SPORTS BALL!!!

[Xprimentyl]

What I?m NOT liking as a Niners fan is how many of the pundits are choosing the Chiefs de facto. I can?t turn on the radio or flip through YouTube without hearing/seeing something to the effect that Mahomes is a god amongst men that the Niners will have conjure some way to stop and Jimmy GQ is going to have to pass the ball if we want any chance of winning. Really?

Are they? Admittedly, I don't follow many of the talking heads... I find their endless cycle of picking a side--> being smug about their pick---> Lording how smart they are over everyone if they get it right ---> trying to spin it so it sounds like they were totally right all along if they pick wrong... to be very exhausting. The few I've seen covering the superbowl matchup seem to be fairly split down the middle, though. Most are high on Mahomes specifically, yes... though a few are still trying to argue he's a product of his system, which is tiresome

I didn?t normally watch/listen to the sports pundits either, but this NFL season has been so much fun to watch with so many great stories, the analyst shows have been pretty entertaining, if only for the pageantry. Stephen A. Smith has actually grown on me, and I never thought I?d say that. I could listen to him argue with Max Kellerman all day simply because it is so ridiculous and over the top. It?s mostly for show, but they do make some good points from time to time. But yes, the general consensus from most of them, flippantly or otherwise, has been the Chiefs ?will? win it because ?Mahomes.? Kinda piss in your cheerios when a humble 4-12 team has put its head down and banded together, amazingly gone 13-3, won the conference championship for a Super Bowl berth just to have the ?know-it-alls? say their only chance comes down to ONE guy up whose ass their heads are presently stuck.

The chiefs have a high ceiling, but I feel like no reasonable person would be able to argue against the 49ers being a more complete team. The chiefs are also prone to starting slow and sloppy, which they then lean on Mahomes' talent to bail them out of. Mahomes is good, but he can't carry the entire team forever. Vegas favors the chiefs by one point, but that comes from the Vegas algorithm, which gives an advantage to the hosting team, even when a game is at a neutral site (the AFC is technically 'hosting' the bowl this year). Remove that, and even Vegas calls the game a coin flip.

With regard to those two points specifically, though.

"Needing to conjure up a way to stop mahomes"- Mahomes is no god, but it's true that the Niners are going to have to plan specifically to Mahomes strengths if they want to contain him. They have a HUGE advantage over the Titans in this regard- their front 7 is strong enough that they can rush 4 and still pressure the quarterback effectively, but they'll still have to resolve the same issue every team that plays the Chiefs faces: Play zone and you have to gamble on your pass rush getting home before the recievers can find a seam. Play man and you have to either leave a CB one-on-one against Hill, Leave a DB one-on-one against Kelce, or double both and leave open field for Mahomes to make a rush.

Now, are the Niners incapable of pulling this off? Hell no. They have the talent both on the field and in the coaching tree to scheme effectively against Mahomes, but it *is* still something they're going to have to plan for specifically. The only QB who consistently gave the 49ers line trouble this year was Russell Wilson, and Mahomes is basically Wilson if he was younger and had a more reliable arm.


"Jimmy G will need to throw the ball"- I can only guess based on context, but I presume they're referring to the achilles heel of run-first offenses... running drives eat more clock than passing drives, so if you have to play from behind, you run the risk of timing yourself out if you don't start throwing down the field. The assumption is that if they let the Chiefs take the lead in the second half, they'll have to air it out.

That is... I mean, technically it's correct, but I don't know how applicable it is to this matchup. Even if my Chiefs manage to avoid their usual tradition of playing like ass for a quarter before catching fire, I imagine this would be a shootout where the score never seperated by more than one possession. In a situation like that, the Niners wouldn't have any reason to change their usual offensive MO.

Oh, I don?t disagree with anything you?ve said. In fact, you?re saying exactly what I?m saying. Of course the 49ers will have to plan for all of the Chiefs? strengths, but the Chiefs will have to do their own fair share of planning for US. I mean, the Niners are in the Super Bowl for a reason; the story is bigger than ?can they stop Mahomes?? Again, yes, he is impressive, incredible even, but until he manages to do the impossible and no-look throw across his body to himself, I?ll be damned if he?s going to rattle our cage.

