Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie put a huge stamp on his All-Pro season with an elite performance in Super Bowl LVIII.
McDuffie was locked in from start to finish against the San Fransisco 49ers. He broke up multiple passes, most notably the one in the endzone against Niners receiver Deebo Samuel early in the second quarter that saved a touchdown. McDuffie forced three incompletions overall, recorded three total tackles, two quarterback hits, and allowed just two receptions for nine yards in 40 coverage snaps per Pro Football Focus.
McDuffie's third down pressure on Niners quarterback Brock Purdy late in the fourth quarter was arguably the play of the game. If S.F. would have converted, it would have been able to take the clock down to just a few seconds left and kick a potential game-winning field goal. Instead, McDuffie bolted through the left side of the Niners' offensive line and forced Purdy to throw a rushed incompletion.
McDuffie's Super Bowl LVIII performance was indicative of his entire 2023 season. Not only is he elite in coverage, but he is also one of the best blitzing and tackling defensive backs in the NFL. McDuffie earned First-Team All-Pro honors for his regular season performance, and he carried it over to the playoffs. A to Z Sports film analyst James Foster shared a video of McDuffie's postseason highlights.
While quarterback Patrick Mahomes was very deserving, a case could have been made for McDuffie to be named Super Bowl MVP. It's hard to imagine the Chiefs winning that game without him, or even getting to the Super Bowl at all without him. Regardless, it's clear that K.C. has a cornerstone piece of its defense for the foreseeable future in McDuffie. At just 23 years old, he may not even be at the peak of his game yet, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.
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