Ricky’s Round-Up: Super Bowl XVIII’s top five key talking points!
It is a sad day. Ricky’s Round-Up, my weekly NFL column for the Sports Gazette, is coming to a close for the 2023 season. It has been a blast! For the few readers out there who enjoy, I thank you. Let’s get into the big game!
Late addition: My thoughts and condolences go out to those affected by the shootings at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. It’s truly devastating to see and hear when we have such fleeting moments of joy these days.
#1- Is this one long episode of SpongeBob? Because *Patrick* Mahomes is well on his way to being the shining *Star* amongst the greats
It is a pleasure to watch this man ply his trade. He may not have had the perfect game, but as the greatest do, they stand up where others would crumble. Mahomes finished with 33 completions for 333 yards and two passing touchdowns, with one interception. It was that interception that lit a fire under him however.
The statistics above are phenomenal, and he is only 28 years of age. In only six seasons as a starter, Mahomes has won three Super Bowls. There were multiple external factors for this victory, as there always is, but one thing remains true: the pure brilliance of number 15 for Kansas City. I have little doubt that he will one day surpass Brady as the best of all time. I’ll leave the winning touchdown below:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1757155114060808434
#2- Ray Ray had his head in the McCloud(s) on that muffed punt…
This is perhaps unfair. Ray Ray McCloud was not to know that the ball would ricochet off of his fellow special teamer Derick Luter Jr’s foot. Yet he had the chance to avoid all of that by simply attempting to catch the ball and declaring it a fair catch.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1756866776036487679
That was a huge swinging point in the game, which Mahomes ruthlessly capitalised on. McCloud has disputed the ‘muffed punt’ claim, but the fact of the matter is he also could have reclaimed the ball had he just dived on it. It was correctly scored as a muffed punt.
Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling reined in the touchdown in the very first play off the turnover. Whether it be the fault of McCloud or Luter jr, neither can deny they should have done better with regard to their overall awareness. When you are playing on the biggest stage in American football, errors like this cost you championships.
#3- Jauan Jennings giving Purdy a run for his money at quarterback
This man is clutch. He played a big part in both of the 49ers touchdowns, in quite different scenarios. We knew there would be trick plays, as the offensive playbook vaults are fully open for the all or nothing game that is the Super Bowl. I did not have Jennings throwing a touchdown on my bingo card however.
https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1756843164072112406
Despite only putting up four receptions for 42 yards, had they won I could see him being named Super Bowl MVP. The touchdown he was on the receiving end of was just as remarkable as the one he threw, battling past two Chiefs defenders and barely breaking a sweat doing so to cross the whitewash.
There are grumbling rumours at how unhappy Brandon Aiyuk was with the attention he got, but personally the Super Bowl is not the place to be converging your offensive focus onto one player. Plays by Jennings prove exactly that. On another day, with no muffed punt for example, neutrals would praise the offensive output for being well spread. Let’s also give a little credit to the Chiefs defence too.
#4- San Francisco 49ers not knowing the rules to overtime in the Super Bowl?!
There is plenty of interesting discourse surrounding this controversy, but one thing was made openly clear: the 49ers players were not aware of the overtime rules. It’s utterly ridiculous that you can prepare for a Super Bowl and not give some thought towards the possibility of overtime, especially when the rules are relatively new.
The argument with the new overtime rules is that electing to receive the ball first is now more likely to give you a disadvantage, due to the way you play in regard to downs. With the ball first, you normally play with the mindset of three downs knowing that you cannot afford to leave the field without points. When chasing, you play with the mentality of four downs knowing that it’s all or nothing.
It is understandable that the San Francisco 49ers coaches wished to give their defence a rest, but considering you are guaranteed to get the ball either way, it is not a great excuse. Even if you concede a touchdown, your offence has a better chance of answering with four downs at their disposal.
#5- Travis Kelce- ferocious mentality or overly-aggressive?
The world saw 54 seconds of Taylor Swift on the TV in over three hours of coverage. Yet some still complain she distracts from the game. Ridiculous argument. An intriguing moment of a tense Super Bowl however, that deserves far more attention, was the behaviour of Travis Kelce towards his head coach Andy Reid.
https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1756838434591621134
Tensions are high, and Kelce is one of the best ever in the game at tight end. I understand that his drive and passion, as he explained brilliantly on his podcast New Heights, overspilled into a physical outburst. He wants to go win this game and be the man to help them towards their goal. However, as he also acknowledges, his behaviour was not acceptable.
With that said, he put up a brilliant performance, with nine receptions for 93 yards. Kelce is a seasoned champion of the game himself, and he is the man for the big occasion. Is this the beginning of a Chiefs dynasty? Or has it already begun? Only seven months until we go again!
