I assume that readers here either saw the Super Bowl Game on Sunday and/or you have read accounts of the game to the degree that you do not need or want me to review game stats. And so, I shall not – – except as they might pertain to several comments I have about the game itself.
I was very disappointed in the first half of the game on Sunday. Even though it was a one-score game for about 90% of the first half, I found myself uninspired by the game as the teams left the field. You may be surprised at that statement; you will not be surprised to learn that I was even more uninspired by the halftime show. And then the game began again, and the second half was super-interesting. Whatever the teams did to crank up the intensity during that extended halftime was a welcome addition.
A major statistical advantage for the Chiefs in the game was the performance on third-down conversions:
- Chiefs = 9 of 19 Niners = 3 of 12
If you want to ascribe that difference to superior defense by the Chiefs, be my guest. If you want to ascribe that difference to superior play-calling and/or offensive execution by the Chiefs, be my guest. No matter ho you slice it, that was a telling difference in the game outcome.
At the time of the coin flip for the overtime, I said – – with about a half-dozen witnesses present – – that the Niners made a mistake by taking the ball instead of playing defense first. I stand by that as a strategic decision when teams are playing under the revised “playoff overtime rules”. Having said that, I think it is way over the top for some folks to conclude that Kyle Shanahan “blew the game” by making that call. I say that for two reasons:
- The new and revised rule was never activated. Under the new rule and under the old rule, when the Niners scored a field goal on the first possession of overtime, the Chiefs would have received a kickoff. The Niners would win if they stop the Chiefs or get a turnover in a regular season overtime game or in the Super Bowl Game you saw on Sunday. The fact of the rule change was irrelevant on Sunday.
- The Niners’ defense needed to protect 75 yards of the playing field to win the Super Bowl. They could not/did not achieve that protection and they lost the game. Kyle Shanahan did not miss a single tackle or blow even one pass coverage on that final drive by the Chiefs. You may decide that credit belongs here to the Chiefs’ offense or that blame belongs to the Niners’ defense. Take your pick, but Kyle Shanahan did not “blow the game”.
Regarding the Super Bowl ads, I will say that this year’s crop was better than the last couple of years but still not up to the standards of years gone by. It was good to see the Budweiser Clydesdales back in the rotation. Now if only the suits at Budweiser would bring back Louie the Lizard next year …
One ancillary note from the weekend involves the announcement of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Let me be clear; I have no problem with Patrick Willis being part of the Hall of Fame. I do have a problem with the following comparison, however. Here are some pertinent career stats for Linebacker, Patrick Willis:
- Games played = 112
- INTs = 8
- TDs = 2
- Passes defended = 53
- Forced Fumbles = 16
- Sacks = 20.5
- QB Hits = 41
- Tackles = 950
- Tackles for Loss = 60
As I said, those stats are worthy of the Hall of Fame. Now consider these career stats for a temporarily anonymous linebacker:
- Games played = 195
- INTs = 24
- TDs = 2
- Passes defended not available; stat was not kept then.
- Forced Fumbles = 26
- Sacks = 52
- QB Hits not available; stat was not kept then.
- Tackles = 1123
- Tackles for Loss not available; stat was not kept then.
The anonymous linebacker here is Seth Joyner and I think his career stats are comparable to those of Patrick Willis. Joyner retired from the NFL in 1999 meaning he has been eligible for the Hall of Fame for 20 years. Might I suggest that the Hall of Fame voters take another look at Seth Joyner for the Hall of Fame?
Finally, let me close here with these words from comedian, Joah Rivers:
“I hate housework! You make the beds; you do the dishes – and six months later you have to start all over again.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
Halftime show? With all the pregame hoopla, then the game, if you are supposed to watch the halftime show, when do you eat? You can nibble with the game, but the serious eating time is at the half. I never watch halftime
Ed:
Our traditional eating time for our Super Bowl convocation is during the pre-game festivities.
Brock Purdy was a game manager in the Super Bowl, and the 3 for 12 on third down showed it.