Trent McDuffie and L'Jarius Sneed dominated the Super Bowl
The Chiefs cornerbacks demonstrated why they are the best duo in the NFL.
BEFORE WE START - I appreciate all of you from Kansas City and elsewhere. You’re loved. I hope that looking at something as silly and unimportant as terrific cornerback play gives you joy today. I’ve found in years of working child protection that finding the happiness in the little things is something that is so important when the world is dark. I hope the same applies to you, and this next sentence makes you smile even a little.
L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie are the best 1-2 punch at cornerback in the NFL.
Following the Chiefs’ dynasty-affirming win in Super Bowl LVIII, there are plenty of “5,000 feet in the air” takeaways about the 2023 Chiefs. And one of them is that both Sneed and McDuffie are foundational players around which a defensive gameplan can be built. A pair of top-5 cornerbacks who just so happen to play on the same team (and with a pair of other solid CB’s in Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams… it’s the best CB room in the league, period). Guys who are legitimate foundational pieces to a defense.
Steve Spagnuolo knew it going into the Super Bowl against the 49ers. And he called the game accordingly, leaning into his elite talent in order to change up what San Francisco was seeing on the field vs what they expected to see.
I’ve already talked about how Chris Jones was central to the Chiefs managing to slow down the 49ers potent offense. Now, it’s time to talk about McDuffie and Sneed, whose contributions were just as important to forcing San Francisco off the field over and over (and over) as the game went along.
They also left no doubt as to the best 1-2 CB duo in the NFL, and the importance of trying to keep that duo together. Let’s talk about how both players rewarded a gameplan built around their ability to shut down the most gifted skill position group in the NFL, and demonstrated their value as cornerstones of a franchise.