49ers’ secondary, not necessarily the pass rush, may be key to stopping Patrick Mahomes, says Peter King

The San Francisco 49ers possessed the No. 2 ranked pass rush in the NFL, according to DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). Many figure the defensive-line play will be the key to stopping or just slowing down exciting Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Maybe not, writes Peter King of NBC Sports.

The key to stopping Mahomes may lay elsewhere. King explained why in his latest Football Morning in America article, thanks to some help from Pro Football Focus.

King points out that the 49ers pass rush, which produced nine sacks and 26 combined hits and hurries on quarterbacks in its two playoff wins, pressured opposing quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers on average 2.5 seconds after each passing snap. This is a defensive unit at full strength (or as full strength as it can be at this point) thanks to the return of veteran pass rusher Dee Ford.

What's the problem?

"Patrick Mahomes, over the past two years, has a 120.3 rating and 5,248 passing yards when throwing in 2.5 seconds or faster," writes King. "That's the best in the NFL since the start of 2018."

Does that mean the impact of the 49ers pass rush could be minimized in Super Bowl LIV? Not necessarily, thanks to Richard Sherman and company.

"PFF figured that the San Francisco secondary had the NFL's second-best season-long grade when quarterbacks threw in 2.5 seconds or less," added King.

As has been the case for many quarterbacks this season, having to face a ferocious 49ers pass rush and the league's No. 1 ranked pass defense could be the biggest factor in stopping Mahomes and the potent Chiefs offense.

Oh, and the NFL teams with 55-or-more sacks entering the Super Bowl over the last 15 seasons are 6-0, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. The 49ers enter with 57. That's a bonus, too.