PFT’s Mike Florio: 49ers should risk a penalty and put a hard hit on Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 27-yard touchdown run in the AFC Championship Game has been the biggest highlight in this year’s NFL playoffs.
Mahomes deftly avoided stepping out of bounds, then powered through two Titans players near the end zone.
On Wednesday night, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio was talking with NBC sports colleague Peter King and said the 49ers should get physical with Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV to avoid such runs. Even if that meant a hit would result in a penalty.
“I want to be careful here because I’m not suggesting that they try to knock him out of the game, that’s not what I’m saying, but at a certain point you trade the risk of 15 yards if you can send a message. And football is still a physical, violent game,” Florio said.
“If you can hit him, even if it’s close to the sideline, even if he’s maybe started into his slide, when the championship is riding on it, I think it’s a different analysis. And yeah, we may give up 15 yards or half the distance to the goal line.“
A 15-yard penalty would be the result of an unnecessary roughness penalty that would be called for any defender who hit a quarterback who slides.
The NFL Rulebook notes: “Defenders are required to treat a sliding runner as they would a runner who is down by contact.”
Florio says someone from Tennessee should have risked a penalty and put a big hit on Mahomes.
“That’s the thing, Peter. If someone had blown up Patrick Mahomes inside the 5, OK, it goes from the 4 to the 2. Big deal,” Florio said. “Again, I’m not saying that that should be part of the deliberate effort, but the Super Bowl is riding on it, and if this guy is going to think can run through the defense without any physical consequence, they need to dispel him of that notion the first time he tries.”
Former Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen was not happy with Florio’s suggestion to the 49ers.
“Maybe someone should risk punching you in the face,” Allen posted on his Twitter account.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 8:37 AM.
