2023 NFL Thread v Super Bowl matchup: Chiefs vs. 49ers

[Stadler]

So.......anyone watch the NFL awards ceremony last night?

For fuck's sake.  I turned it on after the Bruins annihilated the so-called "best team in hockey" 4-0 in a game that wasn't at all close, and I watched it for about 20 minutes or so, and, sick of the "wokeness"*, turned to the weather.   59 degrees Saturday, yay!.  Went back hoping to see the Hall of Fame inductees, which I did, along with a hilarious bit with Kyle "I need oxygen!" Brandt, and a Penn and Teller bit that could have been better if Roger Goodell was a better actor and Keenan-Michael Peele was funnier but was all sandwiched between more "wokeness"*, then sick of that again, went to take a crap, thinking I would come back to see the MVP announcement.  Sitting on the can, I get the news text that Lamar is our MVP, so I missed it... I get back, watch the In Memoriam, and about five more minutes of "wokeness"* before I got tired of it all and went to play Assassin's Creed.

Now, look; "wokeness" is in quotes. It wasn't "woke", not in any sense of the word.  I'm using that to make a point about the content; it was a lot of non-football, off-the-field activism stuff. All GOOD stuff, for sure; I have no beef with the work being done, I have beef with the back-slapping and self-congratulatory nature of all of it.  "Look how great we are!"  I get it, the NFL is trying to show a dedication "to the community" (which has, for better or worse, taken on a connotation in the context we're talking about) but it was a LOT, and it was relentless.  Gayle King, Ray Lewis "preaching" (in the oratorial sense of the word), the LahainaLuna football team, the "Change" award, the "Man of the Year" award... only Christian McAffrey (Offensive Player of the Year) kept it on the field and in the locker room.

I don't know; call me TAC, but I just wanted some relief from the world.  From Trump, from Biden, from Amendment 14, from Supreme Courts, from Michelle Troconis and Fotis Dulos, from politics, from "the right side of history", from all that, and just enjoy some football before the biggest game of the year, but no luck. 

[Podaar]

Imagine a football thread free of someone complaining about politics. Call me TAC, but I just want some relief from the world.

[Stadler]

Imagine a football thread free of someone complaining about politics. Call me TAC, but I just want some relief from the world.

Good thing I was complaining about the NFL Awards Show and the NFL.  In the NFL thread.

Sorry, but I think I'm good on topic.  Moreso than social activism at a NFL awards show, anyway.

[hefdaddy42]

I won't comment on the content specifically, because I only watched bits and pieces of the show.

But it was a 2 or 3 hour show, and there aren't that many awards to give out.  It's not the Grammys or the Oscars, but it was still that big of a production, and it has been for years.  By the very nature of physics, there was going to be a lot of filler included.

Which is why I never watch the show, other than ducking in here and there.

[Stadler]

Honestly? I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

[hefdaddy42]

Honestly? I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

BTW shout-out to Julius Peppers and Devin Hester making the Hall of Fame!

[lonestar]

Lol stoners.

[TAC]

How did I get dragged into this? Twice?

[Cool Chris]

I stopped reading Stadler's post when I saw the words "hilarious" and Kyle Brandt in the same sentence.

[emtee]

KC 31
SF 24

[Stadler]

I stopped reading Stadler's post when I saw the words "hilarious" and Kyle Brandt in the same sentence.

I don't know the guy and had never seen his schtick before... I can imagine it wears thin REALLY quick.  But in the moment, with all that was going on around it, including the bad acting by Roger Goodell (for fuck's sake, man, don't give up the day job), it was RELATIVELY funny, and at least football related. How's that? 

[pg1067]

So.......anyone watch the NFL awards ceremony last night?

Nope.  Didn't know it was on and probably wouldn't have watched even if I had.

My kids came out of his room at one point and told me that Devin Hester made the HOF.  My initial reaction was to wonder if he really was deserving (my sense being that his peak was relatively short), but I don't recall his numbers specifically.  I hope that the election of a guy solely because of his special special teams work bodes well for guys like Steve Tasker and Matthew Slater.

