2023/24 Super Bowl

[JuggernautJ]

What JuggernautJ? Was I wrong?

No!
You're exactly right.
(Disclaimer: I am a 49ers and Steelers fan)

I watched the game at the annual reunion of my sandlot team (The Juggernauts) and we saw every one of those picks that the refs never called.
It was infuriating. And everyone who ever played ball that was there agreed.

Of course, it is de rigueur in the NFL these days and "everyone" does it but it is still illegal and embarrassing if that's the only way you can get open.
Don't get me wrong. I like Mahomes and Reid and respect what the Chiefs have accomplished. There is just a lot about the modern game I don't appreciate.
But from the first game of the season, when their tackle lined up yards off the line of scrimmage (virtually in the backfield) to their victory in the Super Bowl the Chiefs flaunt rules violations (or, to use a less kind phraseology, cheat) to get their "fair advantage" (Hank Stram).

Yes, "everyone" does it.
Yes, it is the way the NFL is played today.
And it is still "unsportsman-like conduct."
We wouldn't stoop that low on the sandlot but at the game's highest level it is perfectly acceptable.

[Brian wolf]

The biggest pick by Kelce, being smart enough to occupy an area to draw defenders, was the one on 3rd and 6 that allowed Rice to catch a first down pass. Had it been 4th and 6, the Chiefs would have had to go for it but the conversion helped allow them to tie it up before overtime. Thanks for getting back JJ, unfortunately, the SF defense just couldnt stop the Chiefs. They were gassed.

[74_75_78_79_]

As high as I'm actually placing Reid and Mahomes amongst other HCs and QBs throughout history, this actual Chiefs - now - Dynasty I am respecting but not really placing it within 'All-Time-Great' status! The team has transformed from the beginning of this, here, Mahomes Era to what they were this very year. Quite Mahomes-heavy (with help of Tyreek) at first with Bieniemy still onboard last year, and then the suddenly grittier/defense-heavy version of this year - showing some 'road-warrior' status in the playoffs with Patrick/Kelce/PACHECO & Co playing just good enough to complement to that very third Lombardi within five years.

And some will opine that their, first year of Mahomes, 2018 installment may actually be the best of them all! It's just that they ran up against that final B&B Patriots champ! And it makes you question how any of these KC teams the past six seasons would have held up vs even THIS century's very best such as any of the other Pats teams, especially early-'00s, the Legion of Boom, 2000 Ravens, 2002 Bucs, etc?

Speaking of the aforementioned early-70s Oakland Athletics, if Chiefs do repeat next year it'll exactly parallel that three-peat a half-century apart: 2022-thru-2024, '72-thru-'74! And perhaps, similarly (unless next year they perform some dominating on both sides of ball, juggernaut-like 15+ regular season wins campaign), it'll also be seen as a three-peat where neither installment of the trio, all by itself, is considered an Historic one-year team. Just that it so happens to be...three-in-a-row. Okay, 17-3 in 2022 not shabby.

And if KC were to add to this Dynasty with more Vinces, especially if they do, indeed, three-peat, it can only add more legacy to those...2020 Buccaneers! Yes, all the more added to Tom (as if he needs any more additives; and, again, the '18 AFCCG) but also to that Bowles defense, and...Bruce Arians! Jim Lee Howell didn't just "sit back" and let the...Obvious take over. Same with Switzer as well though, perhaps, to a lesser degree. But especially MORE-so...same with Bruce! They didn't just plain beat them, as the 1960 Eagles did to Lombardi's Packers in their first-ever rodeo, but they butchered them - and after KC already experienced WINning-it-all the previous year!

Many are now saying that Detroit can be the biggest threat to KC failing to three-peat in 2024. We shall see. Though I feel Dan Campbell will take it further, I honestly wouldn't be shocked if next year will be a (hope I'm wrong) "one step back, more steps forward' letdown even if just a slight letdown. The team KC may want to refocus on are the Bengals with a healthy-again Joe Burrow. Yes, they 'exorcised' things last year in the AFCCG, but that was just one game! Let's see if Zac's bunch has more side-thorns up their sleeves!

