Although the Super Bowl is over, the 49ers are still catching strays from all corners of sports media. After San Francisco’s shocking move to take the ball first in overtime, leading to a made field goal that turned into the Chiefs marching down the field for a game-winning touchdown, many 49ers players openly expressed that they didn’t know the strategy for overtime.
Niners defensive lineman Arik Armstead said, in a quote obtained by the Athletic, “I didn’t even know about the new playoff overtime rule. It was a surprise to me. I didn’t know what was going on, in terms of that. They put it on the scoreboard and everyone was thinking, even if you score, they get a chance still.”
“You know what? I didn’t even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime. I assume you just want the ball to score a touchdown and win. I guess that’s not the case. I don’t totally know the strategy there. We hadn’t talked about it, no,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in a quote obtained by ESPN.
The player’s lack of understanding of the new NFL playoff overtime rules changed in 2022, is an indictment on the preparation of the 49ers coaching staff. This fact hasn’t been lost on sports fans and former athletes alike, which led to Richard Jefferson savagely shading Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in response to a rule that was explained during the NBA Celebrity All-Star game.
“If you don’t know the rules, it can be very detrimental. Just ask the 49ers.”
To make matters even worse, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman was a participant in the game. Hardman caught the game-winning touchdown to seal the Super Bowl victory for the Chiefs, adding insult to injury. After this week, it’s safe the say that every NFL player will be a ware of the overtime rules come the start of the NFL playoffs in January 2025.
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