they can outgun a top offense when needed. Jimmy has a ton of pressure on him to match Mahomes but he also has some serious weapons in Kittle, Sanders, and Deebo. If KC gears up to stop the run, Jimmy needs to kill them with those guys.
I think the moment is going to swallow up Jimmy G and spit him out. I don't think the same will happen to Mahomes.
 

BaseballJones

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True but SF showed in New Orleans that they can outgun a top offense when needed. Jimmy has a ton of pressure on him to match Mahomes but he also has some serious weapons in Kittle, Sanders, and Deebo. If KC gears up to stop the run, Jimmy needs to kill them with those guys.
I don't know that JG will need to gunsling with Mahomes. They just put up 37 points on a good defense with JG having to only throw 8 times. I do think he'll need to throw more than that but keep in mind that KC's run defense is worse than GB's this year.

Rush yards per game allowed
GB: 120.1
KC: 128.s

Rush yards per attempt allowed
GB: 4.7
KC: 4.9

So even though they did a good job against Henry, I thought that Tennessee really played away from their strengths yesterday. Even when the game was still a game, Tennessee threw WAY more than they should have. I didn't understand it, actually.

I think SF can put up a lot of points on KC even if they have a relatively small number of passing attempts. JG shouldn't have to throw 30 times for them to put up points.

And if they do, they absolutely have MUCH better weapons than Tennessee does.
 

Soxy

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Also think that the Saints have a better pass defense (with the tOSU secondary and Cameron Jordan) than the Chiefs
Outside of sacks, the Chiefs pass defense was better than the Saints by pretty much any metric you want to look at.
 

johnmd20

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Based on?
Based on the fact that Jimmy has 2 or 3 horrendous passes in a lot of his games. He often throws terrible INTs. I think the Chiefs will take advantage of that.

I know Jimmy had the shootout with NO and he was excellent, but that was a regular season game. The Super is different and my prediction is that the Chiefs are going to win. You can disagree if you want. It's just my opinion.
 

BigJimEd

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Based on the fact that Jimmy has 2 or 3 horrendous passes in a lot of his games. He often throws terrible INTs. I think the Chiefs will take advantage of that.

I know Jimmy had the shootout with NO and he was excellent, but that was a regular season game. The Super is different and my prediction is that the Chiefs are going to win. You can disagree if you want. It's just my opinion.
I was just wondering why you thought the moment would swallow Jimmy G but not Mahomes since neither has been here. That's all.
 

CoffeeNerdness

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It didn't happen yesterday, as I recall, but Mahomes is usually good for 2-3 terrible passes a game himself. He just happens to get incredibly lucky with his; easy picks get dropped or penalties negate the play.
 

heavyde050

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It didn't happen yesterday, as I recall, but Mahomes is usually good for 2-3 terrible passes a game himself. He just happens to get incredibly lucky with his; easy picks get dropped or penalties negate the play.
Jimmy has the same luck.
Jimmy just lacks consistency. He still has barley played in his career. The 49ers may win the SB, but it will take a smart game from Jimmy and a great defensive effort.
An example of the type of mistakes that Jimmy needs to avoid - yesterday he took an atrocious sack, but was bailed out because Gould nailed a 54 yard FG. Jimmy has to throw that pass away.
 

johnmd20

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I was just wondering why you thought the moment would swallow Jimmy G but not Mahomes since neither has been here. That's all.
Because Mahomes, when healthy, is the best QB in the NFL. And he looks pretty healthy right now. Jimmy G isn't close to being the best. He's competent. He's going to have to be much better than competent to beat the Chiefs. Tennessee's defense was pretty solid in the playoffs, until they faced the Chiefs. And then they got shredded.

It's Andy Reid's year. It's the Chiefs year. I'll keep saying it for the next two weeks.
 

BigSoxFan

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I don't know that JG will need to gunsling with Mahomes. They just put up 37 points on a good defense with JG having to only throw 8 times. I do think he'll need to throw more than that but keep in mind that KC's run defense is worse than GB's this year.

