This Tremendous Bowl showdown between Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and George Kittle of the 49ers is a conflict of kinds.
It’s Kelce’s tight fade versus Kittle’s straggly, anyone-know-a-good-barber? look.
Kittle’s pregame routine consists of meditation, visualization and a salt bathtub. Kelce spends three hours deciding on what he’ll put on.
Kelce pulls up in a Rolls-Royce Ghost, whereas it’s a traditional Mustang for Kittle.
They’re as completely different as Heath Ledger (Kittle has a tattoo of him) and Chris Farley (Kelce watches his films repeatedly).
Kelce is a Burger King Whopper sort of man; Kittle goes for the orange hen at Panda Categorical.
And there’s extra.
The opposing tight ends come from completely different branches of the identical tree.
Kelce, along with his confounding really feel for understanding soccer’s intersections of time and house, is the consultant of the receiving department.
Kittle, the hit man who provides defensive ends tastes of turf, comes from the blocking department, or maybe we should always name it the two-way department.
Appropriately, Kittle is the son of a one-time left sort out and offensive line coach. That isn’t to say he catches as if he’s sporting boxing gloves, nevertheless. He as soon as had 210 receiving yards in a recreation. Kittle led NFL tight ends in receiving yards this season — it was his third 1,000-yard season.
George Kittle goes for 58 yards!
📺: #BALvsSF on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pkwa8SXokx pic.twitter.com/XPez8PpqDD— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2023
In 2018, he had 1,377 yards, which was essentially the most by a good finish in NFL historical past. Two years later, Kelce outdid him by 39 yards. Since Kittle got here into the league in 2017, Kelce is the one tight finish with extra receiving yards.
Kelce has seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons — greater than any tight finish ever (he missed his eighth this season by 16 yards after sitting out the regular-season finale). In his profession, he has averaged 71.2 receiving yards per recreation — highest amongst all tight ends.
With out Kelce’s 11 catches for 116 yards in opposition to the Ravens within the AFC Championship Sport, the Chiefs usually are not in Las Vegas this week. And with out Kittle’s 1,020 receiving yards in the course of the common season, the 49ers could be sitting this one out, too.
Greater than a chance to purchase squares and dip wings, Tremendous Bowl LVIII is a discussion board to think about Kittle, Kelce and their locations among the many best of tight ends.
Travis Kelce, left, has extra 1,000-yard seasons than any tight finish in NFL historical past, however George Kittle led the league’s tight ends in receiving yards this season. (Kevin Terrell / Related Press)
Soccer’s first tight finish was presupposed to be a linebacker.
A minimum of that’s what many groups thought. However Bears coach George Halas, head scout George Allen and assistant coach Luke Johnsos noticed one thing in Mike Ditka that nobody else did. They chose him and invented a brand new place, shifting him a couple of yards from the offensive sort out on the road of scrimmage so he might have a two-way launch, inside or outdoors the urgent defender.
Ditka caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaged 19.2 yards per catch and was named the league’s rookie of the yr. He wasn’t quick by immediately’s tight finish requirements, however he might get open with physicality and was as tough to sort out as any participant ever. What’s extra, he set a normal for blocking.
“You needed to watch him for 60 minutes as a result of he’d take your head off,” Corridor of Fame defensive finish Deacon Jones instructed NFL Movies.
“Ditka outlined the place,” says Corridor of Fame common supervisor Ron Wolf, who scouted Ditka in individual within the early Sixties.
Within the 1963 championship recreation, the Bears trailed the Giants 10-7 late within the third quarter and confronted a third-and-9 on the Giants’ 15 when Johnsos recommended Halas name “Ditka Particular,” wherein Ditka ran a shallow crossing route. Ditka caught the go simply previous the road of scrimmage and took it to the Giants’ 1. The Bears scored the profitable landing on the subsequent play.
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That very same season, John Mackey made his debut for the Colts. For many of his time at Syracuse, Mackey was a fullback who blocked for Heisman winner Ernie Davis. However as a senior, he led his group in receiving. Colts coach Don Shula envisioned one other Ditka, and Mackey subsequently averaged 20.7 yards per reception as a rookie and have become the second nice tight finish.
“Mackey had a bit extra velocity than Ditka,” says Dale Lindsey, who performed in opposition to each as a linebacker with the Browns and Saints and later coached within the NFL for 21 years. “In protection, Mackey gave you extra issues. However he wasn’t as bodily as Mike was. Within the working recreation, Mike was head and shoulders above everyone else — a troublesome, bodily man.”
