Capítulo 1453: Chapter 1452: Heavenly Net
Alarm bells, fully ringing.
Shanahan realized he didn’t have time for melancholy, nor even for shock and awe, because Reid wouldn’t miss the opportunity.
Trailing by one touchdown and trailing by two touchdowns are two different things, especially when facing the Kansas City Chiefs; they can’t fall into such a predicament!
The experience of being overturned by the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI ultimately helped Shanahan as he swiftly regained his composure, stabilizing his chaotic thoughts, and immediately deployed his strategy, attempting to regain the game state through the San Francisco 49ers Defensive Group—
Everything returned to the original plan; the Defensive group is the key to this Super Bowl showdown.
Even though the San Francisco 49ers showed weaknesses in the first wave of defense, resulting in a touchdown by Li Wei, the strength of this Defensive group remained undeniable.
Currently, the only superstar in the San Francisco 49ers defensive starting lineup is Cornerback Sherman, and the only player named to the Pro Bowl or the All-America First/Second Team this season is Defensive Tackle DeForest Buckner, with the All-American Second Team acknowledging his prowess.
For onlookers, it is truly unfathomable that a Defensive group with only one player on the All-American Second Team could rank second in the league.
What’s going on here?
On one hand, Shanahan built the team’s roster entirely with blue-collar players, like the 2017 seasons of the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars; on the other hand, Shanahan implemented a player rotation system, with the Cornerback, Safety, and Lineman positions continually rotating like the Offensive group.
The starters are one group of players, but during the game, the lineup continually updates and changes, constantly disrupting the opposing Offensive Coordinator’s assessments.
In other words, it’s not about the players; it’s about Shanahan’s playbook—
Just like with the Offensive group.
This Defensive group excels at zone defense, undoubtedly the league’s strongest in the 2019 season.
And it’s not just limited to short passes and medium passes; it’s the same with long passes. The San Francisco 49ers are the team with the least long-yardage completions surrendered this season.
Of course, explaining it in detail, it’s very complex and ever-changing, much more so than it appears, but to simplify, it can be understood as two “Cover3” combinations, or in other terms, the overlapping of two triangular hats.
The so-called “Cover3” is a typical zone defense, which simply means three players form a triangle position, watching and supporting each other.
The San Francisco 49ers Defensive group sets up two triangular “Cover3” formations in both the upfront and backfield, which is one of Shanahan’s trump cards.
The first triangle, on the inside, covers the short pass area, balancing short passes and run defense, with two Linemen and one Safety in collaboration. Here, the Safety is often a Strong Safety. The Strong Safety Jaquiski Tartt, who recovered from injury just in time for the Super Bowl, excels at this work.
In this area, they have excellent discipline, quick movement, timely coverage, and mutual assistance, playing an important role not only in ground defense; but also laying down an impenetrable net for short pass defense, reminiscent of the Seattle Seahawks’ Bombing Corps at their peak.
Moreover, Shanahan has a hidden trick.
Generally, a “4-3” setup is three Linemen, but Shanahan uses two Linemen and one quarterback. This quarterback is often a Cornerback like Kewan Williams, who can defend against the run, provide pass coverage, and perform quarterback blitzes, ensuring strategic diversity and mobility in defense.
The second triangle, on the outside, covers the long pass area, with two Cornerbacks and one Safety collaborating. At this point, the Free Safety covers, with Free Safety Jimmie Ward often responsible for deep coverage, collaborating with the Cornerbacks to fend off wide receivers from sneaking in long-yardage plays, in a coordinated effort.
The primary Cornerbacks for the San Francisco 49ers, Sherman and Emmanuel Moseley, have different styles, with Sherman being stronger and more adept at physical confrontation, while Moseley excels at speed and positioning.
Moseley, an undrafted rookie of 2018, not only is young but also wasn’t recognized for his talent, yet he thrived in Shanahan’s defensive system.
They do not need to stick to defending targets within five or ten yards outside the scrimmage line, but rather guard the zone, retreating slightly to the ten to fifteen-yard area, letting the “Cover3” complete the defense as a united front, ensuring they can always gain a numerical advantage in offensive and defensive confrontations.
Even with rotations, not partnered with Sherman, Moseley, or Ward, the San Francisco 49ers’ “Cover3” can still exert its corresponding effects because this defensive strategy relies on a chain structure, achieving defense through teamwork rather than individual ability.
A coordinated effort.
Layer upon layer.
To some extent, the San Francisco 49ers Defensive group indeed echoes the Pittsburgh Steelers’ peak “Steel Curtain,” relying on layered defenses for interceptions. They don’t pursue eye-catching stats like sacks, interceptions, and fumbles, nor do they aim for clean and lethal defensive strikes.
Instead, they suffocate opponents step by step, link by link.
Opponent Offensives often manage to advance some yardage, with the yardage conceded by the San Francisco 49ers Defensive group only placing them in the mid-range league-wide; but as the march progresses, the opponent’s offense becomes increasingly challenging, placing the San Francisco 49ers among the top-ranked in league Red Zone defense quality.
In other words, Shanahan doesn’t pursue pretty games, but rather ugly victories—
As “within the league” Bart states, the San Francisco 49ers have a higher margin for error.
Thus, when Shanahan calms down and stabilizes himself, the San Francisco 49ers Defensive group acts as an emergency brake, slowing the pace again, giving Shanahan room to think, and the San Francisco 49ers breathing room for adjustments.
In fact, the San Francisco 49ers did it.
Although Reid tried to quicken the pace, relying on Mahomes’ rapid short passes to pull the game back to the Kansas City Chiefs’ favored tempo; the San Francisco 49ers’ targeted defensive strategies indeed posed numerous challenges.
What’s more, the opening of this offensive drive presented a dilemma for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs relied on an interception to regain possession, but Matty’s return couldn’t push the distance, forcing Mahomes to begin the attack from his own 7-yard line along his End zone, a sensitive precarious spot, where any slight mishap could have immediately turned the game around for the San Francisco 49ers.
Don’t forget, the San Francisco 49ers excel at defending long passes, unfazed by Mahomes’ long-pass sneak attacks, requiring Reid’s tactical arrangement to be careful, avoiding handing over possession immediately after the turnover.
At the start, the Kansas City Chiefs needed caution, progressing methodically with short passes, but Reid quickly found himself stepping into Shanahan’s trap, unable to adjust in time because Shanahan’s adept dispatch immediately drew the Kansas City Chiefs into his familiar rhythm.
In this coaching duel, Shanahan held the upper hand, especially after the brief chaos and surprise, demonstrating his outstanding on-the-spot reaction ability!