The Chiefs' defense knows of the 49ers' offensive strengths ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, and San Francisco excels in one area above all that Kansas City wants to limit on Feb. 11.
When talking to reporters on Wednesday at Super Bowl Radio Row, Chiefs safety Justin Reid highlighted Kansas City’s main concern.
“The number one thing for this game plan after run fits will be tackling,” Reid told reporters Wednesday. “When you watch the Green Bay [Packers] and Detroit Lions [games in San Francisco], they had opportunities, plays that should’ve been [tackles for loss] -- Deebo [Samuel] or Christian [McCaffrey] breaks a tackle, and now it’s going for a first down -- [the 49ers] start creating momentum that way.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“So, I think that it will be critical for us that on the edge on those dump-off passes, on the screens or whatever they’re doing, the first guy there makes the tackle and really slows that momentum down, don’t allow them to catch a stride or rhythm that way.”
San Francisco’s electric playmakers are what Reid would describe as tough tackles. Star 49ers like Samuel, McCaffrey, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are irritants for defenses when touching the ball, as they break tackles and turn should-be negative plays into first downs.
McCaffrey, in particular, led the 2023 NFL regular season in rushing yards with 1,459 and is someone Reid and the Chiefs want to limit.
San Francisco 49ers
Reid, who played college ball with McCaffrey at Stanford, explained what makes his former teammate challenging to bring down.
“The guy is a machine, man. He doesn’t get tired," Reid said. "He’s a workhorse. He’s strong – he’s stronger than what his size makes it look. But he also has the quick feet, the stutter-step before he breaks inside, the jump cuts. He also has shown in his game that he added the stiff arm. So, you know, the guy has a complete utility belt at his disposal.”
Although a fiery rematch between Super Bowl LIV contestants in 2020 is planned for Sunday, good sportsmanship remains between the two franchises with eight Vince Lombardi Trophies combined.
Who knows how long the camaraderie will last?