Is Kyle Van Noy's Super Bowl Request a Jab at Ravens' Offense?
Kyle Van Noy won't be partaking in Super Bowl LVIII but he appears to be game-planning nonetheless.
Van Noy and his Baltimore Ravens were denied a bid in the big game with their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game two weeks ago. They can only watch as the Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers for championship glory in Las Vegas on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
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Van Noy is nonetheless in Las Vegas as part of promotional duties with Bounty. Speaking with Chris Rosvoglou of The Spun, Van Noy, perhaps obviously, has no rooting interest in Sunday's game. He did, however, offer an oddly specific request for the 49ers, who might be the object of Charm City's temporary affection after the nightmare the Chiefs dealt out at M&T Bank Stadium.
"I don’t really care about the game," Van Noy said. "I just hope Christian McCaffrey gets the ball 40 times."
Considering the game's Las Vegas setting, perhaps Van Noy, a two-time Vince Lombardi Trophy hoister with the New England Patriots, simply has a few bets riding on the performance of McCaffrey, the 49ers' star running back. But, as Rosvoglou noted, perhaps there's a deeper layer behind his desires.
One of the more perplexing subplots of the Ravens' 17-10 loss to the Chiefs was their apparent abandoning of the run game. Backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill were bestowed only three carries each, as Baltimore mostly put the game in quarterback Lamar Jackson's hands.
The Ravens' run game was tops in the NFL this season en route to an NFL-best 13-4 record thanks to a healthy balance between Edwards, Hill, and Jackson, all of whom rose to the occasion after J.K. Dobbins was in another season-ending injury in the early stages of the campaign.
McCaffrey, currently in the midst of his first full season in San Francisco, has never had a 40-carry game but has generated numerous touches thanks to a continued prowess in the passing game. San Francisco is 6-0 when McCaffrey gets at least 20 carries, with the one postseason win in that span coming in last week's NFC title game win over Detroit.
