The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have topped themselves Tremendous Bowl champions for a second straight yr due to their 25-22 extra time win versus the San Francisco 49ers. They wouldn’t have been ready to take action with out their celebrity gamers equivalent to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s now a three-time world champion at age 28.
Nevertheless, each NFL crew is probably going a fine-tuned machine. Take away one cog nevertheless insignificant it may appear, and the entire operation could begin to stutter; the tip end result can look drastically completely different if one participant doesn’t do his job in any specific state of affairs.
For the Chiefs on Sunday, that participant was linebacker Leo Chenal.
A 3rd-round draft pick of Wisconsin final yr, Chenal has shortly developed into an necessary piece for the Kansas Metropolis on protection and particular groups. His worth was on full show in opposition to the 49ers, beginning on the very first drive of the sport.
San Francisco moved the ball properly early on, and inside simply 4 performs discovered itself on the Kansas Metropolis 29-yard line — properly inside subject aim vary, and presumably in place to go up by a landing proper out of the gate. Chenal, nevertheless, had completely different plans: he ended the sequence on the 27, knocking the ball out of operating again Christian McCaffrey’s fingers for a fumble that was recovered by teammate George Karlaftis.
The turnover ended a promising 49ers sequence, and helped restrict the early harm for the Chiefs. With their offense beginning slowly, each possession with out factors given up was a win for Kansas Metropolis.
Because of this, regardless of falling behind 10-0 within the second quarter, the reigning champs remained in putting distance. They finally scored 13 straight to take their first lead of the evening within the third interval. However even after they fell behind once more within the early fourth, Chenal was there to make his influence felt.
Following a Brock Purdy’s landing go to Jauan Jennings that put the 49ers up 16-13, the NFC champions tried to make it a four-point lead by means of an additional level. Whereas oftentimes a formality, this point-after kick was one of many sport’s greatest performs.
Leo Chenal made it so.
The sophomore defender was in a position to block kicker Jake Moody’s try to preserve Kansas Metropolis inside a subject aim. That one-point swing ended up making an enormous distinction.
“Coach [Dave] Toub, he all the time emphasizes getting off the ball, with the ability to have an effect on the kicker and every little thing,” Chenal advised KSHB 41 after the sport.
As an alternative of needing a landing to re-up the 49ers, the Chiefs have been in a position to tie the sport with a subject aim on their subsequent drive. Then, later within the fourth quarter, they once more wanted solely a kick to ship the competition to extra time reasonably than having to drive for a TD contained in the two-minute warning.
Clearly, with a quarterback of Patrick Mahomes’ caliber below middle, that very properly may nonetheless have occurred. Nevertheless, Chenal’s block gave the crew extra wiggle room down the stretch in a highly-contested sport.
Ultimately, it helped them to tug out the victory for a second straight yr.
“It’s unreal bringing every little thing collectively, all three phases,” Chenal stated.
In complete, the 23-year-old was on the sphere for 27 defensive snaps and 28 extra on particular groups. He completed the sport with six tackles, a quarterback hit, and his one compelled fumble plus further level block.
He didn’t get the MVP award for his efficiency — it unsurprisingly went to Mahomes — however Chenal nonetheless was a giant half in Kansas Metropolis’s title protection. He was the underrated hero the Chiefs wanted.
