5 lessons Buccaneers can learn from SF 49ers Super Bowl loss to Chiefs
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Lesson to Buccaneers No. 3: Don’t let Chiefs’ Chris Jones beat you
The NFL sure wanted to give Patrick Mahomes the Super Bowl MVP award last season. But there’s an argument to be made Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones should have received it instead.
Jones was a beast throughout the game, especially in the second half, and he did more than just make life difficult for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Among the many plays Jones came up with during Super Bowl LIV was swatting down a key third-down pass attempt on a key drive the SF 49ers needed to keep their lead intact and push the clock running. Instead, Jones was the difference-maker there, and one could argue that, not Mahomes’ 3rd-and-15 completion to wide receiver Tyreek Hill, was the true play of the game.
Jones, who finished 2020 with 7.5 sacks amid another Pro Bowl-caliber year, will be called upon to be Kansas City’s interior wrecking ball.
Considering neither Garoppolo nor Tom Brady are exactly mobile and elusive within the pocket, it’ll be inherently necessary for the Buccaneers to prevent Jones from taking over the game on defense.
Fortunately, the Bucs owned the league’s No. 5 offensive line in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus, so this should be a good matchup to watch.