In a transfer that may have momentous implications for the tight finish place, Steelers coach Chuck Noll employed former Georgia Tech coach Bud Carson as a defensive backs coach in 1972, then promoted him to defensive coordinator the next season. Carson introduced the Cowl 2 protection to the NFL, which made the center of the sphere susceptible to assault. Offensive minds appeared for methods to counter with gamers who might exploit the open areas within the zone protection.
Dave Casper had been an All-America offensive sort out at Notre Dame in 1972. The next yr, he was an All-America tight finish. Oakland Raiders proprietor Al Davis selected him within the second spherical in 1974 and helped Casper change into a good finish who made legendary performs.
“They lined him up on the left aspect with Artwork Shell and Gene Upshaw and ran each play to the left,” says one-time NFL defensive again, Corridor of Fame coach and NBC commentator Tony Dungy, who performed in opposition to Casper. “They didn’t care if you happen to knew it. Dave turned what everyone was searching for, a man you can run behind on third-and-1 and in addition outrun a security and make the catch to win the sport.”
However the Steelers have been having a lot success with Carson’s Cowl 2 that the NFL made a change in 1978 to attempt to assist offenses. The “Mel Blount rule” restricted contact between defenders and receivers to the 5-yard space simply past the road of scrimmage. Earlier than 1978, defenders might jostle receivers all the best way downfield with out penalty.
For offenses, this was seismic, and a chance for innovation.
At 6 foot 2 and perhaps 215 kilos, Ozzie Newsome was an enormous large receiver at Alabama. He wasn’t large enough to be a good finish in the best way Ditka, Mackey and Casper have been, however Newsome might run and catch like few earlier than him or since. With the Browns, he turned a unique sort of tight finish, and when Newsome retired 13 years later, he was the all-time-leading tight finish receiver.
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The yr after Newsome entered the league, San Diego Chargers coach Don Coryell and offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs have been searching for an explosive playmaker who might create matchup issues. They discovered one like no different after they drafted Kellen Winslow in 1979.
“Gibbs and Coryell stated, ‘If I’ve that expertise, why depart him on the tight finish place?’” Dungy says. “‘I’ll transfer him and create mismatches.’ So Winslow did every little thing Ozzie did, however he lined up as a good finish, a large receiver, within the backfield and within the slot. He was hardly requested to dam.”
Winslow led the NFL in receptions twice and completed second and third in two different years.
“He was the primary massive, athletic man who might run, bounce, block,” says former Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who performed in opposition to Winslow as a Chicago linebacker. “And he had actually good fingers.”
Tony Gonzalez led a brand new wave of athletic tight ends within the Nineties, lots of them with basketball backgrounds. (Picture by Al Tielemans / Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Photographs)
After Winslow, the emphasis turned extra on versatility and fewer on physicality. In 1990, the Denver Broncos drafted a small-school large receiver within the seventh spherical and made him a good finish. Shannon Sharpe turned a latter-day Newsome and was the primary tight finish to have 10,000 receiving yards.
Tight ends as much as that time acquired open principally with velocity, measurement or scheming. Then got here a wave of gamers — Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham amongst them — who acquired open with savvy. Every of the aforementioned had a basketball background.
In accordance with Tyler Dunne’s ebook, “The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Saved Soccer,” Gonzalez didn’t run routes like most. As an alternative of exploding out of his stance, he slow-played the defender till he acquired close to him, then created separation with a refined shove.
“That little break up proper there may be all he wanted,” former Jets and Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma stated. “He nudges you on the hip with the elbow after which he bursts full velocity for an out route. Now it’s too late. There’s nothing you are able to do.”
Gonzalez, who has the flashiest statistics of all of the tight ends, needed to be thought of a receiving tight finish and clashed with coaches who needed him to embrace the extra muscular elements of his job.
Defenders typically thought that they had Gates smothered solely to see him make a catch. He had extra landing receptions than any tight finish and is seventh in landing catches amongst all gamers. Former NFL security Eric Weddle, who performed in opposition to Gates, Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, Kelce and Kittle, says Gates was essentially the most tough to cowl.
“Figuring out methods to place his physique is what made him particular,” Rivera says. “I feel it got here from his basketball background. For him, a catch was a rebound. He was one of the best beneath goal I ever noticed.”