I?ll admit, a lot of my ire is emotional. I?ve loved the 49ers for +30 years. through thick and thin, better or worse, sickness or health, and while there are teams who?ve certainly had it worse for far longer, we SHOCKED the league when we came out like we did in 2019 and have dealt with nothing but doubt this WHOLE time:

Undefeated preseason? Oh, preseason doesn?t matter and isn?t really indicative of talent.

First half of the regular season, we?re 8-0? Oh, they haven?t really played anybody, haven?t really been tested.

Second half of the season, we?re 5-3 (13-3) having lost those 3 games by a TOTAL of 13 points to Super Bowl-contending teams, all in the literal last seconds of each game, and that?s despite having been riddle with injuries to myriad starters in vital positions. Oh, and we?re the #1 seed in the NFC? Not bad, but we?ll see how you do on a playoff stage.

Vikings beat the Saints? WOW!! Did you see what Kirk Cousins and the Vikings did to the Saints?!? They?re riding high and looking amazing right now; you?re in trouble!!!

We beat the Vikings? Well, uh? yeah, well, b-b-but NOW you?ve got to play the Packers!! Aaron Rodgers learned so much from the 37-8 trouncing y-y-you gave him in week 12; he?ll show you this time!!!

We beat the Packers 37-20 to make a first Super Bowl berth? WOW!! Chiefs are in the Super Bowl!! What can the 49ers POSSIBLY do to beat Mahomes!! He?s got a 17? dick and is the best thing since sex on sliced bread!! Chiefs (-378)!!!!!!​

Jeez, gimme a damn break. We?ve been the tacit and dismissed underdog all year no matter what we do, no respect. If we DO manage to win the Super Bowl, the first question will be ?yeah, but will Kyle Shanahan be able to lift the Lombardi trophy????

 

[balladbird]

snip

First off, I agree completely about Stephen A... surprisingly, it was this season that made me come around on him, as well. Maybe I just needed the cowboys to crash and burn to really appreciate his schtick! XD

Second,That's perfectly fair. You're excited because your guys did something special, and it seems like no one who follows the sport for a living has noticed.

I think part of it is that sportscasters *love* it when they can personify an entire team with one player. It makes it a lot easier to spin narratives and build hype. In some sports such an approach works. Basketball, for instance, only has 10 men on the court at one time, 5 on each side, and thus, a single immensely talented individual carries a lot more sway on each game. In football, it's generally a false equivalence... Schemes, systems, and player groups win games, rather than individuals, but reporters tend to just mention the top contributer as if he's singularly responsible for all of it. It's likely not a coincidence that the teams that got the most press during these playoffs had one player who could be propped up. Jackson and the Ravens! Brady and the Pats! Henry and the Titans!

The thing about the 49ers is that you can't really do that with them. Their dominant season has been an ensemble performance, with success coming from coordinated execution rather than individual talent. They have elite level talent, naturally. Tons of it. Bosa, Kittle, Mostert, Ford has developed into quite a force, and even Jimmy G is a lot better than he tends to get credit for being. Still, no single person in the long list of their talented playmakers could be said to encapsulate their success. You couldn't say "Bosa's 49ers" or "Kittle's 49ers" and really feel like you captured the essence of the team.


The Chiefs are popular because they embody what writers like to pretend to be true... they embody it better than I care to admit. Look, I'm a Chiefs fan, so I'm not ashamed to admit it. There is one, and only one, reason we're in the super bowl this year... and he stands under center. The rest of the team tried to do what they've been doing in the playoffs for the past fifty years... choke and embarass themselves in the early rounds. XD

It definitely sucks if the press has been one-sided, though. Only two teams make the superbowl every year, so you'd think it would be easy to evenly hype it up!

 

[Xprimentyl]

snip

First off, I agree completely about Stephen A... surprisingly, it was this season that made me come around on him, as well. Maybe I just needed the cowboys to crash and burn to really appreciate his schtick! XD

I know, right? After watching Stephen A. troll a live crowd of Cowboys? fans, calling THEM the worst thing about the team, I grew to appreciate the ?character? he puts on.

Second,That's perfectly fair. You're excited because your guys did something special, and it seems like no one who follows the sport for a living has noticed.