Rush yards per game allowed
GB: 120.1
KC: 128.s

Rush yards per attempt allowed
GB: 4.7
KC: 4.9

So even though they did a good job against Henry, I thought that Tennessee really played away from their strengths yesterday. Even when the game was still a game, Tennessee threw WAY more than they should have. I didn't understand it, actually.

I think SF can put up a lot of points on KC even if they have a relatively small number of passing attempts. JG shouldn't have to throw 30 times for them to put up points.

And if they do, they absolutely have MUCH better weapons than Tennessee does.
All true but KC also answered the bell against Henry. Mostert is a different back but I bet they’ll approach it similarly. They’re going to key on the run and make Jimmy beat them, which he certainly has the weapons and skill set to do. I honestly don’t see either defense slowing the offenses down much.
 

BaseballJones

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I felt like Ten went away from their strengths way too soon yesterday, and that helped KC slow them down. Maybe it's a chicken-egg thing. But here was Tennessee's first few drives.

Drive 1
Henry 4 yd run
Tannehill 37 yd pass
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill 12 yd pass
Henry 4 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Tannehill incomplete pass

- Henry: 3 carries, 9 yds
- Tannehill: 2-4, 49 yds

Drive 2
Henry 11 yd run
Henry 5 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
KC neutral zone infraction
KC encroachment
Henry 2 yd run
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Tannehill 3 yd pass
Tannehill 22 yd pass
Henry 4 yd TD run

- Henry: 5 carries, 23 yds
- Tannehill: 2-4, 25 yds

Drive 3
Tannehill 9 yd pass
Henry 13 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Henry 3 yd run
KC neutral zone infraction
Tannehill 5 yd pass
Henry 5 yd run
Tannehill 9 yd pass
Ten holding
Tannehill -2 yd pass
KC pass interference
Henry 4 yd run
Henry 3 yd run
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill 1 yd TD pass

- Henry: 6 carries, 29 yds
- Tannehill: 4-5, 22 yds

So in those three scoring drives:

- Henry: 14 carries, 61 yds (4.4 ypc)
- Tannehill: 8-13, 96 yds

At that point, Henry was averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Not dynamic or dominating, but perfectly solid. They had a nice mix of run/pass of virtually 50/50. They scored three straight possessions.

And then the rest of the way, Henry carried *5* more times. That's it. Meanwhile, Tannehill threw 18 more times. They simply got away from what they do best. The key with Henry is to keep pounding him. Yes he may only get one or two yards at times, but he will also start ripping off 8-10 yard runs, and maybe a 22-25 yarder. To only run him 5 more times, after they were up 17-7, was pretty crazy.
 

Soxy

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It's Andy Reid's year. It's the Chiefs year. I'll keep saying it for the next two weeks.
Welcome aboard the bandwagon, I've been saying that since the playoffs started. Plenty of good seats still available, but they're filling up quickly.
 

cshea

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I felt like Ten went away from their strengths way too soon yesterday, and that helped KC slow them down. Maybe it's a chicken-egg thing. But here was Tennessee's first few drives.

Drive 1
Henry 4 yd run
Tannehill 37 yd pass
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill 12 yd pass
Henry 4 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Tannehill incomplete pass

- Henry: 3 carries, 9 yds
- Tannehill: 2-4, 49 yds

Drive 2
Henry 11 yd run
Henry 5 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
KC neutral zone infraction
KC encroachment
Henry 2 yd run
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Tannehill 3 yd pass
Tannehill 22 yd pass
Henry 4 yd TD run

- Henry: 5 carries, 23 yds
- Tannehill: 2-4, 25 yds

Drive 3
Tannehill 9 yd pass
Henry 13 yd run
Tannehill incomplete pass
Henry 3 yd run
KC neutral zone infraction
Tannehill 5 yd pass
Henry 5 yd run
Tannehill 9 yd pass
Ten holding
Tannehill -2 yd pass
KC pass interference
Henry 4 yd run
Henry 3 yd run
Henry 1 yd run
Tannehill 1 yd TD pass

- Henry: 6 carries, 29 yds
- Tannehill: 4-5, 22 yds

So in those three scoring drives:

- Henry: 14 carries, 61 yds (4.4 ypc)
- Tannehill: 8-13, 96 yds

At that point, Henry was averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Not dynamic or dominating, but perfectly solid. They had a nice mix of run/pass of virtually 50/50. They scored three straight possessions.

