Because of what he did to beat the 2007 Patriots, I've always been a Spags stan. It crested during last season when he took a fairly middling talent team through a great playoffs. I'm so glad Spagnuolo is finally getting his flowers this year, and his defenses performance against the Ravens was masterful. Yes, it was helped by some odd playcalling, but he loaded the box and dared the Ravens to throw. They did, and his team responded by owning what had been a good OL, covering receivers well and turning guys like Drue Tranquill into superstars for a day. Spags's defense has been great all year. I lost my mind when people were saying "this is the worst team Patrick Mahomes has had." Worst offense? Maybe. But best defense, led by a masterful Spags at his best.
Runner-Up: Christian McCaffrey (RB, SF)
It really could go to a number of 49ers but McCaffrey to me exhibited teh msot calmness and poise throughout the 49ers huge comeback. His runs were excellent, against what had been a very good Lions rush defense. His play on the edge, with stiff-arm after stuff-arm, was something else. He consistently got 8 yards when others would've gotten two, or 20 yards when others would've gotten 8. He's the most important part of that offense - the 2023 version of Marshall Faulk for the Greatest Show on Turf Rams. The numbers didn't overwhelm, but he was the one guy the Lions had no answers for the entire game.
Goat of the Week: Lions's Hands
All this annoying discourse about 4th down decision making could have been avoided if the Lions, up to that point playing basically a perfect game, had remembered to catch the ball. Josh Reynolds was by far the worst and most impactful offender - his drop on the first 4th down in the second half, taking away what would've been a sure 3-points in teh 24-10 game, stemming any early momentum. Then of course his drop on 3rd and 8 on the drive after the 49ers tied the game. The 49ers had the momentum, but Reynolds found himself wide open for a 15+ yard gain - which could've reset things. Instead another awful drop. And of course who can forget the drop and facemask pop-up by Viledor. That one was bad execution adn terrible luck that it turns into a 50-yard completion, but in that second half, the Lions hands just disappeared.
Runner-Up: The Ravens Poise
OK, this is a weird once since it isn't exactly a player. I thought of giving it to Zay Flowers, who ahd the most impactful mistake with the fumble at the 1/2-yard line, but that was also just a great play by Sneed. But how about the taunting penalty, or him cutting his hand in disgust. There was the Jackson forced throw into triple coverage after quick-snapping the Chiefs. There was the personal foul by Kyle Van Noy, one fo the more experienced Ravens in big games, which turned a likely Chiefs run-out-the-clock into an eventual field goal drive. The Ravens just seemed over-amped to their own harm.
Surprise of the Week: Lions Secondary
Odd that I'm picking a performance from a losing team, but I want to throw one out for the Lions oft-maligned secodnary. Sutton had generally a good game, forcing some tight window throws to Samuel and Aiyuk. Various guys did well on Kittle - his one good play being when covered by a linebacker. On the 50-yard catch by Aiyuk, it was great bracket coverage. The Lions secondary didn't lose this game. I guess you can say they dropped two additional interceptions, so didn't help "win" it enough, but for what was the clear weakness of the team coming in, played out closer to a draw than you would expect.
Runner-Up: Chiefs Running Game
This shouldn't be a surprise by now. Pacheco was incredibly important in the Chiefs title run last year, but his ability to churn out 3-6 yards so consistently is such a hidden weapon for the Cheifs. It helps when Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith also had their best games of the year in opening up slight lanes that the hard charging Pacheco did well to work through. The Ravens had a great rush defense. The Chiefs consistently won that battle. If anything, they didn't run enough in that second half, after the Ravens got a beat on the Chiefs passing game.
Disappointment of the Week: Raven's Abandoning the Run
Pretty obvious one here. I'll never understand them calling just 6 runs to running backs in the game. Gus Edwards had one carry for 15 yards in the first half. It isn't like the Chiefs were stoning every run play. It wasn't like they weren't getting quick pressure on Lamar. I get that they were loading the box, but the Ravens are the best rushing team in the NFL and just abondoned it cold. Just bizarre from Monken and Jackson.
