Super Bowl LIV: 5 reasons the 49ers can beat the Chiefs
By Chris Wilson
No. 1: Chiefs Can Still Be Beat by the Run Game
Give credit where it’s due. The Kansas City Chiefs deserve to be commended for containing Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship Game. But as detailed earlier: The San Francisco 49ers’ offense is much better equipped to handle such a defensive approach.
However, that doesn’t mean Kyle Shanahan should focus less on establishing the run in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs’ success against the Tennessee Titans isn’t exactly indicative of how well they performed against the run over the course of the season. As mentioned earlier, Kansas City allowed opponents to rush for an average of 4.9 yards per carry during the regular season.
In the Chiefs’ four losses during the regular season, opponents averaged 178.8 rush yards. That’s indicative of who they truly are.
Granted, Kansas City’s defense has played much better since the midway point of the season, which adds a wrinkle to any mismatch hopes San Francisco might have.
Still, Football Outsiders wasn’t particularly kind to the Chiefs’ run-defense efforts over the course of the season, ranking it 29th, and by far the lowest of all playoff teams.
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For the 49ers, which will look to maintain possession by keeping Patrick Mahomes and all his offensive weapons off the field for as much time as possible, this bodes well for the prospects of yet another Lombardi Trophy returning to San Francisco.