Everytime there is either a high scoring game or a low scoring game, people come out of the woodwork to extol or bash the quality of the game. Be it the 54-51 Rams win over the Chiefs last year (or this year's 48-46 49ers win over the Saints), or the 6-6 tie a few years back between the Cardinals and Seahawks. In each case, I always wonder what a perfect, evenly played, enjoyable game would be. What would it look like if both offenses and defenses play well.
It would look like mistakes were made. There probably would be a turnover or two and a sack or three because the defenses played well. There would probably be decent scoring, guys running open, time in the pocket, amazing throws, because the offenses played well. It would be a mix of both. These types of games are rare, with generally one side of the ball winning the batlle, be it both offense or both defenses, but if you had such a game it would look a hell of a lot like Super Bowl LIV. It wasn't the most dramatic. It wasn't nearly the best. But it was about as well played a game by all units as possible - and that will stay with me.
The last time I felt this way about a Super Bowl probably was Super Bowl XLVI, when the Giants upset New England 21-17 (not hte perfect season time). In that game you could make a case both offenses and defenses played well. Eli strung together a series of long drives. The Patriots in the middle of the game had Brady throw 19 straight completions. The Pats also made multple red zone stops, forced a few fumbles and sacked Eli three times. The Giants returned the favor with two sacks and a safety forced, plus an interception and consistent pressure at times.
This game was very much like that, but with the added bonus of these being two teams that were consistently great all year and came in with good-to-great units on all sides of the ball. The Chiefs offense was already great, but so were the 49ers defense, and despite the score, that played out to an even draw in my mind.
Patrick Mahomes still hasn't played a bad game, but this was the closest, and it was due mostly to a defensive line that kept consistent pressure up. Nick Bosa had seven hurries. Buckner and Armstead each got sacks. The linebackers were great against the short stuff and screens. They had good awareness on the intereceptions.
But between all that, the Chiefs offense still played well, running for nearly six yards a pop, Mahomes still have nearly 300 yards, with two receivers (Hill, Watkins) combining for 200. Kelce was great in the short zone. The OL paved the way late to give Mahomes slightly more time while doing great against the run. That whole matchup lived up to expectations, even if it was the 49ers dominating first and the Chiefs late.
The other side of the matchup was even more interesting to me. We can pull out those ill-fated last three drives and say the 49ers offense blew it, but that both removes any cognizance of the Chiefs defense coming to life late, and also how good hte 49ers offense was to that point. Pitch-plays, end arounds, options, the 49ers pulled out all stops and were great - utilizing Deebo Samuel and Emannuel Sanders well. They ran the ball for nearly six yards a carry. Their OL was creating holes early. It was all humming.
And then, as much as you want to say the 49ers offense failed, the Chiefs defense exploded. Chris Jones pushed pocket after pocket and deflected away passes, one from what would have easily been a conversion to George Kittle. Spagnuolo's blitzes were perfect on those last few drives, pushing Garoppolo back, never letting him throw clean, getting free rushes. It was magical.
That game changed quick, but mostly because the Chiefs came to life in a way they did early and absolutely did not for the middle 40 minutes of the game. That was about as even a game as I think you can expect to get. The defense had its big plays, five sacks, four interceptions, four forced fumbles. The offenses had their big plays, bombs to Hill and Watkins, Deebo running wild, great running by Mostert and Williams. It was just great, pure football.
This Super Bowl will be lost over time to the other madnses that has hsppened in the last 20 years, starting with the first 'modern' Super Bowl in 1999 (XXXIV, with teh Rams beating the Titans by a yard - another game where every unit conceivably played well). But it was mightily better than last year's, and a game shorn of the historical stakes of Brady and Manning playing in it (first time since 2012), breathed new, fresh life into the game. This was a season of change, but it ended with a classic in terms of how good football can be if everyone is playing well.
