Posted on 01/19/2020 10:04:02 PM PST by Mariner
1. Less than an hour after the league's rushing champion was eliminated from postseason play, the 49ers provided fresh evidence supporting the idea that a star running back isn't necessary -- well, mainly because Raheem Mostert isn't yet a "star." Mostert raced 36 yards off tackle past Packers defenders for the game's first score and set the tone for what would be a historic day for the runner who was waived by four teams before landing with the 49ers.
San Francisco pounded the run into oblivion, racking up 39 total rushes, with 29 going to Mostert. San Francisco's offensive line teamed with fullback Kyle Juszczyk (and ambitious run-blocking receiver Deebo Samuel) to blow open massive lanes for Mostert to run through, and it paid off to the tune of four rushing scores and a conference championship-record 220 yards. Nine of Mostert's 24 carries broke 15-plus mph, per Next Gen Stats, an illustration of just how wide open the space was for Mostert.
The 49ers became the second team in these playoffs to complete a touchdown drive without a single pass, running the ball seven straight times for 79 yards, capped by Mostert's fourth score of the night. The loss of Tevin Coleman to a shoulder injury barely even registered as a blip on San Francisco's radar. These Niners are running straight to Miami.
2. All of this happened without a significant contribution necessary from franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, other than receiving the snap, turning and handing the ball off. San Francisco became just the third team in NFL history to finish a playoff game with fewer than 10 pass attempts in the Super Bowl era, per NFL Research. Garoppolo one-upped Ryan Tannehill's wild-card and Divisional Round outings by completing 6-of-8 passes for 77 yards and a 104.7 passer rating.
(Excerpt) Read more at nfl.com ...
They RAN for 280 yds tonight.
KC finished the season 26th against the run.
And when faced with a team that can score, they just shift gears and pass for 400 yds.
KC will do no better than the Vikes or Packers against a healthy SF team. They'll go home sore and beaten. And their kids won't meet them at the door.
Perhaps. Or not.
Proof that you don’t have to pay a running back a lot of money, especially a running back you still have under contract for two years *cough* Ezekiel Elliott *cough*
KC held Derrick Henry to 7 yards rushing in the second half of the AFC championship and he is the best running back in the NFL.
A classic matchup between San Francisco’s Power and Kansas City’s speed.
“KC held Derrick Henry to 7 yards rushing in the second half of the AFC championship and he is the best running back in the NFL.”
He carried the ball 3 times in the 2nd half.
And yes, he is the best running back in the NFL. But it’s all him. He’s a brute with speed.
But YOU could have run for 220yds behind the Niner O line. Hell, you could have walked for 150.
“A classic matchup between San Francisco’s Power and Kansas City’s speed.”
While that match up has a mixed history, it tends to favor power in the playoffs.
The Niner line is good but you need talent to run in the NFL no matter how good your line is.
And there’s about 20 other running backs in this league that could do the same thing.
Could it be that the old adage of, “The football games are won or lost in the trenches,” is still an incredible indication of which team has the best chance of winning.?
Tennessee took out the Patriots and the Ravens, doing everyone else a big favor.
“Tennessee took out the Patriots and the Ravens, doing everyone else a big favor.”
Probably.
But KC appears to be the best in the AFC. And they were second seed behind the Ravens.
It’s a testament to the skills of Mahomes considering they finished 26th against the run and 18th best defense overall.
That’s bottom half defense.
Should be a good game. Picking the 49ers to win by 13, pulling away in the fourth quarter.
” Picking the 49ers to win by 13”
Current Las Vegas odds are KC by 2.5.
Hilarious.
Well, it should be a good game as NE Patriots are not in the game. Finally, after a zillion years someone else will be playing. Chiefs looking for their Super Bowl win for the last 50 years and SF looking for theirs for the last 25. I see Chiefs up by 1.5 point...so it looks to be a close game all the way around. For SF, they don’t have great success against running scrambling QBs. So I guess we will all see come Feb 2nd...Go Niners!
” running the ball seven straight times for 79 yards”
OMG!
And that entire drive was less than 4mins.
Amazing.
And they did it without out the ever miserable CK
All I care about is that neither the Steelers or Patriots aren’t heading for Miami. What a relief!
Yeah, it’s amazing.
But cab the off line defend a pass?
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