There has been much discussion surrounding the San Francisco 49ers’ approach to the late-game situation in the recent Super Bowl. The game went into overtime, catching many of the players off guard, and ultimately, the Kansas City Chiefs emerged as the victors due to the decisions made by the 49ers during the extra period.
As the days following the Super Bowl progress, more details are being revealed about what transpired on the field and on the sidelines for San Francisco. Mic’d Up segments have provided an inside look, showcasing the confusion experienced by the 49ers.
The scenario was quite straightforward. If the 49ers had chosen to kick off and allow the Chiefs to have the first opportunity to score, they would have known exactly what they needed to do on their subsequent possession to either win or tie the game. However, San Francisco opted to receive the ball first in overtime, granting Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs the advantage of having four downs on their initial drive instead of three.
Mahomes successfully converted on a crucial fourth down during his team’s final drive, keeping their hopes of victory alive. This decision may not have been made if the Chiefs had received the ball first. While it is generally unwise to assume that the Chiefs would have punted in a fourth and one situation, their position inside their own 35-yard line would have given the 49ers a favorable field position, requiring only a field goal to secure a win.
In the end, the Chiefs marched down the field and scored a touchdown with only seconds remaining on the overtime clock, securing their third Super Bowl title in five years.
Travis Kelce expressed disbelief at the 49ers’ decision to take the ball at the start of overtime. He believed that winning the coin toss should have provided them with the advantage, but instead, they handed it over to the Chiefs.
As the recently released Mic’d Up videos and segments emerge this week, we are gaining insight into the profound confusion experienced by the San Francisco 49ers, while the Kansas City Chiefs reveled in their opponents’ costly mistake.
Conversations on the opposing sidelines couldn’t have been more different. While Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid deliberated over the possibilities of the coin flip, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan simply instructed his team captain, “We want possession of the ball.”
The 49ers did indeed receive the ball, but their confusion had only just begun. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, in a post-game interview, admitted his lack of understanding regarding the overtime rules. This was confirmed by the Mic’d Up video, where he can be heard saying to his teammates as they prepared for San Francisco’s overtime possession, “Even if we score a touchdown, they still get a chance. I had no idea.”
On the opposite sideline, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce appeared to be well aware of the situation. When the 49ers opted to receive the kick, Kelce celebrated with enthusiastic fist pumps and exclaimed to his teammates, “We wanted them to have the ball. If they want it, they can have it.”
It remains unclear what the 49ers focused on during their preparations leading up to the Super Bowl, but understanding the overtime rules certainly wasn’t one of their priorities.
According to the Source sportslens.com