of kansas city chiefs With a 25-22 victory in overtime, they were crowned Super Bowl champions for the second consecutive year. san francisco 49ers. They couldn’t have done it without a superstar player like Patrick Mahomes, now a 28-year-old three-time world champion quarterback.
But any NFL team is likely a finely tuned machine. If he removes one cog, even if it doesn’t seem important, the whole operation can start to break down. If one of his players did not do his part in a particular situation, the end result could be very different.
For the Chiefs on Sunday, that player was linebacker Leo Chenal.
A third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin last year, Chenal quickly developed into a key piece of Kansas City’s defense and special teams. His true potential was on full display from the start of the game against the 49ers.
San Francisco moved the ball well from the start and reached Kansas City’s 29-yard line within just four plays. It was well within field goal range and probably in position to go up for a touchdown right out of the gate. But Chenal had other plans. He popped the ball out of running back Christian McCaffrey’s hands, causing a fumble, and his teammate George Karlaftis recovered the ball, ending the series at 27.
The turnover ended a promising 49ers series and helped limit the Chiefs’ early damage. With the offense getting off to a slow start, he completed every possession without giving up a goal, which led to Kansas City’s victory.
As a result, despite falling behind 10-0 in the second quarter, the reigning champions remained within range. They ended up scoring 13 straight points to take their first lead of the night in the third period. But even when he fell behind again early in the fourth, Chenal was there to make an impact.
After Brock Purdy’s touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings gave the 49ers a 16-13 lead, the NFC champions looked to take a four-point lead with the extra point. Although often a formality, the kick after the point was one of his biggest plays of the game.
Leo Chenal made it happen.
The sophomore defender was able to block kicker Jake Moody’s attempt to keep Kansas City within a field goal. That one point swing ended up making a huge difference.
“coach [Dave] Tove, he always emphasizes that he can get off the ball and influence the kicker and everything else,” Chenal said. Said KSHB41 after the match.
Instead of needing a touchdown to rally the 49ers, the Chiefs were able to score a field goal on their next attempt to tie the game. Then, late in the fourth quarter, there was no need for a TD drive within the two-minute warning, and once again they were able to send the game to overtime with just a kick.
Obviously, if they had a talented quarterback like Patrick Mahomes under center, there was still a good chance something like that would happen. However, Chenal’s block gave the team some leeway as the game continued to be intense.
In the end, he contributed to winning the championship for the second consecutive year.
“It’s unrealistic to combine all three stages into one,” Chenal said.
In total, the 23-year-old played in 27 defensive snaps and an additional 28 on special teams. He finished the game with six tackles, one quarterback hit, one forced fumble and an extra point block.
Although he didn’t win the MVP award for his own performance, which rightfully went to Mahomes, Chenal still played a big role in Kansas City’s title defense. He was the underrated hero the Chiefs needed.
