Former NFL star JJ Watt believes the old adage ‘defense wins championships’ still carries weight as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs seek to blunt the Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy-led attacks at Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.
Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers arrive boasting one of the league’s deepest and most dynamic offenses behind the influence of Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, while Andy Reid’s Chiefs – spearheaded by the league’s best quarterback – have seemingly awoken in the playoffs following a season hindered by mistakes.
While the two marquee play-callers prepare to go toe to toe, Watt has tipped defensive coordinators Steve Wilks and Steve Spagnuolo to play defining roles in deciding who lifts the Lombardi Trophy in Las Vegas.
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“The thing I love about the 49ers is A they have a great defensive line, but I love their two linebackers,” Watt told Sky Sports NFL’s Neil Reynolds.
“They are possibly the best linebacker core in the league with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, just two guys who command presence in the middle of the field but as also so smart, so knowledgeable. They make that defense go.
“You can’t pick on those two, they can cover anybody, they can go sideline-to-sideline, they can take it up the middle and take on a running back or fullback if they need to, they are two very good linebackers.”
Warner and Greenlaw lie at the heart of a Niners defense tasked with slowing down Isiah Pacheco and the Chiefs ground game, having seen their side surrender 376 rushing yards across hard-fought wins over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions on the road to the Super Bowl.
Pacheco has been one of the key figures of Kansas City’s postseason campaign, rushing for 254 yards and three touchdowns across victories over the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. Watt, though, insists he isn’t concerned by San Francisco’s ability to stop the run.
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“I still think they are a great defense, as a pass rusher you love rushing the pass and they have some great pass rushers over there,” added Watt. “Sometimes we get in a bad habit of wanting to go get that sack, but you have to get to third down and earn the right to rush the passer. It’s easier said than done.”
Nick Bosa is meanwhile primed to lead the 49ers rush attack up against Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, having recorded a 10.5 sacks and spearheaded the NFL in pressures before producing two sacks against the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
“He’s a great player, he won Defensive Player of the Year, great great player,” said Watt. “He can not only pass rush but he can play the run as well, super strong, has great bend, can turn that corner and has that agility.
“There is certainly a lot of offensive stars to look at, but as a defensive guy you certainly want to leave your mark on the game. You want people walking away from the game thinking ‘that guy’.
“I do think having a great quarterback helps tremendously, there’s a reason Patrick Mahomes has six AFC Championships and has reached four of the last five Super Bowls. But these defenses have great players on them.”
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Mahomes is looking to win his third Super Bowl ring in six seasons having reached the NFL’s season finale in four of the last five years amid his pursuit of the NFL’s great quarterbacks. His offense fell short of its usually-dominant standards throughout the regular season, but Mahomes lands in Las Vegas playing some of his best football having completed 68 per cent of his passes for 718 yards and four touchdowns to no interceptions in the playoffs.
“He’s caused me a lot of frustration in my life,” laughed Watt. “The thing I say about Patrick is that as a pass rusher I can win clean and I still might not get a sack because he can scramble up the middle, but what he can do that others can’t is he can drop back five, 10, 15 yards because his arm is so strong.
“I can win, he sees me win and then he backs up and backs up and has the arm strength to throw a bullet downfield.”
While it has been Reid and Mahomes’ offense that has led the way on the road to past Super Bowl appearances, it has been Steve Spagnuolo’s defense on which they have leaned for much of the campaign. The Chiefs finished the regular season ranked second in total defense, fourth against the pass and second in scoring in 2023.
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“Spags with the Chiefs does a great job, so it is going to be a lot of fun. Two really good offenses, but I’m a defensive guy so I enjoy watching these defenses,” Watt continued.
“I think you look at his track record and what he’s done, he’s been such an impressive coach, especially what he’s done throughout the playoffs. He mixes things up, he loves to blitz guys and bring the defensive backs.
“Sometimes you think of getting sack and pressures as only the defensive line up front but his DBs do such a good job of getting pressure and getting sacks because of how Spags sets them up.
“I think the defenses have a good day, I say a lower scoring game, I think each team will wait it out to see who makes the mistake and then that fourth quarter will be a whole lot of fun.”
Watch Super Bowl LVIII from Las Vegas live on Sky Sports on Sunday February 11, with build-up from 10pm ahead of kickoff at 11.30pm; Neil Reynolds and Phoebe Schecter will be joined in the studio by former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins