In the second half of the Super Bowl LVIII, the San Francisco 49ers could have put Kansas City Chiefs on the ropes by boosting their score. Yet, they could not capitalize on this opportunity, resulting in three-and-out on their drives in the third quarter.
As expected, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs seized the chance and staged a dramatic comeback victory against the 49ers. San Francisco was left ruminating over what they could have done differently, having suffered a loss of 25-22 in overtime. This happens to be their second loss in five years.
The 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy, expressed his disappointment postgame, mentioning his admiration for head coach, Kyle Shanahan and the team’s shared desire to win for him. He felt the pain of the defeat on behalf of his team, pointing out that it had been a tough year, making the loss sting even more.
Although Purdy, the third-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history (aged 24 years 46 days), had a decent showing as he managed to complete 23 of his 38 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, he failed to make several pivotal plays when his team needed them most. The 49ers’ final two drives of the match were burdened by critical third downs.
Kansas City’s defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the first person to win four Super Bowls in that role, succeeded in pressuring Purdy on each of the 49ers’ final third-down plays of the game. These forced incompletions proved costly, as expressed by Purdy in the aftermath of the game.
Purdy’s misses were particularly evident in his final throw of the overtime game. He revealed post-match, his failed attempt at connecting with Jauan Jennings in a critical third-and-4 situation at the Chiefs’ 9-yard line, understanding how significantly it contributed to the defeat.
Despite facing Spagnuolo’s pressure throughout the night, Purdy managed a respectable 10 completed passes out of his 13 attempts under the blitz on first and second down. His performance on third down, however, was worrisomely less effective.
The matchup with the Chiefs’ blitz:
Comp/Att
10/13
2/6*
Pass Yards/Att
7.8
4.8
Passer Rating
124.5
50.0
* 1 of 4 vs. DB blitz on third down (2 of 2 on first and second down)
Spagnuolo’s intense defense had previously contributed to the Super Bowl losses of Tom Brady and the 18-1 New England Patriots (2007), Shanahan’s 49ers (2019 season) and Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The 2023 Super Bowl also witnessed its impact
Moving forward, the 49ers and Purdy are determined to review their strategies this offseason and seek another shot at Super Bowl success sooner rather than later.
