Who to watch, beyond the obvious, when Chiefs and 49ers meet Sunday in Super Bowl LIV
You know about Patrick Mahomes, Jimmy Garapollo, George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Richard Sherman, Tyrann Mathieu and many others who headline Super Bowl LIV. Here are some other guys who’ve flown a bit under the radar but could come up big Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs and/or San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers fullback
He’s listed as a fullback, but Juszczyk does a bit of everything. He lines up at tight end, halfback and wide receiver and he’s one of the best blockers in the game. Juszczyk made the Pro Bowl this season, but his position might just as well have said “Swiss Army knife.”
Niners defensive end Dee Ford went up against Juszczyk last season when Ford played for the Chiefs and remembered having a difficult time defending him. “I went up against (Juszczyk) last year, and that was a problem,” Ford said.
DeForest Buckner, 49ers defensive tackle
Buckner isn’t under the radar, but with so many standouts on the Niners’ defense, he gets a mention here. He finished with 7 1/2 sacks in the regular season after producing 12 last year. He knows how to get to the quarterback and says that’s his mission Sunday.
“I’m getting him down, but you’ve got to be smart about it, obviously,” Buckner said of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
Over the past two games, Mahomes has been a running threat. He’s led the Chiefs in rushing in both playoff games and turned in a season-highlight 27-yard touchdown scamper in the AFC Championship Game against the Titans.
Buckner said he’ll do all he can to disrupt Mahomes. “If it’s on the sideline, you’re going to try and tackle him. If he jumps out of bounds, you got to try and get out of the way. ... I’m a football player. I’m going to hit him as legally as possible.”
Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman
It’s been a while since Hardman turned in a big play as a wide receiver. He’s had one receiving touchdown in the Chiefs’ eight-game winning streak that includes two playoff games.
But his Pro Bowl kick-return abilities have kicked in. He’s averaged 29.1 yards per return over the Chiefs’ past six games. Hardman and Sammy Watkins are terrific options when opponents apply extra attention to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Don’t be stunned to see Hardman slip behind the Niners’ defense for a big play.
Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland
Ragland got more snaps in the Chiefs’ two playoff games than he did in any game over the final month of the regular season. He tends to see more action against teams that emphasize the run. The Texans and Titans had success running the ball against the Chiefs in the regular season, less so in the playoffs.
The 49ers have been a ground-and-pound team, using three running backs, which likely increases Ragland’s role and importance to the KC defense.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 4:00 AM.