Chiefs’ Super Bowl keys vs. 49ers: containing San Francisco’s run game a top priority
The final game of the NFL season will determine the next Super Bowl champion when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers take the field at Hard Rock Stadium.
For the Chiefs, it’s been a long agonizing 50-year wait since they last played for it all. All the postseason misery of recent decades can be erased with a snap of a finger if the Chiefs win, but it won’t be an easy task against a formidable 49ers team.
On paper, these are two evenly matched teams.
The Chiefs finished the regular season with a 12-4 record, winning their fourth straight AFC West title with the league’s fifth-best scoring offense (28.2 points per game), the fifth-best passing offense (281.1 yards per game) and a vastly improved defense, which ranked eighth against the pass.
San Francisco ranked second in points scored (29.9 points per game), second in rushing (144.1 yards per game) and second in total defense (281.8 yards allowed per game).
The 49ers own a 7-6 edge in the all-time series between these teams, but the Chiefs have won three of the last four meetings, including a 38-27 victory in Week 3 of the 2018 season. Sunday marks the first time the Chiefs and 49ers will play each other in the postseason.
So, what will it take for the Chiefs to emerge with the Lombardi Trophy? Here are four keys.
Contain the 49ers’ running game
The Chiefs enter this game on a high after stopping Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, but the 49ers present a unique challenge with what safety Tyrann Mathieu labeled a “dynamic running game.”
Dynamic is a good word for it, too.
The 49ers don’t come at opponents with just one running back. Instead, this team utilizes a three-headed attack — Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida — with deadly efficiency.
In their two postseason games leading to the Super Bowl, the 49ers showed a tremendous commitment to the run, totaling 471 yards and six touchdowns on 89 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt.
Coleman suffered a shoulder injury in the NFC Championship Game, but Mostert picked up the slack with 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Coleman, who was limited in Wednesday’s practice, could be available Sunday depending on how he practices in the next two days.
The Chiefs used a swarming defensive effort to limit Henry in the AFC Championship Game, and they’ll need a repeat performance in the Super Bowl. All three 49ers rushers boast exceptional speed.
With the speed factor in mind, the Chiefs’ front four must maintain edge and gap responsibility to allow their linebackers and safeties to flow to the ball.
Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen, who combined for 17 tackles against the Titans two weeks ago, figure to be very busy near the line of scrimmage against the 49ers’ ground attack.
Look out for Kittle
There’s more to the 49ers’ offense than just the backfield. Tight end George Kittle is a threat as a blocker and receiver.
Kittle posted his second straight 1,000-yard receiving campaign and earned a first-team All-Pro selection this season. He’s a physical runner after the catch and won’t shy away from going after a smaller defensive back. Simply put, he’s a load to bring down in the open field.
Need proof? Look no further than his punishing 39-yard catch against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, when he took three Saints defenders for a ride down the left sideline to set up a game-winning kick.
When quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo drops back to pass, there’s a high probability he’s looking for Kittle, who led the team with 85 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns on 107 targets, all team highs.
Slow down the pass rush
The 49ers’ aggressive approach on defense is a mirror image of fiery defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who gets as excited on the sidelines after impact plays as his players do.
San Francisco’s starting front four can get after the quarterback with a fierce pass rush, as Arik Armstead (10), Nick Bosa (9), DeForest Buckner (7.5) and Dee Ford (6.5) combined for 33 of the team’s 48 sacks in 2019.
Working in tandem with the defensive secondary, the 49ers finished the season ranked first against the pass (169.2 yards allowed per game).
There aren’t many holes in the 49ers’ defense, but the Chiefs’ offensive line must effectively communicate among themselves to pick up any stunts in pass protection and keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes clean in the pocket.
Be yourself, Chiefs
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who seeks the first Super Bowl ring in his accomplished 21 years as a head coach, often tells his players to let their personality show.
From Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Tyreek Hill to Mathieu, defensive tackle Chris Jones and defensive end Frank Clark, it’s a message that openly shows as being clearly received on offense and defense. And it’s proven to be a winning ingredient for a Chiefs team that has dominated the AFC West in recent years.
The Chiefs need to stay the course with that mentality against a highly capable opponent Sunday. But if there’s a lesson to be learned from this year’s KC team, there’s zero quit in them.
Simply put, the Chiefs can’t be counted out of any game with Mahomes under center.
Down 24-0 in the AFC Divisional Round, Mahomes helped engineer one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history en route to a 51-31 win over the Houston Texans. Then he helped the Chiefs overcome a 10-0 deficit against the Titans before securing a 35-24 win in the AFC Championship Game.
The Chiefs won with grit and determination, but mostly they looked like they were having fun.
All those qualities should suit the Chiefs well Sunday, and possibly lead to a victory parade in Kansas City when the team returns home from Miami.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