The highlight of the inductees for me was Randy Gradishar.  He was the leader of the original Orange Crush defense that first hooked me into being a Broncos fan.  I'd never looked at his numbers, but I always felt like he was a HOF'er, as did the Broncos fan base, but we're all super biased.  That said, when the notorious asshole Woody Hayes calls a guy "the finest linebacker I ever coached," it kinda has to mean something.  Most of the rest of the names seem pretty deserving, but I honestly can't recall a single thing about Patrick Willis (other than that I recognize his name).

I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

Your DVR doesn't have a pause button?

[hefdaddy42]

I hope that the election of a guy solely because of his special special teams work bodes well for guys like Steve Tasker and Matthew Slater.

Doubtful.

[faizoff]

I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

Your DVR doesn't have a pause button?

Seeing how Stadler said he's just like TAC, I doubt he knows what a DVR is.

[hefdaddy42]

I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

Your DVR doesn't have a pause button?

Seeing how Stadler said he's just like TAC, I doubt he knows what a DVR is.

[TAC]

I know what a damn DVR is!

[King Postwhore]

A Betamax, too! 

[TAC]

A Betamax, too! 

hah! We never had that. Just VHS.

[Stadler]

So.......anyone watch the NFL awards ceremony last night?

Nope.  Didn't know it was on and probably wouldn't have watched even if I had.

My kids came out of his room at one point and told me that Devin Hester made the HOF.  My initial reaction was to wonder if he really was deserving (my sense being that his peak was relatively short), but I don't recall his numbers specifically.  I hope that the election of a guy solely because of his special special teams work bodes well for guys like Steve Tasker and Matthew Slater.

The highlight of the inductees for me was Randy Gradishar.  He was the leader of the original Orange Crush defense that first hooked me into being a Broncos fan.  I'd never looked at his numbers, but I always felt like he was a HOF'er, as did the Broncos fan base, but we're all super biased.  That said, when the notorious asshole Woody Hayes calls a guy "the finest linebacker I ever coached," it kinda has to mean something.  Most of the rest of the names seem pretty deserving, but I honestly can't recall a single thing about Patrick Willis (other than that I recognize his name).

I think I'm just salty that the ONE THING I wanted to see - the MVP - and I was sitting on the crapper.   

Your DVR doesn't have a pause button?

You got me beat; I had to Google "Patrick Willis".   Honestly never heard of him.

Yeah, I have a pause button for my DVR. It's called "my stepson".  .   I kid.  I know what it is and how to work it; I just forget.

[bosk1]

Call me TAC, but I just want some relief from threads where TAC is brought into this - twice.

[jammindude]

In defense of Stadler and TAC, it’s seriously been so long since I’ve watched live TV that honestly forgot that I even HAVE a DVR.

I’m about 99% either DVD/BluRay’s or streaming something.

[Cool Chris]

I have never owned a DVR.

I remember for a few years we hosted a SB party, and I had to remind everyone we'd be watching it on broadcast TV, thus in real time. Invariably someone would always show up late and ask me to "start" the game.

[bosk1]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

[hunnus2000]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

Yes. KC has the better QB. Sure Purdy had better stats but KC didn't have to rely on Mahomes this year. I agree that SF looks like the dominant team but I ain't betting against Mahomes, I made that mistake betting against Brady.

[ProfessorPeart]

As someone who loved having him on my fantasy team, how in the world was Antonio Gates not a first ballot-er? I'm more shocked of that than anything.

Happy for Hester. As someone who got to watch him every week and saw every one of those returns, I think he deserved it.

[faizoff]

I too had Gates always on my fantasy team and would watch a lot of his games. He was a stud of a player and one of the best TEs in the league. Hester was a monster on punt and kickoff returns, you always knew he'd have a great return.

