The Los Angeles Rams were at home watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, two years after winning a ring of their own against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Kansas City Chiefs took down the Rams’ rivals in a 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
As enjoyable as it was for the Rams to see their most bitter rivals come up short once again, there are also some things they can learn from the Chiefs’ victory against San Francisco in Las Vegas. Here are five lessons the Rams can take away from Sunday’s overtime thriller -- including the importance of, well, knowing the rules.
1
Learn the postseason overtime rules
Patrick Mahomes said after the game that the Chiefs went over the postseason overtime rules so many times that he almost got sick of hearing about it. They talked about the rules going all the way back to training camp, ensuring that everyone was on the same page if they ever played an overtime game in the playoffs. And sure enough, they did.
The 49ers, on the other hand, didn’t practice the scenario like the Chiefs. Multiple players after the game said they didn’t know the overtime rules in the playoffs were different than the regular season. Surely, Kyle Shanahan had to know, but he didn’t tell his players ad nauseum the way Andy Reid did.
That was a difference in the game. If the Chiefs won the toss, they would’ve deferred and given the 49ers the ball first anyway. And if the 49ers scored a touchdown, the Chiefs planned to go for two to win the game.
The 49ers’ lack of awareness in the biggest game is a reminder to every team: Learn your rules, you better learn your rules. If you don’t, you’ll be eaten in your sleep lose the Super Bowl again.
2
Don't be afraid to blitz, especially in big moments
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was the Rams’ head coach from 2009-2011, has never been afraid to blitz. It’s been a staple of his defenses for years, and it’s why he’s won four Super Bowls as a coordinator. Against the 49ers on Sunday night, the Chiefs blitzed in some of the biggest moments. On the 49ers’ final drive of regulation, during a key third-and-4 play, Trent McDuffie blitzed off the left side and had a free run at Brock Purdy, deflecting the pass to force fourth down.
In overtime, the Chiefs blitzed again on third-and-4 with the 49ers at the 9-yard line. Chris Jones got in Purdy’s face and forced him to throw it away, causing the 49ers to settle for a field goal. Those two blitzes forced incompletions and field goal attempts instead of touchdowns, which could’ve won the game for San Francisco.
The Rams don’t blitz a ton, and they certainly don’t use many zero blitzes like the Chiefs, but after seeing how effective it was against the 49ers, they can’t be afraid to send extra rushers. The problem is, they don’t exactly have the corners that the Chiefs do, making it more difficult to blitz because the coverage isn’t as tight.
3
Cornerbacks can make or break a defense
Speaking of cornerbacks, the Chiefs’ DBs were a major difference in the game. McDuffie broke up three passes, including a potential touchdown to Deebo Samuel in the end zone. L’Jarius Sneed had a pass breakup and was all over Brandon Aiyuk, helping limit him to only 49 yards on three catches.
Jauan Jennings had a decent game for San Francisco with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, but for the most part, the Chiefs kept the 49ers’ wideouts in check; Aiyuk, Jennings and Samuel combined for 124 yards on 22 targets.
The Rams had a stud cornerback in Jalen Ramsey and in 2020, their secondary was one of the best in football. They don’t have that type of talent on their roster right now and it’ll be hard to find, but the Chiefs have gotten a ton out of McDuffie and Sneed, and it’s not as if they were top-10 picks.
4
Inside linebackers can still be difference-makers in today's NFL
Ernest Jones was huge for the Rams this past season and has the makings of a star linebacker. He’s someone the Rams should strongly consider extending, whether now or next offseason before he becomes a free agent. The Chiefs and 49ers both showed on Sunday night that inside linebackers can still make a huge difference in today’s NFL.
Fred Warner was everywhere, recording 13 tackles in the loss for the 49ers. Nick Bolton had 13 tackles for the Chiefs, along with two quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss. Even second-year Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal had a huge impact with six tackles, one QB hit, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble.
The Rams have a chance to build around Jones and if they can find another solid linebacker to play alongside him, they’ll be in very good shape moving forward.
5
Special teams matter -- a lot
Special teams often gets overlooked compared to offense and defense, but it matters, especially in the playoffs. Harrison Butker made all four of his field goal attempts, including a Super Bowl-record 57-yarder in the third quarter. Jake Moody made three field goals, including a 55-yarder, but he also had a PAT blocked, which kept the Chiefs within three points.
The 49ers muffed a punt after it hit a player's foot, which led to a Chiefs touchdown one play later, giving the Chiefs a 13-10 lead in the third quarter. There was just about nothing in the way of returns during this game, but the kickers and special teams units as a whole played pivotal roles.
The Chiefs performed better on special teams and it helped them win the game. It's as simple as that.
The Rams had the worst special teams unit in the NFL last season, missing the most kicks in the NFL and getting nothing out of their return specialists. Their punt coverage was awful, too, allowing two punt return touchdowns -- the worst of which was in overtime against the Ravens.
Los Angeles must figure out its special teams group this offseason.
