Why the 49ers Were Pass Heavy in the 3rd Quarter of the Super Bowl

Many mistakes were made by the San Francisco 49ers in their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Among those mistakes that are being criticized is how pass heavy they were, specifically in the third quarter.

Only one time did Kyle Shanahan dial up a run play for Christian McCaffrey. The rest were passes that resulted in three three-and-outs in the third quarter. When the game was all said and done, Brock Purdy had dropped back 38 times versus the 28 times they ran it. That is a disparage that would indicate that the 49ers were trailing, but they were neck and neck or ahead for all of the game.

Because of the heavy passing, especially in the third, there is criticism flying toward Shanahan for it. However, the decision to go pass heavy coming out of halftime was correct for the 49ers. The Chiefs were giving no quarter on the ground. Outside of the first offensive series, the run game was ineffective for the 49ers. They could never come close to the success on the ground on their opening drive.

Kansas City made it a point that they wanted the 49ers to throw and be predictable. Much of what makes the 49ers' passing game so efficient is they can throw out of run formations. The Chiefs knew that if the 49ers found some success running the ball that it would make defending the pass much more difficult.

In the first half, the Chiefs held the 49ers to under 50 rushing yards. Only one carry from the 49ers went for 10 or more. Penalties early on didn't help either as it forced the 49ers out of optimal rushing downs.

The 49ers had 5 carries for 11 yards against KC's base personnel in the first half, which is why they came out trying to pass in the second half. One of the 49ers' superpowers is beating base with the pass from 21 personnel.
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) February 12, 2024

Since that was the case, Shanahan decided to come out throwing heavy going into the third quarter. The logic made sense. They needed to lighten up the box and make the Chiefs pay for trying to eliminate the run. Unfortunately, the Chiefs were holding strong there too. The 49ers had no answers to anything the Chiefs threw at them.

But at least Shanahan was trying to deviate from what wasn't working. It would've been foolish to keep running the ball for one or two yard gains. That is basically what most of the run plays were. Shanahan had to rely on his MVP finalist Purdy to be the hero, but the Chiefs were ready for it with a perfect game plan.

Tip of the cap to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.