And then the rest of the way, Henry carried *5* more times. That's it. Meanwhile, Tannehill threw 18 more times. They simply got away from what they do best. The key with Henry is to keep pounding him. Yes he may only get one or two yards at times, but he will also start ripping off 8-10 yard runs, and maybe a 22-25 yarder. To only run him 5 more times, after they were up 17-7, was pretty crazy.
They didn’t have much of a choice. Their 4th drive began with 4:03 left in the first half. They ran Henry twice for 1 yard putting them in 3rd and 9 which they failed to convert. The next time they touched the ball was with 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They ran Henry for 3 yards, incomplete pass, Humphries pass for 8 yards for a1st down. Then they tried to run 3 times and got called for the holding on 3rd and 1 that put them in 3rd and 11. Punt and the next time they touched the ball it was the 4th quarter and they were down 11.
 

BaseballJones

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They didn’t have much of a choice. Their 4th drive began with 4:03 left in the first half. They ran Henry twice for 1 yard putting them in 3rd and 9 which they failed to convert. The next time they touched the ball was with 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They ran Henry for 3 yards, incomplete pass, Humphries pass for 8 yards for a1st down. Then they tried to run 3 times and got called for the holding on 3rd and 1 that put them in 3rd and 11. Punt and the next time they touched the ball it was the 4th quarter and they were down 11.
Good points. The holding call killed them.
 

Bongorific

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The chiefs run D was much better in the second half. It was atrocious early in the year which skewed their overall rankings.

They were a despicable franchise in both the first and second half.
 

Marciano490

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The chiefs run D was much better in the second half. It was atrocious early in the year which skewed their overall rankings.

They were a despicable franchise in both the first and second half.
They were much more despicable in the second half. They signed Suggs.
 

Soxy

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Good points. The holding call killed them.
Simmons was hammering this point (holding call killed them) on his podcast, but Henry got stuffed on the 3rd down play. If they don't call the holding, they still have to convert a 4th and short, on their own side of the field, to keep the drive alive. Preferable to 3rd and 11, sure, but it might not have ended up mattering.
 

johnmd20

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Simmons was hammering this point (holding call killed them) on his podcast, but Henry got stuffed on the 3rd down play. If they don't call the holding, they still have to convert a 4th and short, on their own side of the field, to keep the drive alive. Preferable to 3rd and 11, sure, but it might not have ended up mattering.
If I recall correctly, Henry was given the first down on that play.
 

tims4wins

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The side judge came in showing a very favorable spot IIRC when watching live. That said it was not a bad call, and an unforgivable penalty given it was on the back side.
 

DanoooME

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There are many examples in NFL history of a dynamic offense getting stymied by a good defense in the SB. Enough, anyway, so that it's clear to me that the 49ers have a legit chance in this game. Very much so. They'll have to play really well, and there's two weeks to break it all down, but they have a chance. JG is good enough to win this game. The defense is good. The pass rush is athletic and disruptive. They have great great skill players and a really good offensive line. They have the pieces. KC may still be too much though. But this is the best matchup we could have hoped for not involving the Patriots.
It's really, really hard for a defense to maintain a high level of play for 60 minutes in a Super Bowl. Last year's game was an outlier, and even then, the Rams defense eventually ended up cracking in the 4th quarter.

We've seen it time and time again in recent years, defenses wear down in Super Bowls as the game goes on. Belichick has mentioned before that they basically go into the game expecting it to happen.
Um, just in the last 6 years we have NE over the Rams offense, Seattle over the "historically great" Denver offense and Denver themselves over a #1 Carolina offense.

