On third-and-6 close to midfield during the Kansas City Chiefs’ final drive of overtime, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks decided it was the perfect time to call a cover-zero blitz against Patrick Mahomes with a Super Bowl championship on the line.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recognized the absurdity of what Wilks was about to do (Sunday night wasn’t the first time this season that Wilks wanted to run a cover zero in a critical situation either), calling a timeout to regroup.
However, Mahomes hit rookie Rashee Rice for a 13-yard gain on the next play, converting the Chiefs’ eighth third-down attempt of the game and keeping alive a drive that should have ended three plays earlier when Wilks’ coverage scheme left a huge hole on the right side for Mahomes to run off tackle for eight yards and convert on fourth-and-1.