I think part of it is that sportscasters *love* it when they can personify an entire team with one player. It makes it a lot easier to spin narratives and build hype. In some sports such an approach works. Basketball, for instance, only has 10 men on the court at one time, 5 on each side, and thus, a single immensely talented individual carries a lot more sway on each game. In football, it's generally a false equivalence... Schemes, systems, and player groups win games, rather than individuals, but reporters tend to just mention the top contributer as if he's singularly responsible for all of it. It's likely not a coincidence that the teams that got the most press during these playoffs had one player who could be propped up. Jackson and the Ravens! Brady and the Pats! Henry and the Titans!

The thing about the 49ers is that you can't really do that with them. Their dominant season has been an ensemble performance, with success coming from coordinated execution rather than individual talent. They have elite level talent, naturally. Tons of it. Bosa, Kittle, Mostert, Ford has developed into quite a force, and even Jimmy G is a lot better than he tends to get credit for being. Still, no single person in the long list of their talented playmakers could be said to encapsulate their success. You couldn't say "Bosa's 49ers" or "Kittle's 49ers" and really feel like you captured the essence of the team.

The Chiefs are popular because they embody what writers like to pretend to be true... they embody it better than I care to admit. Look, I'm a Chiefs fan, so I'm not ashamed to admit it. There is one, and only one, reason we're in the super bowl this year... and he stands under center. The rest of the team tried to do what they've been doing in the playoffs for the past fifty years... choke and embarass themselves in the early rounds. XD

It definitely sucks if the press has been one-sided, though. Only two teams make the superbowl every year, so you'd think it would be easy to evenly hype it up!

Well said and you?re too kind, particularly towards the team that?s effectively ?the enemy!? And you are correct, the talking heads do like to ascribe a team?s success or failure to a singular person, and if any team personifies that ideal, it IS the Chiefs with Mahomes. It?s well deserved, too; no denying it. I just wish they?d quit looking at the Niners? success with the side-eye. I guess I?m just feeling it more now because this is the Super Bowl, one more game, and after hearing the doubt and apprehension all year, our body of work comes down to how amazing ?the other guy? is. But that?s ok.

But I disagree the Niners don?t have a singular personification; I feel George Kittle is that guy. His energy, his humility, his passion for the game, his love of his teammates, his elevating the team above himself; those traits are shared throughout these 2019 Niners and have been vital to their success. In that Packers game where they only threw the ball 8 times relegating the receivers to largely blocking roles, there were no divas complaining about their lack of targets and forgettable stats; they were celebrating the blocks that created the holes for the run game.

Or Mostert. Mostert?s career is a Cinderella story for the ages, cut from 6 teams, written off, forgotten, until he landed on the Niners where he?s played an integral role rolling out the red (and gold) carpet to the Super Bowl. Who?da thunk it?

UPDATE!! Video below; finally, some love for the Niners!! See, was that so hard? Thank you Mr. Cowherd!

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

we SHOCKED the league when we came out like we did in 2019 and have dealt with nothing but doubt this WHOLE time...

Jeez, gimme a damn break. We?ve been the tacit and dismissed underdog all year no matter what we do, no respect. If we DO manage to win the Super Bowl, the first question will be ?yeah, but will Kyle Shanahan be able to lift the Lombardi trophy????

I don't understand why the league/pundits are shocked that the 49ers are good. Jimmy G started as QB 2 years back when the 49ers were like 1-8 or something and then the 49ers won out or only lost 1 the rest of the season. He got hurt last year and the 49ers sucked. I wasn't at all surprised that the 49ers won their division this year. The Rams being what they were was surprising but I kinda think they got figured out last year when they lost to the Bears and they really never put up the same numbers afterward. Across every position the 49ers are probably the best team this year. HOWEVER, the 49ers had an easy playoff run to the Super Bowl. Does anyone actually fear Kirk Cousins and the Vikings? Sure, they have the potential to play well but rarely do and they used that up "ticket" in the Saints game anyway. Since you linked a Cowherd video, he also said the Packers were a 9-7 team masquerading as 14-3, which I thought the same. I gave the Titans about a 10-20% chance of beating the Chiefs but I gave the Packers literally no shot in beating the 49ers because 1) the Packers are like a "fine" team and 2) the 49ers roster beats the Packers handily across every position but QB. The only chance the Packers really had was Rodgers single-handedly gun-slinging all game to just give his team a chance at the end. But what did I see the Packers doing as I watching the game on and off during a DnD session? Running the ball 1st and 2nd down making Rodgers consistently having to pick up 3rd and longs. Rookie coach with a decent team wasn't beating the 49ers.

