Four Takeaways From 49ers' 31-20 Super Bowl Loss to Chiefs
The San Francisco 49ers’ 2019-2020 season was a magical one no doubt, but ultimately it ended just like the franchise’s past 24, a championship-less finish.
The Kansas City Chiefs, led by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, defeated the 49ers 31-20 in a heartbreaking fourth-quarter comeback. The Chiefs scored three straight touchdowns to overcome a 10-point hole. The 49ers were unable to mount a comeback of their own.
Yes, a Super Bowl win was the ultimate goal. Yet, given the preseason uncertainty surrounding the roster and front office, just making the playoffs was an amazing accomplishment. This team not only earned a lot of local respect, they gained national recognition.
After five failed years, they finally filled Levi’s Stadium and even delivered two playoff games. The season ended in heartbreak, but the 49ers brought winning back to the Bay Area.
Here are four takeaways from the 2020 Super Bowl:
The Best Team Came Out on Top
Every elite team needs just one thing to enter themselves in the “Greatest of All Time” conversation, and the Chiefs earned that on Sunday. For the third consecutive game, with a double-digit deficit and their backs against the wall, the Chiefs buckled down and did what they do best: win.
Mahomes and his 4x400-meter relay group of skill players orchestrated three straight touchdown drives to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 50 years.
While San Francisco crumbled, the Chiefs elevated their play. Mahomes evaded the pressure, outran defenders and picked apart the 49ers’ secondary. Running back Damien Williams fought for every yard and scored the eventual winner. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins torched defenders for huge gains. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Bashaud Breeland were all over the field.
It seemed like everything that got the 49ers to this point faltered in the final 11 minutes and everything the Chiefs did succeeded.
Battle of Coaches Goes Kansas City’s Way
This Super Bowl boasted not only two of the best head coaches in the NFL, but possibly the best two assistants as well.
On one sideline was Kansas City’s Andy Reid, a long time head coach that often came up short in the big game, and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, a should-be-head-coach that was wrongfully spurned in the hiring process for the second consecutive year.
On the other sideline was San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, a young coaching prodigy whose last trip to the Super Bowl ended with a 25-point collapse, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who like Bieniemy, should have been hired as a head coach.
A win would not only exorcise one of the head coach’s demons and amplify the other’s, it would give the snubbed assistant an even more qualified résumé. Unfortunately for San Francisco fans, but fun for the rest of the NFL, it was Reid and Bieniemy who came out on top. The venerable offensive gurus earned their title by putting the ball in their best player’s hand, while everything the 49ers relied upon disintegrated.
As a whole, this year is not a failure for Shanahan or Saleh. They proved a lot this season. Some wanted Saleh fired after a poor 2018, but by sticking with him, they were rewarded with an elite defense. And as for Shanahan, his reputation will drop (at least nationally) back to that of a choker, but he turned the cellar-dwelling 49ers into a championship-contender.
Shanahan, Saleh, general manager John Lynch and the majority of the 49ers will be back next season. This loss stings, and will continue to for some time, but they have the foundation built for continued success for a long time.
Despite the Numbers, Kansas City’s Line Wreaked Havoc
A lot was billed about the Kansas City offense vs the San Francisco defense, but maybe a lot more should have been said about the Chiefs’ defensive front. Led by Jones, the defensive line was seemingly always in Jimmy Garoppolo’s face. When they couldn’t get fast enough pressure, they got their hands up and swatted at least four passes at the line of scrimmage, including two with under two minutes to go.
Overall, Kansas City had six QB hits, four tackles-for-loss and a sack. That might not seem like a lot, but it was enough to disrupt any rhythm. They got in Garoppolo’s face, forcing him to make mistakes and often miss open receivers.
While the Chiefs were putting the heat on Garoppolo, the 49ers’ defensive line was struggling to hold on to the slippery Mahomes. Despite four sacks, four TFLs and eight QB hits, Mahomes’ escapes and broken tackles will be what’s remembered. The 49ers missed out on a few drive-killing sacks and could not get the MVP down.
Fourth-Quarter Collapse Spoils a Great Season
Things looked bleak for Kansas City when reserve 49er safety Tarvarius Moore picked off Mahomes to halt an early fourth quarter scoring drive. San Francisco was up 10 and just 11 minutes and 57 seconds away from winning the Super Bowl. If the 49ers could have done what they had done all postseason, run the ball down their opponent’s throats, they likely would've won their first championship in 25 years.
After a quick first down, they should have held all the momentum, but instead they self-destructed. Garoppolo lost his accuracy. Left tackle Joe Staley, who was battling a hand injury, committed a costly false start. Defensive backs Emmanuel Moseley and Jimmie Ward played poor zone coverage on a third-and-15 for a game-changing 44-yard catch by Tyreek Hill.
Moore, who was a hero just minutes before, did not turn to play the ball on a pass to tight end Travis Kelce, and was called for pass interference. Richard Sherman was burned by Sammy Watkins and was just late in stopping Williams, who barely stretched the ball over for the go-ahead score.
Despite all these mistakes, the 49ers still had a chance to win it with a little over two minutes to play. They quickly worked their way toward midfield, but once again, things spiraled. Garoppolo had two passes batted and he overthrew a wide-open Emmanuel Sanders for a go ahead catch.
On that same Sanders play, All-Pro tight end George Kittle, the 49ers’ best receiver, was left in to block. Would Kittle have provided an easier target, or would Garoppolo overlook his go-to target in the face of pressure like he had previously?
Football is a game of inches. Every play has meaning. The Chiefs capitalized on their opponent’s mistakes. The 49ers did not.