I think this is a fascinating matchup. KC has taken advantage of two teams that don't have strong secondaries the last two games. SF's secondary and pass rush is much better than either Houston's or Tennessee's as well. Day and Buckner have the ability to push the inside of the pocket back and Bosa/Armstead/Ford are athletic enough to keep Mahomes in the pocket from the outside. It will be interesting what the adrenaline rush and the longer halftime of a Super Bowl does to a finesse-type of offense that the Chiefs have. Mahomes plays with a lot of emotion and has never experienced an SB before so I wonder if fatigue will become a big factor. It will be a factor for the SF pass rush that is for sure.

These two teams played last year in Week 3(pre-Jimmy G injury) and KC won 38-27. KC ran out to a 35-7 lead.
That SF team last year was completely different, especially the defense.

If we want the "punishment" to really fit, then it should be something like this:

KC is up by 2 and looking to kill the clock in the final minute. On a third and two they run for what appears to be a game-clinching first down...but Hill gets a 15 yard personal foul (stopping the clock) for punching the helmet of a Niner on the opposite side of the field, right in front of a referee, on the third down play. The flag negates the game-clinching first down run, stops the clock, and forces a 3rd and 17 incompletion from Mahomes (ideally a dropped pass by Hill), followed by a punt. Jimmy G leads the Niners down for a game-winning field goal as the clock expires to win the Super Bowl. And in the post game interview a reporter asks the Chiefs "did it occur to the coaching staff that having a player with a demonstrated history of violence on the team could lead to an ill-timed penalty?"

For the record, I generally like Andy Reid but, as above indicates, despise human garbage Tyreek Hill.
Good thought process, but if Hill punches another player, he's getting ejected automatically, so it would have to be someone else to drop the 3rd and 17 pass (my nomination is the incredibly overpaid and overrated Sammy Watkins).
 

BaseballJones

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Um, just in the last 6 years we have NE over the Rams offense, Seattle over the "historically great" Denver offense and Denver themselves over a #1 Carolina offense.
Yep. During the Pats' run, we've had...

2002 - NE over StL (#1 offense), 20-17
2003 - TB over Oak (#2 offense), 48-21
2008 - NYG over NE (#1 offense), 17-14 (ouch)
2009 - Pit over Ari (#3 offense), 27-23
2012 - NYG over NE (#3 offense), 21-17 (ouch)
2014 - Sea over Den (#1 offense), 43-8
2016 - Den over Car (#1 offense), 24-10
2019 - NE over LAR (#2 offense), 13-3

These 8 defenses held all these top 3 offenses to an average of 14.1 points per game. 23 and 21 points allowed isn' t completely shutting them down, but it's holding them to way below their averages those seasons.

The Pats' amazing run has lasted 19 years, so in 8 of the 19 years during the Pats' amazing run, an elite offense has been really held in check in the Super Bowl.
 

brandonchristensen

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Yep. During the Pats' run, we've had...

2002 - NE over StL (#1 offense), 20-17
2003 - TB over Oak (#2 offense), 48-21
2008 - NYG over NE (#1 offense), 17-14 (ouch)
2009 - Pit over Ari (#3 offense), 27-23
2012 - NYG over NE (#3 offense), 21-17 (ouch)
2014 - Sea over Den (#1 offense), 43-8
2016 - Den over Car (#1 offense), 24-10
2019 - NE over LAR (#2 offense), 13-3

These 8 defenses held all these top 3 offenses to an average of 14.1 points per game. 23 and 21 points allowed isn' t completely shutting them down, but it's holding them to way below their averages those seasons.

The Pats' amazing run has lasted 19 years, so in 8 of the 19 years during the Pats' amazing run, an elite offense has been really held in check in the Super Bowl.
Defense wins championships.
 

bakahump

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If we want the "punishment" to really fit, then it should be something like this:
...
despise human garbage Tyreek Hill.
Wait ...If we are writing Fan Fic about what we want to happen to Hill (and as long as its painful for him... I think we should)

I want him to get Brandon Cooked. Concussed. Absolutely destroyed on an a first play crossing route. If I didnt think his head getting dislocated from his body would put a dark pall on the game I might even go there. If Hill gets knocked out I can then impartially watch the game and maybe even root for Mahomes excellence despite Andy Reid and Kelce.
I also want the camera to flash to Hills GF and Son who just as they do a fist pump.