With all that said, I do have the Chiefs winning just because I really think they min/maxed that offense so much that it can't be defended. The only way I can see stopping that Chiefs offense is getting to Mahomes quick, which the 49ers d-line might be able to do but if Russel Wilson gave you problems with a worse o-line, Mahomes will too. I think it will be an interesting game because I don't have much faith in the Chiefs stopping the 49ers offense either. It will be all about the Chiefs getting off the blocks to stop the run; there's a reason Mostert got cut from 6 teams or whatever, it was the blocking that let him run free. The 49ers run blocking is like the Super Bowl Broncos' teams, they could literally put anyone back there and get like 5 yards a carry. Then, when those Bronco running backs went to other teams, they did nothing.

 

[Xprimentyl]

HOWEVER, the 49ers had an easy playoff run to the Super Bowl.

?Easy? playoff? run?? The #1 seed, the bye and home field are EARNED by regular season performance, and the latter half of the season, the Niners ran a GAUNTLET everyone just knew would shred them, not only because the teams they were playing were great, but because the Niners were decimated with injuries on both sides of the ball. The Packers, Saints, Ravens and the Seahawks TWICE, all teams in legit Super Bowl contention, and they came out of that 5 for 8, losing only three by a combined 13 points. Then after resting and healing on the bye after getting banged up to get there, they had to beat off playoff teams in the Vikings and the Packers AGAIN. ?Easy? my ass; they EARNED that shit.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

HOWEVER, the 49ers had an easy playoff run to the Super Bowl.

?Easy? playoff? run?? The #1 seed, the bye and home field are EARNED by regular season performance, and the latter half of the season, the Niners ran a GAUNTLET everyone just knew would shred them, not only because the teams they were playing were great, but because the Niners were decimated with injuries on both sides of the ball. The Packers, Saints, Ravens and the Seahawks TWICE, all teams in legit Super Bowl contention, and they came out of that 5 for 8, losing only three by a combined 13 points. Then after resting and healing on the bye after getting banged up to get there, they had to beat off playoff teams in the Vikings and the Packers AGAIN. ?Easy? my ass; they EARNED that shit.

I didn't say the 49ers didn't earn being called a really good/great team, I said the teams they beat in the playoffs were at best "good" teams. Neither the Vikings or the Packers are very good.

 

[09philj]

Allegedly the Saudi government wants to buy the football (soccer) team I support which I think might be the only thing worse than the current owner.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Haha, Pete Carroll lost again. That's about all I have to say about the Pro Bowl this week.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Haha, Pete Carroll lost again. That's about all I have to say about the Pro Bowl this week.

Yeah, the Pro Bowl was basically 3 hours of touch football. We actually left the house and paid for drinks at an empty sports bar to watch it. Did you see that interception that Fletcher Cox ?ran? back for a touchdown? I could have caught a plane form Dallas to Orlando, taken an Uber from the airport to the field and made that tackle myself in the time it took those offensive guys to pretend to try to catch him.

They need to ditch the Pro Bowl; it?s boring and pointless. Everyone knows it needs to happen, but it just hasn?t. The sheer logistics and expense involved in bringing together a handful of elite athletes to put 15% of their ability on display in a meaningless game of football is a complete waste. Just typing that last sentence out blows my mind with the sheer inanity of it.

I did enjoy the Skills Showdown they put on the day before; in lieu of the Pro Bowl, they should just expand on that. As it stands, it?s pretty cheesy, but after a hard fought year of seeing every other non-teammate as ?the enemy,? it?s nice to see them have some casual fun, share some camaraderie and still put on a talent show. Arguably, those challenges are a better show of their talent as each event is tailored to positions, as opposed to the game where the defense is disallowed from blitzing and kickoffs don?t happen. Yeah, more intense skills events! The Defensive Linemen could collectively wrestle a rhinoceros! Kickers could have to clear a 20-yard field goal using a bowling ball! Running Backs have to run the length of the field while it?s being carpet bombed! Who WOULND?T watch that show?!? My Skillz Show would KILL the Super Bowl in viewership; Goodell needs to call me!

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Congrats to Mahome-boy and Chiefs for representing the state of Kansas and the US-of-A so very well!!!

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

The Super Bowl lived up to my expectations. My team may have lost, but finishing second place is a huge step up from where we were last year, and the Chiefs earned their victory. I cannot be upset about how it turned out.

ETA: Plus, major props to Patrick Mahomes, who at the age of 24, is the second-youngest QB to win the Super Bowl, and the youngest to also win the NFL MVP Award.

 

[balladbird]

So... the superbowl was a thing that happened! Needless to say, it left me with a lot to think about. Now that a few hours have passed by, maybe I can organize those thoughts a little bit.

So, in the weeks leading up to the superbowl, I felt a bit more detached to the outcome than I did during the playoffs. I wanted my team to win, as always, but just making it this far felt like it was already a huge accomplishment, so if that was where the train ended, I could be satisfied for now. Which was good, because the 49ers were a more complete team, and while my heart wanted the chiefs to win, my brain had a hard time seeing it play into fruition.

As the game started, that assessment seemed spot on. The chiefs' o-line is not bad by any metric, in fact, they're well above average... but they were pushed to the limit right away against the 49ers' d-line. Routes couldn't develop properly, so the chiefs ran the ball a lot more than they used to, to some success. Still, the offense was always struggling to find a rhythm.

The 49ers start was slow, too, but felt more organized. The chiefs held their first series to a field goal, and actually managed to score the game's first touchdown, but it was clear Shanahan was flexing his playbook at the defense, trying to find the right combo... he found it shortly after Jimmy G's first interception... and had a drive that reminded me unpleasantly of their NFC championship game performance against the packers.

Frank Clark couldn't set an edge for anything, the whole group was missing tackles... the defense seemed to have regressed to its early-season form. Worse... Reid was making his usual bizarre time calls. The 49ers are clearly content to let time run out with the score tied, man! Why call a time out on 3rd down!? Hoping for a big ST play? Even if the defense gets the stop, they'll just punt out of bounds... all you did there was help them. If it hadn't been for Kittle pushing off during the final seconds of the first half, the 49ers would have gone to the locker room up a field goal all because of that weird time out.

Third quarter seemed to confirm my worst fears... but strangely, Shanahan eased up on the run. Not sure why... he was averaging 7 yards a carry, and with their eventual two-score lead, all they needed to do was kill the clock... but they started airing it out. Not wholly unsuccessfully, but that was a big reason the turnaround was able to occur. Once they finally shifted into gear, the Chiefs did what they do, and scored points in bunches... wish they could-just once- win a game without flailing about in purgatory for half an hour, though.

Now that my team has finally made it, I find I'm in a strange position. On the one hand, I've been rooting for them for as long as I've been able to watch TV, so that won't be changing any time soon. On the other hand, I don't like dynasties. I think they make sports less interesting for everyone except the people in their fanbase... but even for them, in a way. So I'll keep on rooting for them, but won't mind too much if the superbowl remains an open race.

 

[Xprimentyl]

The Super Bowl lived up to my expectations. My team may have lost, but finishing second place is a huge step up from where we were last year, and the Chiefs earned their victory. I cannot be upset about how it turned out.

Oh, I can; I can be VERY upset. And I was. I AM. But after letting it set in for a couple of days and avoiding the name-calling, finger-pointing and shaming from all the pundits who mistake the wisdom of hindsight as personal wisdom, I stepped back and looked at the amazing season my 49ers had and how ultimately proud I am of them. It was the Super Bowl; someone had to win and someone had to lose; unfortunately, we were the latter, but simply being there was a testament to how hard they worked and the odds they defied. Plus, we?re a young team with lots of growing to do; that we fought to THE game in a single season gives me high hopes for the foreseeable future. That said?

ETA: Plus, major props to Patrick Mahomes, who at the age of 24, is the second-youngest QB to win the Super Bowl, and the youngest to also win the NFL MVP Award.

I am sick to death of hearing/seeing this man?s name. I don?t care what he did or how old he is; the second coming of Christ he ain?t. Initially I wanted to beat him just because he was the opponent, but the past two weeks of the networks? swinging from his nut sack was tiresome, and it turned my professional competitiveness into a personal vendetta. Welcome, ?Mahomes? to the very prestigious group of quarterbacks I would like to find alone in a dark alley: Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and now YOU. Good DAY, sir. I SAID GOOD DAY!

