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In just two days, the Super Bowl LIV winner will be decided
Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, Sky Sports’ lead NFL writer James Simpson guides you through the madness in Miami…
It’s almost time for the big dance.
We are just days away from the culmination of the NFL season, and the biggest event in American sports.
However, the drama and excitement surrounding the game isn’t just limited to Sunday, as there is chaos throughout the week with the media frenzy on Radio Row and along South Beach.
Below, I will attempt to guide you through the build-up to Super Bowl LIV, and provide insight into what goes on behind the scenes…
Friday
0:39 Get ready for the greatest spectacle in sport, live on Sky Sports from 10pm on Sunday
After the non-stop chaos of the last few days, today was a little different. Without any team media availability, it was a chance to slow down and reflect on the week so far, but also do the admin and preparation ahead of the biggest weekend of any reporter’s career.
This experience really is everything I thought it would be.
When Ric Flair holds a door open for you, it’s not the average week. When you get to meet Peter King, Michael Silver and Adam Schefter in person, talk to personal favourite players (as a Philadelphia Eagles fan, Jordan Matthews has a jersey on my wall), and give Miles Teller a handshake and a “go birds!”, it is simply surreal.
Radio Row is the place to be.
Today, we had to move hotels. (Why? Because rates for South Beach hotels triple over Super Bowl weekend!) So after we checked out and Neil, Jeff, Rob and guests were recording Inside the Huddle, I spent time roaming the main floor before heading to the media workroom to catch up on all we’ve achieved this week.
Personally, I have:
- Spoken with Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce about what it is like to prepare for the Super Bowl.
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Heard from Jared Cook on George Kittle and Travis Kelce, and who he thinks is the better tight end.
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Told the amazing story of Niners’ lineman Mike Person, who was cut by San Francisco after his rookie 2011 season and has had a long road back.
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Written a long-form piece on the story behind Patrick Mahomes and his record-breaking career start.
… Among other awesome things on social media with Jeff Reinebold. It’s a day like this – and having time to reflect – when I think: Yeah, this is pretty cool.
Tomorrow, we will look ahead at some of the key numbers, stats and trends for Sunday’s game as it grows ever closer. But for now, check out the above articles and be sure to read Cameron Hogwood’s masterpiece on Kyle Shanahan’s road to the Super Bowl.
Thursday
It is already Thursday. This time in three days, we will be watching the finale of the NFL season as legends will be made and dreams will be crushed.
And for the last time, the media had the chance to sit down with the players and talk about anything and everything ahead of the big game.
Today, I want to share a fascinating story – that of 49ers’ guard Mike Person and his road to the Super Bowl.
1:04 The San Francisco 49ers have not won a Super Bowl since their era of dominance in the 80s and 90s. Can they return to glory on Sunday?
Not only does his name make for great headlines (‘Person signs for 49ers’), but he has also carved out an impressive nine-year career in the NFL, despite being a seventh-round pick in 2011.
What makes his story even more interesting is that Person began his career as a 49er, was cut seven times by six different teams, and ended up back in San Francisco, starting for two seasons in a row for the first time in his career.
I asked him about his journey, starting with the draft-day feeling as someone who waited until the 239th pick to be selected.
1:38 The Kansas City Chiefs have the chance to end 50 years of hurt at Super Bowl LIV in Miami – so will it finally be party time for Andy Reid’s men?
“I was one of those guys on the bubble to be drafted or an undrafted free agent but it was a chaotic weekend for me. There were a couple of teams I thought might take me a little higher. But it was fun, and obviously a great moment and a great feeling once I got the call.”
Person explained how getting started with his career was actually delayed by the lockout that year, so he didn’t get any time before training camp and had to “hit the ground running” as a seventh-rounder with no preparation. Yet, having a long career with the Niners was his goal.
“Obviously, that’s the plan – to be like Joe [Staley, who has been with the 49ers since 2007] and play with the same organisation for however many years he has,” he said, “but the realistic side is that this such a unique, cut-throat business where if teams feel you aren’t performing, they can just end your contract.
1:37 Sky Sports NFL’s Jeff Reinebold re-lives some of the best plays from the 49ers and Chiefs ahead of Super Bowl LIV in Miami
“So that’s always in the back of your mind and I let that weigh too much on me in my early years.”
What it is like to be cut that first time?
“Oh, it was brutal. It really makes you question yourself – what you did wrong, or can you do this? But you just have to believe in yourself or nobody will.
“It gives you a gut check, but you just figure out ways to adapt and keep finding a way.”
I’ll just pause here. Like many players who have come before him, Person was cut without seeing the field at all in his rookie year. But unlike Person, many of them never get back in – and it is certainly against all odds for a seventh-rounder to start all 16 games for the first time in the eighth year of his career (2018).
