49ers might be wise to keep Patrick Mahomes in the pocket

MIAMI — Green Bay was preparing to play Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV in 2011. One of the keys, the Packers were convinced, was being disciplined in how they rushed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was strong enough to fight off tacklers but also aware and athletic enough to use his legs to escape pressure, buy time and make big plays downfield to receivers.

Roethlisberger, the Packers determined, was more dangerous on the move after breaking rush containment. Better to build a fence around him that kept him pinned in the pocket, where he was less dangerous than he was extending plays on the move.

Even if it meant sacrificing sacks.

The San Francisco 49ers face a similar challenge Sunday against dynamic Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV. And it might require them choosing the lesser of two evils in trying to contain Mahomes, who will firmly plant himself on a path to greatness if he leads the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl championship in 50 years.

Turn up the heat against him in pursuit of taking him to the ground, potentially at the risk of him escaping trouble and making big plays either as an outside-the-pocket passer or runner. Or keep him contained in the pocket and take a chance that he will be less effective than on the run.

For the 49ers, the second option might be the most attractive.

“Stay in your rush lanes. Try to condense the pocket on top of him,” is how 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa explained it. “Don’t be rushing too high or too low and letting him get the edge or letting him escape through the A or B gaps, because he likes to do that and extend plays. So just rush as a unit and try to keep him in that pocket.”

In some ways the 49ers are waging two battles: The first is against a 24-year-old quarterback who is part Houdini, part Dan Marino, part Magic Johnson and part Michael Vick. The other is the sense of destiny that has wrapped itself around him as the NFL’s next greatest thing.

Mahomes is on a playoff pace for the ages, throwing for 615 yards and eight touchdowns without throwing an interception in two games. His passer rating is 131.5. Those numbers put him in the same company with some of the great quarterback playoff runs of all time.

San Francisco has one of the NFL’s top defensive lines and the second-ranked defense. Its four-man defensive line is potent enough to create pressure as a contained unit, allowing the 49ers to commit their seven remaining defenders to pass coverage.

But with Mahomes, it’s not as simple as just getting pressure on him. It has to be a disciplined pass rush that corrals him while maintaining lane integrity. The 49ers need to make him aware they are there and rattle him as a result. But they can’t overpush or overpursue, because he will make them pay a steep price.

In 16 games, including the postseason, Mahomes has completed 260 of 392 passes for 3,378 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions when operating against a four-man rush. His passer rating in that situation is 105.8. His effectiveness actually improves when teams add a fifth pass rusher, as he has completed 60 of 93 passes for 704 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions with a passer rating of 116.1.

Mahomes’ numbers go down in one situation. When operating under pressure, he has completed 49 of 107 passes for 696 yards, five touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 79.0.

The key, though, is containing him in the pocket with that pressure. And that takes discipline.

“You have to know where you are in your rush, you have to stay in your rush lanes,” 49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “You can’t do too much, obviously, and put everything in your hands. I got three other guys that can rush the passer just as well as I can. I have to stay in my rush lane and that we’re collapsing the pocket together.”

The Packers defeated the Steelers 31-25 in that Super Bowl. They sacked Roethlisberger just once, but they built a fence around him that contained him to the pocket. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two critical interceptions.

The 49ers face a tall order against Mahomes and the Chiefs. But if they are looking for a blueprint to best deal with him, they would be wise to follow the Packers’ plan against Roethlisberger.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.