One of the biggest plays of the Chiefs’ comeback win in Super Bowl LIV came when Patrick Mahomes hit wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 44-yard gain down the right sideline to set up Damien Williams‘ go-ahead touchdown catch.
Watkins beat 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman off the line on the play and Sherman wasn’t too descriptive about what went wrong on the play. He said Watkins “made a play” and Chiefs player making plays was the story of the fourth quarter as Kansas City posted 21 straight points en route to a 31-20 win.
That didn’t shake Sherman’s belief in the defense’s capabilities, however.
“We’re still a great defense. Just didn’t execute our game. . . . It was just mistakes — self-inflicted,” Sherman said.
The 49ers stopped making plays on both sides of the ball after taking a 10-point lead over the Chiefs, but Sherman said he didn’t think fatigue factored into the defense’s drop in effectiveness. Correcting whatever did lead to that drop will be an essential part of getting the 49ers ready for next season.