2:06 Jeff and Rob analyse the tale of the tape
After that first release, he was waived again by the Colts, spent a year with the Seahawks, and two with the Rams. Still no starts.
Then came the Atlanta Falcons and their offensive co-ordinator, none other than current San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan. Person started for one season (2015), but was looking for a new team the next.
After a stint with the Chiefs and a second with the Colts, Shanahan gave him the call in the summer of 2018 and he hasn’t looked back.
“It was really cool [when they called],” he said. “At that point, I was pretty low because no teams had called me and it was May, so you’re getting to the point where I thought it might be time to hang it up, give up the jersey.
“Then Kyle called and I jumped at the opportunity because I loved the way that he operates, the way he runs his offense, and the type of person he is. I knew that he was building something.”
Reflecting on the long, winding journey from draft day to now with the Niners just days away from the Super Bowl, Person said: “Once you get in the NFL, it’s always in the back of your mind to make it into the Super Bowl. But it’s such a hard thing to do, it really is. And being a seventh-round pick, those are guys that don’t usually make it too long.
“So you just have to believe in yourself, take a chance on yourself and make the most of every opportunity you get, whether it’s good or bad.”
Every day I am out here, I am reminded of the outstanding, amazing stories some of these players have. The perseverance many have shown, and how important and meaningful their relationships in this business are.
Just three days to go until, for many people, the most important day of their lives.
Wednesday
In case you are wondering how Tuesday’s party went, know this: they served drinks out of coconuts, there was an entire wall of donuts where you could take your pick, and Mark Sanchez showed up. Does it get much better?
But moving on after a Chiefs day yesterday, we turned our attention to the Niners today – after I’d had my first visit to Radio Row. (I know! How did it take this long?!) While there, you look around and you have current players to your left, former players to your right, and TV stars all around. It truly is a spectacle.
“However, I still think he’s the difference-maker, and I think he will be enough for Kansas City to get a win.”
It’s starting to become a trend that the Chiefs are the choice out here, but when we went down to the ‘underdog’ Niners on Wednesday evening, we wanted to get some serious behind-the-scenes knowledge from some of their players on what it takes to play their positions.
We start with special teams, and long snapper Kyle Nelson and punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who explained the nuances behind their operation. After Jeff quizzed Nelson on how it feels “to play the entire game with your head between your legs looking upside down”, he did get down to more detail.
Nelson told us he wants to get the ball into his punter’s hands in 0.6-0.7 seconds – essentially, in a flash. Wishnowsky stands 15 yards behind him, and as a total time, they want to get the ball away in under two seconds – so if you want to know how it’s going on Sunday, get that stopwatch out! Similarly, if the ball stays in the air for 4.5 seconds or more, that hang time is pretty good.
Next up, quarterback C.J. Beathard, who has fascinating insight into Kyle Shanahan’s preparation for his signal-callers. Beathard said as well as having all of last week to get ready, it’s been intense this one too, despite the media distractions.
“We had meetings at 7.45am and just got out of meetings right before we came here at 6.30pm,” he explained. “Going between install meetings, practice, walkthrough practice, and then more meetings after.” It’s non-stop until the dust settles on Sunday night.
There were other interviews, but the highlight of the evening was getting the breakdown of an offensive lineman’s diet. We spoke with Kofi Amichia, Daniel Brunskill and Justin Skule, with Brunskill describing a typical meal.
“I can’t give you an exact number [of calories],” he said, “but I can tell you for breakfast I eat at least four eggs, with different meats. I have broccoli, hash browns, got to have some carbs in there. Then I also have a weight-gain smoothie.”
Skule said “there are times where you almost need to force-feed yourself because if you don’t, being bigger guys your weight will start to drop,” while Amichia thought he might eat up to four or five-thousand calories. With these players weighing roughly 22 stone each, you can see why.
That’s it from Miami today. One final day of media availability for the players tomorrow before they get down to business – while us media types might finally get a chance for a break before Sunday’s chaos. How about this: I’m in Miami, but I still haven’t been to the beach!
Tuesday
Finally, a chance to sit down and write! Saturday, Sunday and Monday were non-stop, but due to the nature of today’s events – the Chiefs and 49ers held press conferences on opposite sides of Miami in the morning – there is some free time to reflect on the events so far.
To start the day, I sifted through the action from last night and we shared a great moment from Marlins Park on the @SkySportsNFL Twitter page as ‘Coach’ Reinebold hooked up with 49ers receiver Emmanuel Sanders. The bonds built in football are stronger than anything, and it’s never more evident than at events like these.
Andy Reid also spoke about how lucky Patrick Mahomes was to have someone like Alex Smith to sit behind and learn from for a year, and it had me thinking about how incredibly rapid Mahomes’ rise has been.
Reid raved about veteran QB Smith – who helped Kansas City reach the playoffs in four of the coach’s first five seasons in charge – and how he taught the then-rookie how to study, how to eat, how to deal with not seeing his family as much. “Patrick couldn’t pay Alex enough for what he gave him with that experience,” Reid told reporters at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry.
