At times during the 2023 season the San Francisco 49ers had their struggles. Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks was legitimately criticized and during the season he went from being in the booth to being on the field.
The defense played better once that change was made. In the NFC Conference Championship game against the Detroit Lions, though it did not look good especially in the first half. Wilks made the necessary adjustments and the 49ers came back to win and get to the Super Bowl LVIII.
Still one of the things that did get addressed was the effort.
Whatever Wilks said, worked. In the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense was flying to the football, making plays, and forcing punts. Even after Dre Greenlaw left in the second quarter with an achilles injury, now know that it got torn.
Even when the Chiefs got their biggest play of the first half a 52 yard completion to Mecole Hardman Jr, the defense rose to the occasion. On the next play Deommodore Lenoir forced an Isiah Pachecho fumble with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave recovering the fumble.
After the 49ers offense scored the games first touchdown, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs had their longest drive of the game which went 13 plays. Yet with time running out in the first half, the result was a 28-yard field goal, after Arik Armstead came up with a sack on third down.
Kansas City did get the football back to start the second half. Mahomes was then intercepted by rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Their next offensive possession resulted in a three and out.
Mahomes seemed to find an answer to the 49ers defense by getting the ball out quickly. Yet the result of the nine play drive a 57-yard field goal. After another possession resulted in a three and out, Kansas City got their big break. Recovering the football after the ball hit off Darrell Luter Jr’s foot.
One play later, Mahomes finds Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard touchdown.
For Kansas City their next two offensive possessions at the time were the second and third longest in terms of number of plays with one going for 11 and the other 12. Both resulted in a field goal to tie the game up.
Inexplicably though the 49ers elected to get the ball first after winning the coin toss for overtime.
The Chiefs needed a field goal to tie, a touchdown to win. It seemed like déjà vu, for the 49ers defense. Another long drive, Mahomes getting the offense near the end zone, another field goal coming up right? No. Head coach Andy Reid came up with the perfect play call, which led to a wide open Hardman Jr for the game-winning touchdown.
It only took nearly 75 minutes of football for the 49ers defense to break. Yet what will get forgotten is that was the only touchdown drive of the game that Mahomes led that had more than one play.
What also does not show on the boxscore was the job Nick Bosa did when it came to containing Mahomes and forcing him to make throws before he wanted to.
Simply put, that was an impressive effort by the defense of San Francisco.