As a younger man I was more of a dick. As an older man I see injuries as bad and usually wish no ill will on anyone. but FtG.

If none of this comes to fruition Go Niners. Patriot Connection.
 

Zososoxfan

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It's really, really hard for a defense to maintain a high level of play for 60 minutes in a Super Bowl. Last year's game was an outlier, and even then, the Rams defense eventually ended up cracking in the 4th quarter.

We've seen it time and time again in recent years, defenses wear down in Super Bowls as the game goes on. Belichick has mentioned before that they basically go into the game expecting it to happen.
Link? Genuinely curious to hear what he said and I don't recall this.
 

scott bankheadcase

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As 1 of I think 3 resident 49er fans, I would like to point out to everything thinking about rooting for the Chiefs that not only do they still have Tyreek Hill, but the traded FOR Frank Clark.
 

InstaFace

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Link? Genuinely curious to hear what he said and I don't recall this.
It might be a reference to how the number of plays for each team at halftime in SB 51 were highlighted on the team's (un-erased-yet) whiteboard. And, verily, the number of plays eventually wore down the Falcons' defense. Do Your Job 2 also highlighted the hill sprints and other conditioning work the Patriots put in that was considered over-the-top even by NFL standards, so that they can gain that edge.
 

BusRaker

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I think we need the Chiefs to lose in OT, with Mahomes never touching the ball.

Chief nation's outrage would be shake the nation, and their tears would overflow the Mississippi.

A national debate would ensue.
Throw in a denied Andy Reid challenge on blatant PO to lose a timeout in regulation and I'm in

Edit: and some classic AR clock management
 

BaseballJones

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I'm a little curious about the career of Raheem Mostert. When I see that guy play, I see a guy who is absolutely electric, a complete game-changing running back. I thought he was a rookie or 2nd year guy. He's been in the league since 2015.

In 2015, as an UDFA, he played for three teams (Cle, Mia, and Bal). Played in 11 games and didn't get a single offensive touch.
In 2016, he played for Chicago and San Francisco. 3 games total, and had 1 carry for 6 yards.
In 2017, still with SF, he played in 11 games, with 6 carries for 30 yards.
In 2018, with SF, he played in 9 games, with 34 carries for 261 yards (7.7 ypc), and 6 rec (on 7 targets) for 25 yards.
Then in 2019 with SF, he played in 16 games, with 137 carries for 772 yards (5.6 ypc), and 14 rec for 180 yards. 10 touchdowns total.

So a guy this electric, this dynamic...how did it take him this long to actually be a major player? Bad at pass protection? Took this long to get in the right system? He had to be this fast coming out of college. Anyone know more about this guy? He seems like everything you'd want in an NFL running back but there has to be a reason (or reasons, plural) why it took his career so long to get rolling.
 

Soxy

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Link? Genuinely curious to hear what he said and I don't recall this.
They were across different videos, so I don't have links. He mentioned it about the Atlanta Super Bowl, the Rams Super Bowl, and if IIRC, he mentioned it during one of the NFL 100 episodes as more of a general statement.

Um, just in the last 6 years we have NE over the Rams offense, Seattle over the "historically great" Denver offense and Denver themselves over a #1 Carolina offense.
In four of those six Super Bowls, including Seattle-Denver and Pats-Rams, more points were scored after halftime than before halftime. Crude measure, sure, but interesting to note. The opposite is generally true during the regular season, as first half scoring averages tend to be a tick higher than second halves.

I haven't really dug into it, but it makes intuitive sense to me. Doesn't make it true, obviously, and it's probably worth doing more research. Super Bowls are always played either in domes or warm weather cities (Broncos-Seahawks being a notable exception), so I kind of just took it at face value as something that made sense to me.
 

coremiller

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I'm a little curious about the career of Raheem Mostert. When I see that guy play, I see a guy who is absolutely electric, a complete game-changing running back. I thought he was a rookie or 2nd year guy. He's been in the league since 2015.

