49ers-Chiefs: Three Under the Radar Players who can Tilt the Balance
It’s finally Super Bowl Sunday, and although the broadcast will mostly focus on each team’s stars, the unsung heroes could just as likely come away with a big play to win the game. The Super Bowl is where the unknown become heroes, just ask David Tyree, Malcolm Butler, Tracy Porter, Malcolm Smith and many more.
Two weeks ago, Raheem Mostert pushed his anonymous career into the spotlight when he rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns to get the 49ers here. Yes, the quarterbacks, head coaches and tight ends will be mentioned a lot, but both teams have skilled role players that can turn the tide of the game.
Here are three under the radar 49ers that could become national icons with a good game:
DL Solomon Thomas
With the Chiefs destined to throw the ball at volume, the 49ers will need to keep Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford fresh. As the 49ers’ most experienced reserve pass-rusher, Solomon Thomas might be the first man sent in.
The 49ers do not blitz a lot. Due to their four-man rush’s skill, they’re allowed to drop seven back in coverage. Given how much Kansas City throws, a strong four-man rush would go a long way toward stopping the Chiefs.
It’s safe to say Thomas hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being picked No. 3 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Thomas has really improved in recent weeks. He recorded a sack, two tackles-for-loss and a QB hit against Minnesota, then followed that up with some moments against Green Bay.
Yes, he hasn’t lived up to his third overall pick status. Yes, the 49ers picked him over Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Jamal Adams. But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league. A good Super Bowl performance can erase a lot of the negativity surrounding the tough start to his NFL career, and wouldn’t it be sweeter if it came against the QB that he was picked over.
CB Emmanuel Moseley
Second-year undrafted free agent cornerback Emmanuel Moseley earned the top reserve role out of training camp and filled in nicely when starter Ahkello Witherspoon was injured. After a brief return to the bench, Moseley was once again thrust into the starting lineup when he supplanted Witherspoon, who was benched due to a string of poor performances.
Moseley quickly stabilized a leaky 49er secondary. He shut down Minnesota wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who earlier torched Witherspoon for a 41-yard touchdown. Although he wasn’t flawless against the Packers (8-10 targets for 81 yards), he did intercept Aaron Rodgers and hold Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams out of the end zone.
The Super Bowl presents a different beast, however, as Kansas City receiver Tyreek Hill awaits him. Hill might be the fastest player in the NFL. He will make you pay if you give him any space, but if you play him too close, he will burn past you with his sub-4.3 40-yard time.
According to Player Profiler, Hill is in the slot 35.2% of his team’s plays. That of course is K’Waun Williams’ territory, but given how much the 49ers play zone, Moseley will still see Hill on those plays.
Moseley won’t be perfect, it’s hard to be against a talent like Hill, but if he can play him tough and keep him from scoring, maybe he’ll be able to pounce on a mistake like he did on Rodgers.
WR Kendrick Bourne
In both playoff games, head coach Kyle Shanahan opted to run the ball down their opponent’s throats. It not only won them both games, it allowed Shanahan to save a lot of his go-to pass-plays. In two games, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw just 27 times.
That’s not a lot of action to scout.
Game-planning, with little recent action to go off, is one thing, but to do it against one of the best offensive coaches in football is another beast. Shanahan’s saved a lot of his playbook for when the moment is right. There isn’t a better time than the Super Bowl to unleash it all.
This should bode well for all the 49er pass-catchers. George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne should all see an increase in targets this week. Kittle, Samuel and Sanders have all had their moments where it seems the entire game plan was centered around getting them the ball. This week could be Bourne’s turn.
According to Next Gen Stats, Garoppolo targets the middle of the field 69% of his passes, and Bourne is often in the slot. The third-string wide receiver eclipsed 50 yards only once this year, a 69-yard performance against Washington, but he’s tied with Kittle for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. He has a knack for getting open in the red zone, and that will be important on Sunday as the Chiefs focus on San Francisco’s top three targets.
