5 lessons Buccaneers can learn from SF 49ers Super Bowl loss to Chiefs

The SF 49ers know firsthand how dangerous the Chiefs can be, so they may pass along these key Super Bowl lessons to the Buccaneers.

The story behind the SF 49ers‘ 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV wasn’t just how the Niners squandered a 10-point lead in the second half but also how they ended up being outscored 21-0 in the fourth and final quarter.

Some may constitute that as a lapse from San Francisco’s defense. But multiple 3-and-outs by the SF 49ers, batted-down passes, misses, overthrows, a reluctance to run out the clock with the run game and more ultimately paved the way for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Co. to stage the comeback so many around the NFL, outside of Niners fans, wanted to see.

Now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope to learn from some of the mistakes San Francisco made from last season when they square off against those same Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7.

This time, it’ll be SF 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s former mentor with the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, looking to show Mahomes why he is still the face of the NFL.

Brady will have his work cut out for him. And even after pulling off the win over quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game, Mahomes and the high-profile Chiefs offense is an entirely different animal.

As such, it would be wise for the Bucs to pay attention to these five lessons the Niners can teach about the Chiefs and the Super Bowl.

SF 49ers Lesson to Buccaneers No. 1: Don’t abandon the run

For whatever the reason, head coach Kyle Shanahan elected to move away from his prolific rushing attack in the second half of Super Bowl LIV, prompting Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu to later say, “We were grateful they got out of the run and started to throw the ball” after Kansas City’s stunning victory.

It’s not a complicated concept. One of the best ways to keep Mahomes and Co. from doing damage is by keeping them off the field. And the best way to do that is to maintain possession by running the ball.

The Buccaneers struggled with their offensive identity early this season, although it sure helps to have Brady at the helm with receiving weapons like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown at his disposal.

But Tampa Bay needs to regularly feed its running backs, namely Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette. Fournette, in particular, was awfully effective against Green Bay in the conference championship.

And he could be just as vital against a Chiefs team that owned the second-worst run defense in 2020, according to Football Outsiders.