 

[balladbird]

I am sick to death of hearing/seeing this man?s name. I don?t care what he did or how old he is; the second coming of Christ he ain?t. Initially I wanted to beat him just because he was the opponent, but the past two weeks of the networks? swinging from his nut sack was tiresome, and it turned my professional competitiveness into a personal vendetta. Welcome, ?Mahomes? to the very prestigious group of quarterbacks I would like to find alone in a dark alley: Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and now YOU. Good DAY, sir. I SAID GOOD DAY!

It was interesting to me as well, even as a Chiefs fan, simply because dude did *not* play well for the first 53 minutes of this game. At all. He overthrew guys, he underthrew guys, he didn't see defenders. Both of his interceptions were 100% his fault. I wouldn't call his performance 'terrible', but it was aggressively average. Credit for the comeback, naturally, but I still feel like Damien Williams got robbed on that MVP vote. His consistency was the only reason the Chiefs ever had a shot in this one.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I am sick to death of hearing/seeing this man?s name. I don?t care what he did or how old he is; the second coming of Christ he ain?t. Initially I wanted to beat him just because he was the opponent, but the past two weeks of the networks? swinging from his nut sack was tiresome, and it turned my professional competitiveness into a personal vendetta. Welcome, ?Mahomes? to the very prestigious group of quarterbacks I would like to find alone in a dark alley: Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and now YOU. Good DAY, sir. I SAID GOOD DAY!

But he is that good though. And, I'm a Bears fan that traded up to not get him. He's already better than Peyton that always choked in big games and only won Super Bowls because he can outplay Rex Grossman and then had a defense that won it for him.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I am sick to death of hearing/seeing this man?s name. I don?t care what he did or how old he is; the second coming of Christ he ain?t. Initially I wanted to beat him just because he was the opponent, but the past two weeks of the networks? swinging from his nut sack was tiresome, and it turned my professional competitiveness into a personal vendetta. Welcome, ?Mahomes? to the very prestigious group of quarterbacks I would like to find alone in a dark alley: Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and now YOU. Good DAY, sir. I SAID GOOD DAY!

But he is that good though. And, I'm a Bears fan that traded up to not get him. He's already better than Peyton that always choked in big games and only won Super Bowls because he can outplay Rex Grossman and then had a defense that won it for him.

Yes, he is ?good,? but can we see how he does over a few more years before we decide he?s the only player worth discussing and the greatest athlete in all of sports? Not being hyperbolic; some pundits have posited that he should be the highest paid athlete PERIOD. I mean, there?s actual discussion over whether he?s more worthy of a Hall of Fame vote than Eli Manning. This is getting ridiculous. He?s not doing it by himself; he?s had some incredible weapons to work with that would make even an average quarterback look amazing. Tyreek Hill is damn-near the fast player in the NFL, he had Kareem Hunt for a spell, Travis Kelce is freak of nature, etc. Does anyone honestly think that were you to put him somewhere like Cleveland, Miami or New York, his highlight reel no-look passes and 60-yard bombs could elevate those franchises into playoff contention? Put him somewhere with an offensive line that doesn?t allow him to scramble while subpar receivers struggle to get separation. Mahomes being ?Mahomes? in those scenarios looks foolish and reckless.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Yes, he is ?good,? but can we see how he does over a few more years before we decide he?s the only player worth discussing and the greatest athlete in all of sports? Not being hyperbolic; some pundits have posited that he should be the highest paid athlete PERIOD. I mean, there?s actual discussion over whether he?s more worthy of a Hall of Fame vote than Eli Manning. This is getting ridiculous. He?s not doing it by himself; he?s had some incredible weapons to work with that would make even an average quarterback look amazing. Tyreek Hill is damn-near the fast player in the NFL, he had Kareem Hunt for a spell, Travis Kelce is freak of nature, etc. Does anyone honestly think that were you to put him somewhere like Cleveland, Miami or New York, his highlight reel no-look passes and 60-yard bombs could elevate those franchises into playoff contention? Put him somewhere with an offensive line that doesn?t allow him to scramble while subpar receivers struggle to get separation. Mahomes being ?Mahomes? in those scenarios looks foolish and reckless.

