No one caused Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes more stress in the pocket all season than Nick Bosa did during Super Bowl LIV.
The rookie put together one of the best performances by a defensive lineman all year at Hard Rock Stadium, picking up a sack, a forced fumble, four tackles and 11 quarterback hits/significant pressures per Pro Football Focus, as the Ohio State product did everything in his power to will the Niners to the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title.
After a strip-sack that Mahomes miraculously recovered earlier in the quarter, Bosa once again was bearing down on Mahomes on a critical third-and-5 late in the game’s third quarter.
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But Mahomes’ nimble feet allowed him to escape the outstretched arms of the 49ers’ prized rookie and pick up the first down, keeping Kansas City’s comeback hopes alive.
“I actually didn’t even feel Bosa behind me until right when he dove,” Mahomes told NBC Sports’ Peter King. “And when he dove, I think that last second of me seeing him, kinda diving at my leg, I was able to get my knees up. That was a big thing when you’re running away from a guy that gets your legs, to keep your knees up and keep your feet from dragging on the ground.
“He hit me hard. He hit me hard -- might’ve left a little bruise actually. But I was able to still get around the side to get a first down on that play.”
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San Francisco 49ers
Bosa’s herculean Super Bowl effort wasn’t enough, as Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense put together a remarkable comeback effort -- as they had all postseason -- and beat San Francisco 31-20 in Miami Gardens.
However, Niners fans can at least look forward to seeing Bosa harass quarterbacks across the NFL for many years to come.