The Script - That Is, the Revised Script - Had This Super Bowl Matchup All Along
Screenwriter Goodell has done it again!
It's admittedly not the script I saw written in the stars - or rather in the combination of the NFL's Super Bowl logo and a Memphis radio station's (now) false advertising. The best explanation is that not even Goodell could have foreseen the Taylor Swift effect - and called in the cast midseason to push the Chiefs' Super Bowl hangover back one more year at Baltimore's expense. When the Harbaugh family threatened to sue, he called in a favor to the NCAA - and Jalen Milroe - to have Jim pocket the family's due 2023 ring. And then, to give big bro the upper hand, inflicted Jim with the worst curse in all of sports - that of the LA Chargers. Equilibrium is restored.
Since my entire weekend preview was just hyping up Ravens teams of past before glossing over what I thought would be a relatively easy win for the 49ers, let's use most of our ink on the game of the year - or at least the quarter of the year.
San Francisco looked dead in the water for most of the first half, especially on defense. Chevy Chase Young was responsible for the biggest scandal, moving at 0.2x speed on a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown run that he could have prevented with even a light jog. The Lions' vaunted offensive line dominated - they ran right down Main Street with all lanes open in the first half.
And then it all changed with one of the best quarters of football you'll ever witness.
49ers fans are quite lucky. They've seen The Catch. They've seen The Catch II (Terrell Owens). They've seen The Catch III (Vernon Davis). Yes, the stakes weren't quite the same in the middle of the third quarter. But you could argue that they saw The Catch IV when Brandon Aiyuk somehow had the agility to bounce straight from a vertical leap into a horizontal one, securing a 51-yard pass with his fingertips. It was just not too dissimilar from the Jermaine Kearse catch in Super Bowl 49, which is probably not what you remember most from that drive. The 49ers, just like the Seahawks, followed that play with a pass over the middle, but this time it worked as Aiyuk hauled in a 6-yard touchdown strike.
If we play the sequence of what had to happen for San Francisco to take the lead in such a short span, it's quite miraculous. Purdy throwing across his body like Mahomes to Jauan Jennings doing his best OBJ impression (The Catch V?) on 3rd down to set up Jake for a 43-yard-field goal - turning his Moody ring green. Dan Campbell going to Jared on fourth down - and thanks to Josh Reynolds' feet for hands, the play call not working out. The Aiyuk catch. A Jahmyr Gibbs fumble. Purdy channeling Lamar for another impressive scramble. Another Reynolds drop. Mr. Irrelevant ducking and dodging All-Pro defenders to spin to his left a la Mahomes, throwing a dart to a Harvard University fullback who could probably run an algorithm to tell you he's the only fullback in the league capable of the exquisite toe-tap he executed on the sideline. Perhaps soon to be known as the Catch VI.
The run was so magical that I had the chance to spill my table's worth of drinks for the Aiyuk catch, reflect on how I wanted to improve my spatial awareness in the heat of a celebration, and have four more chances to work on it before the third quarter struck zero.
As I watch the highlights of the fourth quarter, I realize it was always a close game - with the Lions having a real chance to take the lead in the middle of it. But it always felt like the Niners were going to get it done. When Campbell, faced with another 4th and 2, dialed up a 14-carat play call at Jared instead of an 8-carat one, the Niners defense left no doubt. They smothered Amon Ra, scored again - thanks to more mobility from 13 - and punched their ticket to Vegas.
Last year's Niners playoff games, as well as the 2019 team's playoff games, went mostly according to plan. The Niners weren't perfect, but it never got too dangerous. This year, two teams that showed significant chinks in the armor during the regular season almost eliminated them multiple times. But that's how it goes sometimes. The Ravens had never played from behind and had an identity crisis when forced to do so. The Niners were aided by some luck, but they never lost their identity, feeding McCaffrey 20 times.
Kyle Shanahan may look like and pace the sidelines like a nervous Kendall Roy, but he kept his cool in uncharted waters. He's now 8-3 in the playoffs. Purdy wasn't perfect, but he made multiple plays that a certain last two round draft pick with a Super Bowl win over the Chiefs could have never made. He's now 4-1 in the playoffs, but really 4-0. Kittle served out a frisbee-sized flapjack to Aidan Hutchinson. Deebo had 8 catches. Elijah Mitchell delivered the knockout blow. It took a village.
Detroit, on the other hand, had a hell of a season. Dan Campbell will get blame for both his aggressive fourth-down playcalling (as well as the juxtaposition of a chip shot field goal rather than a knockout punch at the end of the first half). I'd probably have done exactly what he did in all 3 scenarios. He should not have burned a timeout at the end of the game, but other than that, he coached that team better than anyone could have and deserves a ton of credit. Reynolds had a tough game but played a huge role all season. In a conference that doesn't have any of the league's top 7 quarterbacks (although MVPurdy and Jared belong in the conversation), Detroit will certainly be back.
To the victors go the spoils - but also the ultimate dragon to slay. The Mahomes narrative added another chapter today as the similarities between Pat and Tom / Andy and Bill / KC and NE continue to pile up. Just as New England finished a five-year run of four Super Bowl appearances from 2014 to 2018, Kansas City ignited their own from 2019 to 2023. Just like the Patriots won three Lombardis in that span, the Chiefs have the chance to do the same. #15 has the chance to win his 15th playoff game in his sixth season as a starter - a feat that #12 didn't accomplish until his 11th season as a starter.
Mahomes was absolutely fantastic in the first half, zipping lasers to Kelce from in and out of the pocket. He didn't do much as the Bullies of Baltimore woke up in the second half, but he didn't need to. It was quite similar to a Belichick . Brady playoff win - efficient, turnover-free quarterback play, punishing defense, timely quarterback play, and the feeling that it was going to go Mahomes' way.
Baltimore forgot its identity on the biggest stage, and it mattered. The L'Jarius Sneed peanut punch at the half-yard line was the play of the game, although Lamar's lollipop to a backup tight end into triple coverage was up there. Regardless, the Chiefs are Super Bowl bound with the best defense they've had at any point in the dynasty.
More content to come on what will no doubt be the most-watched television event ever due to Travis making Taylor famous and the Andy Reid "give me some of those nuggies" commercials. It may not be the matchup America claims they wanted. But it's a matchup America is lucky to have.
Archetypes have a way of repeating themselves in this league. One shape-shifting dynasty anchored by a chosen one followed by the next. One 49ers team with great defense, offensive weapons and a game executive (albeit a far more trustworthy and slightly less handsome one than Jimmy G) followed by the next. One year of Baily's Super Bowl pick (SF / Cleveland, then SF / Baltimore) being egregiously wrong followed by the next).
Here’s to hoping the SF over Kansas City archetype established by Madison Bumgarner in 2014 can repeat itself. Baby-faced superstars (Buster Posey, Steph Curry) winning championships has been the norm in the last 15 years of Bay Area sports. It's time for #13 to get his.
Let's hope the (revised) script agrees.
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