Chiefs exploited coverage mismatch with 49ers backup LB to win Super Bowl LVIII

In Greenlaw's absence, his backup Oren Burks was asked to fill in alongside All-Pro LB Fred Warner for the remainder of the game. Burks played 70 total snaps and was a liability for the 49ers defense. The absence of Greenlaw was massively felt as Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs offense down the field late in the game for the win. 

Burks' biggest struggles 

Burks was picked on in one particular facet: pass coverage. Unlike his injured teammate, Burks' instincts and abilities on passing downs were a detriment. CoachYac's tweet below showcases the porous numbers resulting from Burks' coverage on Sunday night. 

One thing is for certain, Mahomes and Andy Reid knew who was the mismatch and they exploited it to their benefit. These numbers are rough to survey. Especially, considering the Chiefs' passing attack struggled to get going in the first half of the game. 

Mahomes' touchdown pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling went right over the hands of Burks, who was dropping into coverage. It appeared to be a Cover 3 zone coverage in the red zone and Burks did not get enough depth to replace the dropping safety. I would have liked to see Burks identify the seam by MVS and get as deep into his drop as possible to make it a more difficult throw. 

An unfortunate turn of events with Greenlaw's aforementioned injury and the situation it placed Burks in during the biggest game of the season. Burks played less than 500 total defensive snaps all season. To be thrown into the spotlight versus the best quarterback in the league is a tough task. 

Greenlaw more than likely will not be available to start the 2024 NFL season due to the timing of this difficult injury. Oren Burks is a free agent (void years) but could be re-signed due to his familiarity with the defense. Nonetheless, this was a tough way to end the season.