And you don't think that Jim Harbaugh isn't going to simply flip a switch thus suddenly catapult the Chargers to their potential as he immediately did over a decade ago upstate? And as for his brother's team...will this bad-ass brute of a squad come charging out with a viscous vengeance? Or will something(someone) maybe hold them back just enough?

[Ness]

Gut crushing loss. The 49ers were so close to sealing the deal, but yet again came up short. I was pretty devastated, and am just now starting to put the loss in the rearview. I know for a lot of other fans, it will take much, much longer if they ever do get over it. The older I get I find something like this doesn't completely wipe me out. I know some folks just had to walk away from being invested in sports all-together because their fanhood was just too mentally taxing. Everyone's situation is different. I've seen a SB victory, where many have lived, and died without having done so. So I guess I at least have that. Maybe I've just found that sweet spot, at being able to have what I think is a healthy enough perspective with my investment. Not that it matters since it's going to be different for everyone like I said.

Anyway, as far as the game is concerned, after thinking about it I don't chalk it up to another game where Kyle completely shit the bed, and cost his team a win. I know that's a narrative that just got a huge boost considering the circumstances. I've watched Kyle for quite some time now, and he's certainly had his games where it's made me want to bang my head against the wall. But this really wasn't that to me. First and foremost, the 49ers as a unit have an avalanche of hideous luck that went against them. The CMC fumble on the opening drive, Dre blowing out his Achilles, recovering only 1 of 7 fumbles, the muffed punt, the blocked XP...that is all irrelevant to Kyle's ability as a strategist. The only time I really started getting irritated was Kyle going with 6 straight passing plays to open the third quarter. CMC being pounded up the through the defense is something I wish Kyle just stuck with even if it yielded a hideous result on 1st down. I'd have to watch the game again, but that was my initial takeaway there. Kyle also took the ball in OT to start, which was my same gut feeling too. But now that I think of it, it probably would have been better to defer. In this specific game going against Mahomes, I'd rather match Mahomes, then giving Mahomes all the info he needs, and Mahomes having to match me.

Going through the rolodex of losses as a fan, this was pretty bad. It wasn't the worst, but it was up there. The 49ers were EXTREMELY close to getting that 6th ring. Kyle was closer than he ever was, and the Chiefs won the game by a whisker. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a locker room so broken. I hope they come back hungry for more next season, and are just as passionate. Kyle is still the man for the job. The operation he has going with Lynch, everyone being on the same page still gives me hope for the future regardless of all the pitfalls that can happen in a season to a team. Brock Purdy at least looks like he's legit. The braintrust will have to make some hard choices with some of these core group of notable players getting older, and the cap starting to squeeze. But at least they are back at a respectable level with draft capital. Definitely need to nail the next couple of draft coming away with key players on cheap contracts who are young. I hope in particular the team really does finally do something to address the right side of the offensive line. It was a turnstile all season, and it was especially hideous in the Super Bowl.

[Brian wolf]

Its weird, because everybody talks about how great Williams is but no one ever talks about the rest of the offensive line. Even Kittle gets talked about more for blocking than anyone else. They have a great year but get criticized after the SB. Williams' penalties stalled their momentum as well.

That third quarter was rough for the 49ers. You have to like a coach being aggressive but Purdy had problems in the pocket with late throws. He seemed better moving around on misdirection and roll-outs. He will learn alot from this but Aiyuk needs to come back because theyre a great tandem. Shanahan messed up not targetting Kittle more. Even staying in the flat could have bailed out Purdy more. They get it going in the 4th quarter but the defense--without Greenlaw--cant stop the short passes from Mahomes.

[sheajets]

Chiefs really are like the new Patriots...though for me a lot more tolerable. The Taylor Swift stuff, I really couldn't be more indifferent about her. Of course the NFL welcomes her army of followers and the $ they bring with them (most of it being dads money of course the league already makes tons of money off upper middle class suburbanites with daughters) Maybe this was more of a bonding thing than anything. Dad loves football, Becky loves Taylor Swift...now suddenly their interests converge. Dad is thrilled that his little girl can suddenly name a handful of Chiefs and is openly deriding officials for missing PI on Travis Kelce.