[TAC]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

Stadler told me to tell you that it will be because of Mahomes.

[hefdaddy42]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

Probably everyone other than you can see such a path, boss.

I think that San Francisco has a better team top to bottom.  But the better team doesn't always win, and Mahomes is an X-Factor.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

i think by getting more touchdowns than the other team

[Skeever]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

i think by getting more touchdowns than the other team

Which they should be able to accomplish easily

[TAC]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

Probably everyone other than you can see such a path, boss.

 

Facts!

[bosk1]

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

Probably everyone other than you can see such a path, boss.

Eh, not really.  I mean, sure, there are lots of fans saying "CHIEF WIN BC CHIEFs BETTER" or "CHIEFS WIN BC MAHOMES."  But for those doing actual analysis, I'm not hearing a lot in terms of likely scenarios where the Chiefs pull it off.  Which is why I am asking.  Based on what I have seen actual analysts saying, I'm not really seeing anything.  I guess based on the responses in the thread so far, none of you are either.

Does anyone even see a realistic path where KC can win this game?

i think by getting more touchdowns than the other team

Which they should be able to accomplish easily

Well, duh, getting more touchdowns, yes.  But how is that actually likely?  That's my question.  Truth is, they don't normally get more touchdowns than the 49ers.  Their average points per game is well below that of the 49ers (a full touchdown difference).  And both teams shake out about the same over the entire season in terms of playing some really good defenses and some really bad defenses, so I think their numbers are comparable in that regard.  And the turnover differential is HUGELY in favor of the 49ers.  So I'm just not sure how "score more touchdowns" is a realistic thing to count on if I'm wanting to see KC win. 

[TAC]

If the 49ers have a first half like they did against Detroit, they will not repeat the comeback.

[faizoff]

I often feel analysis and stats go out the window for the most part when it's the superbowl. It's the team that makes that one less mistake than the other one who wins it. I mean how many of the previous ones have been so close and one play here or there becomes the difference. That's kinda why I don't really look into what is on paper on the teams before the game. It should be a great game and that's all I want.

[bosk1]

If the 49ers have a first half like they did against Detroit, they will not repeat the comeback.

Oh, for sure.  If the '9ers have to make up a 3 score deficit against the KC defense, that's a REALLY big ask.  But I would just like to say that Detroit is a MUCH more explosive team on offense than KC.  KC hasn't really had a game this season where they jumped up on somebody and scored 24 points at the half.  KC hasn't done anything this season to make me think that is a likely outcome.

I often feel analysis and stats go out the window for the most part when it's the superbowl. It's the team that makes that one less mistake than the other one who wins it. I mean how many of the previous ones have been so close and one play here or there becomes the difference. That's kinda why I don't really look into what is on paper on the teams before the game. It should be a great game and that's all I want.

Yeah, that's a good point about stats, to an extent.  But this doesn't feel like one of those Super Bowls where the teams come in pretty evenly matched.  This seems like it's one of the more lopsides ones, so I'm not sure "one mistake" is likely to be the difference.  But on that note, an accumulation of mistakes very well could be.

To me, it's interesting to think about one important and often overlooked area where I think the teams actually match up quite evenly:  experience.  Both have a decent number of veterans who have been so at least one SB.  Both have lots of guys who are not.  If you go position by position, that's the one area where I'm a little nervous about Purdy.  I've heard a lot of people talk about how it can be overwhelming the first time, just given the media, the hype, and everything else that goes into that two week runup.  I tend to think he will be just fine.  But I can't say I'm as confident as I would like to be.

The other area I have less confidence than I would prefer is the SF defensive line.  Bosa, Armstead, and Hargrave should have an absolute FEAST (QB sacks, pressures leading to turnovers, and holding penalties) against one of the weakest offensive lines in the game, and that could really make this a lopsided game.  But it comes down to Chase Young, who has been really good at times, and at other times has really underperformed.  If he does the latter, that will be a weak spot that KC can exploit in both the run and pass games.