In 2015, as an UDFA, he played for three teams (Cle, Mia, and Bal). Played in 11 games and didn't get a single offensive touch.
In 2016, he played for Chicago and San Francisco. 3 games total, and had 1 carry for 6 yards.
In 2017, still with SF, he played in 11 games, with 6 carries for 30 yards.
In 2018, with SF, he played in 9 games, with 34 carries for 261 yards (7.7 ypc), and 6 rec (on 7 targets) for 25 yards.
Then in 2019 with SF, he played in 16 games, with 137 carries for 772 yards (5.6 ypc), and 14 rec for 180 yards. 10 touchdowns total.

So a guy this electric, this dynamic...how did it take him this long to actually be a major player? Bad at pass protection? Took this long to get in the right system? He had to be this fast coming out of college. Anyone know more about this guy? He seems like everything you'd want in an NFL running back but there has to be a reason (or reasons, plural) why it took his career so long to get rolling.
Mostert is a little undersized to be a featured NFL back. He wasn't a featured back in college either, where he was a return specialist. He was 190 lbs when he came into the league and he's listed at 197 now. He also has an unusual upright style, without the low center of gravity a lot of NFL backs have. He probably couldn't be very effective in a scheme that didn't open up big holes, where he had to consistently plow through bigger defenders between the tackles. And he's not a great receiver. So it's a tricky fit for a guy who's on the small side who isn't a traditional pass-catching 3rd-down back like James White or Darren Sproles.

But he's lightning quick, he ran a 4.34 40 at the combine and qualified for the NCAA track championships as a sprinter. On a team like the Niners with a good line and effective passing game around him that can consistently open up creases, he can use his burst to hit the holes fast, and his speed means the LBs and safeties are frequently taking the wrong angles because they're just not used to a guy that fast.

Here's a link to every RB season in the last decade for RBs greater than 5'10, less than 200 lbs, with at least 400 yards rushing: http://pfref.com/tiny/vERzc. There aren't a ton of them. Notably, Matt Breida gives the current 49ers two entries on this list, and two of the only three players on the list in the last four years; Breida is also a burner with sub-4.4 40 speed. Shanahan/Lynch seem to have clearly been looking for a specific type at RB.
 
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BigSoxFan

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May 31, 2007
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Mostert is a little undersized to be a featured NFL back. He wasn't a featured back in college either, where he was a return specialist. He was 190 lbs when he came into the league and he's listed at 197 now. He also has an unusual upright style, without the low center of gravity a lot of NFL backs have. He probably couldn't be very effective in a scheme that didn't open up big holes, where he had to consistently plow through bigger defenders between the tackles. And he's not a great receiver. So it's a tricky fit for a guy who's on the small side who isn't a traditional pass-catching 3rd-down back like James White or Darren Sproles.

But he's lightning quick, he ran a 4.34 40 at the combine. On a team like the Niners with a good line and effective passing game around him that can consistently open up creases, he can use his burst to hit the holes fast, and his speed means the LBs and safeties are frequently taking the wrong angles because they're just not used to a guy that fast.

Here's a link to every RB season in the last decade for RBs greater than 5'10, less than 200 lbs, with at least 400 yards rushing: http://pfref.com/tiny/vERzc. There aren't a ton of them. Notably, Matt Breida gives the current 49ers two entries on this list, and two of the only three players on the list in the last four years; Breida is also a burner with sub-4.4 40 speed. Shanahan/Lynch seem to have clearly been looking for a specific type at RB.
Yup. And they spent some real coin on McKinnon who fits that profile as well.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Yup. And they spent some real coin on McKinnon who fits that profile as well.
Tevin Coleman fits a similar profile at 6'0, 206 lbs, 4.4 speed. Mackinnon is a little traditionally sized at 5'9, 209 lbs, but he's got speed too, if not quite Mostert/Breida speed.

What's funny is that Shanahan/Lynch had discovered a market inefficiency in that guys like Mostert and Breida can be had for nothing, but they still wasted a bunch of money on Mackinnon (4/30 with 18 million guaranteed) and Coleman (2/8.5 with 5.25m guaranteed).