LAS VEGAS — Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid are two of the best offensive schemers in the game. No, the 49ers’ and Chiefs’ head coaches and offensive play callers are two of the best ever.
But as the entire football world waits to see what the two masters have cooked up for Sunday, one crucial voice isn’t buying into the hype.
Shanahan.
“I think the schematics can get a little overrated,” the Niners coach said Tuesday.
And you know what? He has a point.
Yes, putting players in the position to succeed is vital to winning, but what do they do when they are in those spots?
When you get down to brass tacks, this game is carnage.
On nearly every play, the winner is the player will be more willing — and more capable — of running through someone else’s face.
Undoubtedly, 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is willing and capable. He might be a versatile chess piece on Shanahan’s board, but his physicality separates him from any other player in this game.
And that physicality needs to show up early and often in the Super Bowl if the Niners plan to win it.
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The Niners are only in this game because Samuel started getting the ball in the second half of the NFC Championship Game.
The legend amongst the 49ers is that at halftime of that contest, with the Niners down 24-7 (and it should have been worse), Samuel, who had three touches for 28 yards in the first half, was sitting in his locker, rocking back and forth.
He was seething.
So when general manager John Lynch walked into the locker room and saw Samuel — whose locker is right by the door — he went over to check in with him. Samuel didn’t mince words, telling him in his trademark direct fashion to tell Shanahan to get him the bleeping ball.
Samuel shouldn’t have needed to ask then, and he shouldn’t have to ask on Sunday.
Shanahan’s favorite pastime is finding ways to put the ball in Samuel’s hands. Coaches aren’t supposed to play favorites, but it’s easy to figure out who is Shanahan’s No. 1.
This season, the 49ers are 12-0 when Samuel has 60 or more yards from scrimmage.
Giving him the ball is a downright foolproof formula.
So, it must be on the top of the game plan this week.
After his first catch of the second half in the NFC Championship Game — a 26-yard strike over the middle — Samuel got up and sent the message to the whole world, pantomiming eating.
Feed me.
The Niners targeted Samuel three times for 52 yards in the third quarter, and another three times in the fourth.
The Niners rattled off 27 unanswered points to reach the Super Bowl. Samuel ended the game with 96 all-purpose yards.
Coincidence? I think not.
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“Super, super important,” Trent Williams said of getting Deebo the ball. “He’s lightning in a bottle. Any play — literally — he can turn into a home run. When he gets going, this offense is extremely hard to deal with.”
“It’s super important,” Brandon Aiyuk echoed. “We say it all the time: we think the wideouts set the tempo, set the example for the whole, entire team.”
Yes, it might be super important.
The beauty of Samuel is, of course, that he’s not just a wide receiver — he’s a keystone player, unlocking the full potential of the 49ers’ offense.
Samuel’s favorite wide receiver to watch growing up was Julio Jones, who was AP First-Team All-Pro in 2015 and 2016 under the coordination of Shanahan.
But Samuel didn’t want to be the next Jones.
“I was a running back,” Samuel said. “So I was more of a Reggie Bush guy.”
So, he became a hybrid of both players.
And that’s what the 49ers saw when they drafted him. That’s how they utilized him from the jump.
Samuel, you’ll remember, was brilliant as a rookie in Super Bowl LIV, running for 53 yards on three carries and adding 39 yards on five catches.
Kansas City had no answers for him in that game.
But against an improved and sound Kansas City defense, he’ll need to be even better this time.
This Chiefs’ defense is also more physical — perhaps the most physical defense in the league.
Samuel can fight fire with fire.
But that’s only if the Niners can get him the ball.
So sure, the schematics might be overrated, but they shouldn’t be overlooked.
Kansas City will certainly pay attention to where Samuel lines up on Sunday.