Since Mahomes was named MVP in year two and reached the Super Bowl in year three, it’s easy to forget/overlook the fact the 24-year-old sat on the bench for a year. But it couldn’t have turned out better for him and the Chiefs. Here’s just a snapshot of what some of the best players in the NFL said about him at the Pro Bowl over the weekend:
Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles (Travis’s older brother) – “You never know what’s going to happen. He’s a guy that can create things at any moment. Even if he’s not looking at you, the ball might be coming to you – he makes golden passes all over the place. My brother has nothing but good stuff to say about him and what a hell of a player he’s been.”
DJ Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars – “Crazy talented. Everybody on his team swears by him so obviously he’s a great guy and that’s what really matters. As a receiver, you want to be able to play for your quarterback and when you’ve got a guy like that, he seems pretty easy to play for.”
1:18 Mahomes’ 27-yard rushing touchdown in the AFC Championship game will go down as one of the greatest plays of the season
Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings – “He’s a great quarterback, man. He can run, throw, he can throw on the run. He can make good reads. A quarterback like that, it’s really hard to scheme for.”
Shaq Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – “[As a pass-rusher], you’ve really just got to try and keep him in the pocket, that’s first. But he’s still going to be able to get out some way, somehow and make something happen.”
And today, Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu oozed respect when talking about his team’s leader:
Ultimately, Mahomes’ career and legacy will be judged by his championships, and he has the chance to win his first on Sunday. But will anybody be surprised if he is back for more in the future? I don’t think so.
Tomorrow, we head over to the 49ers to hear more from them after head coach Kyle Shanahan rubbished the notion that the NFC champions are hiding their QB, despite the fact he’s thrown just 27 passes through the playoffs so far.
For now, it’s time to get ready for the annual ‘Super Bowl Media Party’ (probably wise to file this article before that event, not after!)
Monday
Unlike plenty of our pundits and production team, this Super Bowl will be my first. Up until this point, the maddest media scrum I’ve encountered is a post-game locker room at Wembley Stadium. But that was nothing compared to ‘Super Bowl Opening Night’ in Marlins Park.
Essentially, it is every reporter under the sun crammed into an event hall trying to get their questions in to the two Super Bowl participants – one team at a time.
Before tonight (I arrived in the country three days ago), jet lag had been a factor. After the bright lights, the drum lines, the big screens, the fans and the absolute chaos, there’s no chance of that coming into play tonight!
To begin the week’s proceedings, I was following around our man Reinebold as he attempted to get some time with various players and coaches.
There were tears as he was reunited with Chiefs’ practice squad receiver Gehrig Dieter, another catch-up with Chiefs broadcaster – and former NFL long-snapper – Kendall Gammon, and a great discussion about Tarvarius Moore’s ascension from Southern Mississippi to the Niners.
Ultimately, though, the media flocked to the big names and the stories of the week. We heard Garoppolo say former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady had wished him luck – a simple text message that will hit the headlines – while Richard Sherman raved about Mahomes and his ability to move around the pocket.
After three hours, I got a taste of what to expect as we get closer and closer to the NFL’s finale, as the hype continues to grow.
It’s just the start in what will be a manic week of build-up, continuing with Chiefs availability first thing tomorrow morning. Best get to bed!
Pro Bowl Weekend
6:59 Watch highlights of the 2020 Pro Bowl, courtesy of the NFL network
After the long nine-and-a-half-hour flight from London to Orlando, I was lucky enough to head out early on Sunday to experience the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s all-star exhibition game, in which Lamar Jackson and the AFC out-lasted the NFC 38-33.
Exhibition might even be an overstatement; as we know by now, it’s simply a fun, play-around scrimmage. The highlight of the weekend was no doubt speaking to some of the NFL’s top stars.
On Saturday, after the ‘practices’ (15-20 minutes of light jogging in the sun), players from both conferences took time to speak to fans, sign autographs and answer questions from the media, and after Sunday’s game, the locker rooms were opened up to the media.
Philadelphia Eagles’ linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce gave me some fascinating insight into what the emotions are for players preparing to play in the Super Bowl, some of the best players in the game raved about Patrick Mahomes and how hard he is to defend, and Saints’ tight end Jared Cook ran the rule over the star tight ends in this year’s big game – George Kittle and Travis Kelce (watch out for this later in the week!)
With the audio in hand, it was time to head to Miami…
@SkySportsNFL are in Miami all week – follow us for live video and a flavour of the madness.
For 90 minutes of Super Bowl LIV build-up from Hard Rock Stadium with Rob Ryan and Josh Norman, join us on Sky Sports Action, Main Event and Mix from 10pm on Sunday, February 2.
Sourse: skysports.com