Runner-Up: The 4th Down Discourse
It shocks me that so many people seem to actually be seriously criticizing Dan Campbell. Firstly, he has said many times these are "gut" decisions for him and not some by-the-book analytical play. But anyway, he has been aggressive his whole tenure. His kicker is not all that good, so bypassing 47 and 48 yard field goals is hardly surprising. On one of the 4th downs Reynolds should have caught it and converted. It bums me that so much of this is due to result over decision. If anything crystallizes this point it is that the most unconvetionally gutsy 4th down call was the Ravens going for it on 4th and 1 from their own 34 in the first quarter - Jackson got 20+ yards and not one peep after that. Just be consistent.
Team Performance of the Week: Chiefs Secondary
What the Chiefs did in that game was stunning in its completeness. Everyone in the secondary was amazing. Sneed and McDuffie with great coverage throughout - erasing everyone but a few big plays by Zay Flowers. Tranquill was excellent as a semi-spy, semi-blitzer. Justin Reid was fantastic as the last line of defense and spot TE-coverage duty. They kept things in front of them. They tackled well. The Chiefs have invested a lot in that secondary the last few years. They were already good heading into this season but took it up a notch, no more than their performance to put the clamps on the Ravens - fit with the biggest play of the game in Sneed's punch-out.
Runner-Up: 49ers OL
The Lions best strength on defense is its DL. They had a few nice moments particularly in teh first half, such as the bull rush that led to the pick, and a couple stuffs. On the whole though, a generally maligned unit in the 49ers OL (Trent Williams excluded) won that matchup throughout. The running lanes for CMC. The great protection in the second half for Purdy, even doing well to clear paths for him to step up and run. They'll need this level of OL play to have a chance in the Super Bowl.
Team Laydown of the Week: Ravens OL
A week after road-grading the Texans, teh Ravens OL suffered all day. Ronnie Stanley had some awful moments, including the strip-sacks where he was beaten almost instantly. Then comes Simpson being bull rushed into Lamar repeatedly. They had a tough time picking up blitzes. Jackson was pressured under two seconds repeatedly. Sure, maybe they could've had more hot reads and what not, but the Ravens OL that was such a strength all year picked an awful time to have their worst game.
Runner-Up: Nothing (yeah, it was that type of week)
Storyline that will be Beat into the Ground: Chiefs Dynasty Prospects
The discussion has already started - this is the game the Chiefs can cement themselves as a dynasty. Forget that they really already are - six straight trips to the AFC Title Game, four to Super Bowls, two titles. Win or lose to me this is a dynasty. But anyway, what I more hate about this discourse is we're starting to see the first time the "Is Mahomes > Brady?" question being raised and unsurprsingly this has led to some truly awful discourse. I do want to see a back-to-back winner for the first time in 19 years. I do want a clear true dynasty. But also I hate that this storyline will dominate the two weeks.
Storyline that Should be Beat into the Ground: 49ers Pass Rush, Where Art Thou!?
There will be a lot of mentions of Super Bowl LIV as we head into this game - a game that the 49ers were controlling at 20-10 into the 4th quarter, to that point forcing Mahomes into legitimately a bad game. How? Well their pass rush consistently won down after down through most of that game. Some Mahomes brilliance - and Garoppolo misses - turned it all around, but the 49ers showed in that game how they can slow down the Chiefs. The 2023 49ers, at least the version from this last 6-7 weeks, is a far cry from 2019 though. Bosa may be the same, but Arik Armstead has been relatively quiet. The Chase Young experiment is working yet. Jovan Hargrave has been quiet. There's no Deforest Bucknor this year. Then again, the pass rush came to life in the second half of the title game. The 49ers have to hope that was the rebirth of what should be a huge asset for them. If that continues, it can really turn the Super Bowl around.
Early Super Bowl Prediction: Chiefs 27 49ers 23
