Jet Chip Wasp and Rose Bowl Right Parade are the two most iconic plays from the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers, and rightfully so. While both plays had a gigantic impact on the game, there were other moments in that Super Bowl that had just as big of an effect.
With FOX4 re-airing Super Bowl LIV on Saturday at 7 p.m., now is a good time to reflect on some of the plays from that day that do not get enough recognition.
Williams sets the tone
As bland as it may seem, the very first play of the game may have been one of the most important. It was a simple pitch to running back Damien Williams that went for only seven yards, but it set the tone for how the Super Bowl MVP runner-up would perform that day.
Williams took the pitch about four yards before running into 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. He lowered his shoulder into Greenlaw at full speed, which allowed him to drive three more yards before being taken down.
That run was a message for how Williams would be playing all night: Violently, with a lot of intensity and speed. Every run, every chip and every route Williams ran from that point on was with a lot of force, including his touchdown catch to give the Chiefs the lead in the fourth quarter when he shrugged off a hit from 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.
Williams set the tone from the first play of the game and carried it all the way to 104 yards rushing and two total touchdowns.
Two no-calls help the Chiefs
Down 20-10 in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs desperately needed to stop the 49ers offense and halt the opposition’s momentum. Patrick Mahomes had thrown his second interception of the game to start the quarter, and if San Francisco responded with a touchdown the Chiefs were likely going to be out of the game.
On 3rd-and-14, at almost the same instant that Jimmy Garoppolo scrambled out of bounds for three yards, Chiefs corner Rashad Fenton shoved Garappolo to the ground. In today’s NFL, that could have been called for unnecessary roughness on Fenton, giving the 49ers a fresh set of downs from their own 49-yard line with roughly 9:45 to play.
Chiefs defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon also seemed to jump early on the same play. While that error wouldn’t have been as egregious, it still would have been five extra yards for the Niners and another chance to convert.
But neither of those potential penalties were called, and instead the 49ers were forced to punt for the first time in the game. The Chiefs were able to halt their opponent’s momentum, which lead to Jet Chip Wasp and 21 unanswered fourth quarter points by the Chiefs.
Double dose of Chris Jones swats
With 1:49 left in the game, the Chiefs were up 24-20 with the Niners driving into Chiefs territory. That drive ended in a Frank Clark sack, but for that to have been possible, defensive lineman Chris Jones first had to bat down back-to-back passes from Garoppolo.
Jones first swatted down a pass to a relatively open Deebo Samuel on 1st-and-10 while the 49ers were on the Chiefs 49. Then, Jones barely got a pinky finger on the next pass from Garappolo, which slowed down the pass enough for Chiefs corner Kendall Fuller to get to the ball and bat it down.
Jones’ back-to-back plays led to the infamous potential touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that was overthrown by Garappolo, and then the Clark sack that was mentioned earlier. The swats from Jones put the Chiefs in an ideal situation defensively, giving them 3rd-and-long and putting the 49ers in a must-pass situation. This allowed the defense to pin their ears back and put plenty of pressure on the Niners quarterback, leading to errant throws and a big sack.
These plays might not get the hype that Jet Chip Wasp, Rose Bowl Parade Right or any of the touchdown plays get, but it’s undeniable that they were important in the biggest win in Chiefs franchise history.
Watch the replay on Saturday night with special coverage at 6:30 pm and kickoff at 7 pm on FOX4.
