Getty Images Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will take on the 49ers for the second time in his career in Super Bowl LIV.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has been dominant this postseason helping lead his team to come-from-behind wins over the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. The All-Pro passer has accounted for 615 passing yards and nine total touchdowns (eight passing) in the two playoff starts.
Now, Kansas City is gearing up for their toughest test of the season as they prepare for a Super Bowl LIV matchup with the San Francisco 49ers and a defense that allowed the second-fewest yards in the NFL this season (4,509), trailing only the New England Patriots.
In his only matchup with the 49ers back in Week 3 of 2018, Mahomes and the Chiefs posted 38 points in a winning effort. The 2017 first-round pick completed 24-of-38 passes for 314 yards, three scores, and a passer rating of 115.5.
Follow the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook page and Twitter account for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
On Wednesday, Pro Football Talk founder and reporter Mike Florio made some surprising comments when suggesting how San Francisco can contain the Chiefs’ MVP signal-caller.
“I want to be careful here, because I’m not suggesting that they try to knock him out of the game, that’s not what I’m saying,” claimed Florio. “But, at a certain point, you trade the risk of 15 yards if you can send a message. Football is still a physical, violent game, if you can hit him, even if it’s close to the sideline, even if he’s maybe started into his slide, when the championship is riding on it, I think it’s a different analysis.”
Talking to NBC Sports analyst Peter King, Florio further defended his stance.
“If somebody had blown up Patrick Mahomes inside the five [yard line], it goes from the four to the two,” Florio said. “Big deal. So again, I’m not saying that that should be part of the deliberate effort, but the Super Bowl is riding on it. If this guy’s gonna think he can just run through the defense without any physical consequence, they need to dispel him of that notion the first time he tries.”
49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh and company will undoubtedly have their hands full on Super Bowl Sunday, but resorting to intentional violence and penalties need not be a part of the game plan. His unit was a huge part of San Francisco’s 13-3 regular season performance as they held 10-of-16 opponents to under 300 total yards, four of which failed to reach even 200 yards of offense.
READ NEXT: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Overtakes Future Hall of Famer For No. 1 Spot in Merchandise Sales
For more NFL updates, follow Chris Licata on Twitter: @Chris__Licata