Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal proved to be the secret superstar of Super Bowl LVIII vs. 49ers
Kansas City Chiefs second-year LB Leo Chenal has a penchant for showing up and playing his best football on the NFL's biggest stage. He had some standout plays in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles a season ago, but only the types of plays that made you think the rookie was heading in the […]
Kansas City Chiefs second-year LB Leo Chenal has a penchant for showing up and playing his best football on the NFL's biggest stage.
He had some standout plays in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles a season ago, but only the types of plays that made you think the rookie was heading in the right direction. In Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers, he proved that to be the case. He was a game-changer in every way, even making what might be looked back on as the biggest play of the game.
The secret superstar had himself quite the game, making plays on both defense and special teams. Chenal played just 36% of the defensive snaps and 85% of the special teams snaps, making the absolute most of every single time that he was on the field.
Forcing a fumble on Christian McCaffrey
Chenal's first major play of the game will be forgotten because it resulted in no points, but it also stopped the 49ers from getting everything they wanted. On a drive where they were averaging over 9 yards per play, Chenal forced a fumble and gave the team a bit of momentum, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
Not being able to capitalize on the turnover was unfortunate. The offense came out with a rather conservative game plan, which put a ton of pressure on the defense to continually succeed.
Pressure on Purdy to force a throwaway
Heading into Super Bowl LVIII, the Chiefs needed multiple players to step up to help replace the quarterback pressure missed by Charles Omenihu, who tore his ACL the week prior. They got some help from the defensive line, but Chenal played a big part as a linebacker. He was one of seven players to have two or more pressures.
This particular pressure forced an incomplete pass on first down and helped lead to an unsuccessful drive for the 49ers. Again, plays that will be forgotten, but made a world of difference.
Chenal's tackle for loss on 49ers secret superstar
With the Chiefs locking down Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle for most of the game, 49ers WR Jauan Jennings stepped up and was making plays all over the field. That's, of course, until he caught a pass eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, and turned upfield only to have Chenal barreling down on him.
This tackle for loss killed the drive for San Francisco and forced the punt that helped the Chiefs get their first points of the second half. Again, probably a forgotten play when things are said and done, but it's immensely important in the grand scheme of things.
Chenal had a special teams play to be remembered
While the rest of his Super Bowl heroics might be forgotten with time, Chenal's extra point block on special teams shouldn't be forgotten. It might be the single most important play of the Super Bowl when we look back on it years from now.
With just under 11.5 minutes left to play, Chenal made the play that ensured it would remain a three-point game. He blocked the extra point here, which isn't exactly an easy thing to do. It rarely happens in the NFL.
It's a lot easier to drive down the field knowing that you don't have to get a touchdown and can fall back on a field goal. The Chiefs managed two more field goals in regulation after this play, while the 49ers managed one, ultimately forcing this game to overtime, where Kansas City would secure a 25-22 victory over the 49ers.
Chenal was a big part of the reason they were able to do that and didn't have to go for it on fourth down when the team got within striking distance. That's not to say they didn't try to score and win the game. They simply relied on Harrison Butke, who has been automatic all season long, when those drives stall.
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