No challenge the San Francisco 49ers will face on Sunday during Super Bowl LVIII is bigger than trying to limit Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The what is an obvious conclusion, but the how is a much tougher question.
For a defense to stop Mahomes, not only do they have to apply pressure and hold when the quarterback is in the pocket, but there’s also a concern when he is able to extend plays. 49ers’ defensive coordinator Steve Wilks knows that, and this area has been a big point of emphasis throughout the preparation.
“Number one, he’s doing a tremendous job, really extended plays. We talked all week. It’s two plays within one down. When the ball snaps and then once he starts to scramble, so he’s phenomenal,” Wilks said before the trip to Las Vegas. “The best I’ve ever seen for just buying time, winning with his feet and getting the ball where it needs to go down the field.”
Mahomes’ ability to extend plays is particularly effective because of his connection with tight end Travis Kelce. In the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl four years ago, Kelce finished the game with six receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, a big part of the puzzle for Kansas City to win the title. Now, Kelce is even more important, because the Chiefs don’t have a dominant wide receiver like Tyreek Hill was.
An off balance completion on 3rd and 18.
Mahomes and Kelce getting it done 💪
📺: #KCvsGB on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/CQH1cx3gZS pic.twitter.com/ebB0Kn95GS— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2023
“With anything, it’s time. You build a strong relationship over time and they seem to be in sync with one another in regards to Mahomes could be going to his right and Kelce really is going to his right as well, and he’s throwing the opposite way,” Wilks added. “They’re always on point with one another. So that’s the point that we’re trying to emphasize in practice is that the down is never over. You’ve got to be ready to extend it down once Mahomes starts scrambling.”
All that goes around a Super Bowl might affect how a team approaches the game. Media, press conferences, early travel, different practice facilities. But Wilks reinforced how the 49ers are trying to keep things as usual as possible, and that’s a relevant message coming from the top of the coaching staff with Kyle Shanahan.
“This is a normal week for us,” Wilks mentioned. “I don’t really consider it to be a celebration until after we win.”
So far, Patrick Mahomes has faced the San Francisco 49ers three times in his NFL career, leading the Chiefs to three wins — in the 2018 regular season, the Super Bowl after the 2019 season, and in 2022 — exactly the game in which Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt and Brock Purdy took over as the 49ers’ quarterback.
Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans had their chances and couldn’t stop Mahomes. Now, it’s Steve Wilks’ turn.
