The San Francisco 49ers have a huge task coming up when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. If the Niners are going to beat the defending champions, it seems clear that the defense will have to find a way to limit Patrick Mahomes and keep him from lighting up the scoreboard. Defensive end Nick Bosa will play a key role in trying to keep the quarterback from having a huge day.
Mahomes has dominated in the last two Super Bowls the Chiefs have won, winning the MVP in both games. Nick Bosa believes that Mahomes makes most of his plays when he has a chance to be creative. The Niners have to limit those opportunities, according to Bosa.
“Keeping him in the pocket the best you can is one of the big things, because he loves to improvise. Then full-on effort,” Bosa said. “Kyle called it. Defensive-line stamina is the key to the game.”
It is a somewhat risky philosophy because Mahomes is such a talented quarterback. He can pick apart a defense by staying in the pocket and delivering accurate passes. However, when Mahomes gets outside the pocket, he is buying time for his receivers and has an opportunity to string big plays together.
If Mahomes gets outside the pocket and can't find any open receivers, he can make key yards with his scrambling ability.
Patrick Mahomes completed 401 of 597 passes for 4,183 yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season. While those numbers are not up to Mahomes' previous standards, he has been quite a bit better in the Chiefs' three postseason victories. He has completed 70 of 103 passes for 718 yard with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.
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