Chiefs, 49ers Super Bowl grades, MVPs

DEFENSE

CHIEFS: Grade C

Kansas City did not have its sharpest defensive performance. The Chiefs' run defense, which struggled throughout the 2019 season, was shredded. The linebackers and safeties, who had been exposed in coverage by tight ends and backs throughout the season, allowed key conversions to tight end George Kittle (4 catches for 36 yards) and Kyle Juszczyk. However, the Chiefs did tighten up with huge stops in the fourth quarter and forced Jimmy Garoppolo into game-changing mistakes with pressure.

CHIEFS DEFENSIVE MVP: tackle Chris Jones

Jones was arguably Kansas City's best player on either side, constantly creating havoc in the San Francisco backfield. He deflected three passes, caused pressure that forced Garoppolo's first interception, and forced multiple other mistakes with quick penetration.

49ERS: Grade B

San Francisco played a strong 3 1/2 quarters defensively, but the Chiefs' offense is just too good to hold for a full game. The 49ers created pressure throughout the game, doing so without having to blitz, which forced Kansas City to get the ball out much quicker than it would prefer. San Francisco's secondary kept tight end Travis Kelce (6 catches for 43 yards) and wideout Tyreek Hill (9 catches for 105 yards) quiet for most of the game. However, it was the secondary that was most responsible for the late-game collapse, as a handful of breakdowns allowed the Chiefs to finally rack up big plays. Failure to contain Mahomes (9 rushes for 29 yards) was also an issue.

49ERS DEFENSIVE MVP: end Nick Bosa

The rookie was the best player in the Super Bowl, single-handedly forcing the Chiefs to alter their entire offensive approach. He had left tackle Eric Fisher's number, overpowering him snap after snap to create pressure at an absurd rate.

COACHING

CHIEFS: Grade: A

Andy Reid had to work hard to earn his first Super Bowl ring. Kansas City was in a tough spot offensively, having no answer for San Francisco's four-man rush. The 49ers were able to drop a lot of defenders to stop the deep ball because they could create so much pressure with D-linemen Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. Reid adjusted, getting the ball out quickly, relying on the run game, and going to some creative option plays. The adjustments worked like a charm, producing offense on a night where it seemed the Chiefs might be overmatched. Reid's clock management was sound.

49ERS: Grade: D

Kyle Shanahan did a superb job working the play-action game to create easy throws for a struggling Jimmy Garoppolo. But his horrific clock management and second-half play-calling deserves scrutiny. At the end of the second quarter, Shanahan let precious time tick away despite having three timeouts, costing the 49ers a shot to stack two scores to finish the first half and start the second. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers had a chance to ice the game. Their run game was thriving, but instead of relying on their strength and playing the clock, Shanahan passed on consecutive plays after a five-yard rush; neither pass was completed, giving the Chiefs plenty of time to take the lead.

SPECIAL TEAMS

CHIEFS: Grade: B-plus

Harrison Butker knocked in his only field goal from 31 yards and hit all four of his extra-point attempts. The kickoff coverage team did a stellar job, holding the 49ers to an average of 15.3 yards per kickoff return. Dustin Colquitt punted just twice, with one going for a touchback (nearly being downed at the 1-yard line) and the other going for a solid net of 49 yards.

49ERS: Grade: B-minus

Robbie Gould connected on both field goal attempts, from 38 and 42 yards out, and made both of his extra points. Just like Kansas City, San Francisco was lockdown in kickoff coverage, holding the Chiefs to 19.3 yards per return. Mitch Wishnowsky punted twice, netting 40 and 46 yards. The 49ers avoided disaster early on, as Richie James muffed a punt after the game's opening drive. Luckily, it took a San Francisco bounce and James was able to recover.