If he had some major flaw, I feel like it would've been exposed by defenses by now. I can see the best NFL quarterback being the highest paid athlete just because of how little supply of them (really good ones) there are and he is the best QB right now so... Sure, Mahomes has more weapons than most (if not all) but I feel he could easily pull a Russell Wilson on a team with far less talent at the skilled positions like Russell Wilson does. I'd say Mahomes and Eli are basically even because Eli had those 2 good runs and Mahomes has had 2 great seasons. Without even checking Eli stats, I'm guessing he was at best a solid QB, but I'm thinking his QBR and stuff is far closer to being average than it is great. I view the HOF as a place for greatness vs being decent for a long time. Was Eli ever even in the conversation for MVP in any of his seasons? I do think a great QB like Mahomes can get you to the playoffs almost by themselves, but you can't win it all without help.

 

[tippy2k2]

Overall, I got exactly what I wanted, which was a great Superbowl game. I had reasons to cheer for both sides so I became team "make it a great game" so my team won!

My former co-worker is a die hard Chiefs fan so I suppose I was leaning Chiefs way, even though I thought The 9ers were gonna win it. That defense held on strong for so long but finally just ended up breaking to Mahomes. At least unlike the Vikings, the 9ers put up one hell of a fight.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Overall, I got exactly what I wanted, which was a great Superbowl game. I had reasons to cheer for both sides so I became team "make it a great game" so my team won!

My former co-worker is a die hard Chiefs fan so I suppose I was leaning Chiefs way, even though I thought The 9ers were gonna win it. That defense held on strong for so long but finally just ended up breaking to Mahomes. At least unlike the Vikings, the 9ers put up one hell of a fight.

I?m not bitter or anything, ([small]really; I?m not[/small],) but second only to the Mahomes? hype train, all the sudden limp-wristed, beige, vanilla, tofu, Prozac-fueled ?I didn?t really care who won, but I?m glad the Chiefs did. Yay.? praise makes me physically ill. Why? Because the aforementioned hype train shoved so much Mahomes down our throats, that even those who don?t watch football were ?cheering? for that Kermit-voiced, mohawked bastard, and they don?t even know or care why!!

Sorry, tippy2k2; that ire?s not directed at you; it just reminded me of all the hell I?ve been catching all week in the form of mocking from ?friends? who love jabbing at my misery and the indifferent glee from middle-aged soccer parents who didn?t even watch the game, but are ?happy Mahomes won.?

[small]I?ll get over this, I just give me until the 2020 preseason?[/small]

 

[Xprimentyl]

Snip

If he had some major flaw, I feel like it would've been exposed by defenses by now. I can see the best NFL quarterback being the highest paid athlete just because of how little supply of them (really good ones) there are and he is the best QB right now so... Sure, Mahomes has more weapons than most (if not all) but I feel he could easily pull a Russell Wilson on a team with far less talent at the skilled positions like Russell Wilson does. I'd say Mahomes and Eli are basically even because Eli had those 2 good runs and Mahomes has had 2 great seasons. Without even checking Eli stats, I'm guessing he was at best a solid QB, but I'm thinking his QBR and stuff is far closer to being average than it is great. I view the HOF as a place for greatness vs being decent for a long time. Was Eli ever even in the conversation for MVP in any of his seasons? I do think a great QB like Mahomes can get you to the playoffs almost by themselves, but you can't win it all without help.

I?m not saying he has some undiscovered, major flaw or isn?t a great QB; I?m simply saying exactly what you said:

Mahomes has more weapons than most (if not all)

And I feel he?s getting too much credit far too soon in his career. This was only his second year starting; let?s see 3-4 decisively winning seasons and consistent competitiveness before we crown him King of Sports. Look at Tom Brady, the unarguable G.O.A.T. of the NFL; see what he did last season without his go-to weapons? I?m saying, let?s give all this credit this year to the CHIEFS, of which Mahomes is a significant boon of several. HOF nods belong to those who show greatness AND some longevity, c?mon. You can look at Mahomes now and see HOF potential, certainly, but comparing his record to that of someone who just ended a 16-year career with two Super Bowl wins isn?t fair to Manning. Do I think Manning belongs in the HOF? Nope. Yeah, ?two Super Bowls,? but they?re bookended by significant mediocrity and downright awfulness, but at least it gives [me] a big enough sample set to say the highlights are far outweighed by the lowlights. Mahomes has seen the playoffs twice, and only made it past the Conference championship once, and won one Super Bowl, and he?s done all that surrounded by HOF talent. Good start, but that?s it: a good START.