I thought it was a quality game, and I expected things to open up as the game progressed and the defenses started to wear down a bit. Absolutely gut wrenching loss by San Francisco especially when they already let a Super Bowl to KC slip away. So many instances they could've won it and every single one they let slip through their fingers. A lot had to go their way (especially vs Detroit) to even get here...but on Super Sunday the good fortune and fortuitous bounces were just not there.

I didn't really trust Moody heading into this game and thought a miss inside 50 may come back to haunt them, but he made two north of 50. That missed XP though (it was blocked but Moody drove it too low)

San Fran up 10-3 early in the 3rd coming off a Mahomes INT, 1st down at KC's 44 and they come away with zilch on that drive. That was huge. You have got to at least squeeze a field goal out of that

[racepug]

And the announcers are talking about a Chiefs three-peat. Geez ...
Watch out Brady, according to the media, Mahomes and the Chiefs will catch your seven team championships in no time ... haha

I missed all the post-game stuff (I was upset that the 49ers lost and I DEFINITELY wasn't interested in any T.S.-T.K. "angle") so I didn't hear any of that. Before the game I texted a couple of people about "being okay" with whichever team won but I was disappointed for the 49ers. Once upon a time they were unbeaten in S.B.s and now they've lost their last three.

But - despite what SOME people on this board apparently believe - Patrick Mahomes is incredible. As I mentioned elsewhere he has been beaten in the playoffs by only ONE current N.F.L. QB (Joe Burrow) and from what I've read the last couple of days the Chiefs are in position to retain most of their S.B.-winning talent. Apparently the BIG questions in that regard are whether or not they'll be able to keep DI Chris Jones and CB L'Jarius Sneed.

Honestly, I'm not sure how much any of that really matters. Yeah, (as a couple of other people have pointed out) the Chiefs had to rely quite a bit on their "D" this last season but I think that's largely because Patrick Mahomes' receiving corps was, on the whole, so dang AWFUL (starting with that absolutely unacceptable performance in the season curtain-raiser by WR Kadarius Toney - whom, if they're smart, the Chiefs will get rid of immediately [if they haven't already])! Find P.M. some guys who will actually CATCH the darn ball when called upon to do so (believe it or not Chiefs receivers had THE most drops of any receiving corps in the league - something I heard during the S.B.) and I think a first-ever S.B. "three-peat" is entirely possible for the suddenly dynastic Chiefs.

[Brian wolf]

Spags deserves alot of credit and just got raise. Imagine a team having 57 sacks and your leading sacker is DT Chris Jones?
He will be expensive but they really need to keep him and Sneed, unless they go for a splash back or receiver ...

The offensive line deserves credit as well. Once again, they held alot in the SB but the officials once again didnt call them. Alot easier to go back-to-back that way ...

[7DnBrnc53]

This KC team is one of the weakest rosters to ever win a SB

Take Mahomes off, they’re no better than Washington

The AFC should be embarrassed. They couldn’t KO a team that looked like garbage throughout the regular season?

Like seriously this Chiefs roster is mid but get away with it because Mahomes black magic

Exactly. The only SB they should have been in was 2018, when Dee Ford jumped offsides when they had it won against NE.

This century, the AFC hasn't been that great. Most of those NE teams were of average talent at best. The Peyton and Luck-led Colts weren't that good, either. The most talented teams in the AFC since the turn of the century were the Peyton Broncos and the Killer B Steelers of the late-2010's, and only one ring to show for it.

[RichardBak]

I long ago came to the conclusion that, more often than not, the best team doesn't win the championship. Too many variables--weather, bad calls, lucky bounce, playoff seeding, injuries, etc.---that are out of a team's control and cancel out the opponent's superior talent. I don't think some of the NE or KC teams were the best in their respective SB winning years any more than the '67 Packers or '70 Colts were, for instance. The thing w/ football is that it's always been one-and-done. I think the NBA, NHL, and MLB give a truer sense of the best team by virtue of playing a series of games: best-of-3 or -5 or -7.