Amid positional evolution, Gronkowski was a throwback — extra Ditka and Mackey than Gonzalez and Gates.
“The factor about Gronk was Gronk might additionally block like a sort out,” former teammate Julian Edelman stated in “The Blood and Guts.” “These days, you’re getting tight ends who’re simply receiver tight ends. They don’t put their head within the combine. Gronk was an elite — an elite — blocker.”
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However Gronkowski was a particular weapon as a receiver, as properly. He had 5 seasons scoring not less than 10 touchdowns, greater than any tight finish in historical past.
“He wasn’t going to run away from you or route you up,” Weddle says. “However he would create a lot separation along with his first two steps. You’ll be capable to get again in part with the subsequent three, 4 steps since you’re sooner. However then he would physique you up. He was so massive and had such an enormous wingspan. If the ball was wherever near him, he was catching it.”
Ditka, Mackey, Casper and Gronkowski led to Kittle.
Newsome, Winslow, Sharpe, Gonzalez and Gates led to Kelce.
9 tight ends have been enshrined within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame — Casper, Ditka, Gonzalez, Mackey, Newsome, Charlie Sanders, Sharpe, Jackie Smith and Winslow. Gates is a semifinalist in his first yr of eligibility and can doubtless be part of the others, as will the not-yet-eligible Gronkowski and Jason Witten.
In 2019, the NFL assembled a panel of dignitaries to call a a hundredth anniversary group. It included 5 tight ends — Ditka, Mackey, Winslow, Gonzalez and Gronkowski.
The Athletic revealed “The Soccer 100” earlier than the 2023 season and included the identical 5 tight ends amongst its prime 100 gamers. Gronkowski ranked forty seventh, Mackey 57th, Gonzalez 81st, Winslow 82nd and Ditka 97th.
Most historians agree these are the 5 finest tight ends, although the order of the 5 comes all the way down to which fashion is most popular. Whether or not Kelce or Kittle can crack the 5 stays to be seen.
In 1988, Ditka turned the primary tight finish inductee, which says one thing. Some who noticed Ditka and Mackey play stay satisfied the primary have been one of the best.
“The most effective tight finish within the historical past of professional soccer is Mike Ditka,” Wolf says. “Proper on his tail is John Mackey. These different guys are simply guys in comparison with them. They wrote the ebook. I can’t consider anyone who’s watched Ditka play might assume anybody was higher.”
Ditka, maybe out of modesty, disagrees with Wolf.
“I don’t consider I used to be the best tight finish,” he stated. “I feel John Mackey was. He had extra velocity than me and was a bit higher receiver than me. I couldn’t do all of the issues he might, and he couldn’t do all of the issues I might. However we have been in all probability two of one of the best in our time.”
Some — together with the panel that chosen “The Soccer 100” — favor Gronkowski. Whereas he stands out as the beneficiary of recency bias and taking part in with Tom Brady, there isn’t any arguing that his affect was phenomenal.
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Gronkowski ran via many tackles. Equally, Kittle’s enterprise card is yards after the catch. Since he got here into the league, he has led all tight ends with a median of seven.3 yards after the catch, based on TruMedia.
“Kittle is sort of a rhinoceros when he’s working with the ball,” Weddle says. “I wouldn’t say he’s that tough to cowl along with his route working, however when he will get the ball in his fingers, it’s a tall process to convey him down. That and the best way he blocks separate him from everyone else in immediately’s recreation.”
Kittle has already been voted to 5 Professional Bowls. That pales subsequent to Gonzalez’s 14, however Kittle has performed solely seven seasons and will improve his legacy for a few years.
Gonzalez is the one tight finish elected to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame on the primary poll. Corridor of Fame entrance workplace govt Gil Brandt as soon as ranked Gonzalez the best tight finish ever for NFL.com.
Kelce is 34 years previous, has performed 11 seasons, has been voted to 9 Professional Bowls and has secured a spot among the many best. He already has extra postseason catches than any participant ever and Sunday he’ll tie Gronkowski for many postseason video games by a good finish with 22.
Kelce additionally has the very best profile of any tight finish in historical past. He leads the league in TV commercials, co-hosts one of the listened-to podcasts within the nation and canoodles with somebody with many extra downloads to her credit score.
Possibly he’s the fortunate one.
OH MY GOODNESS TRAVIS KELCE pic.twitter.com/b8W7hs0ih4
— Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024
Kelce is paying homage to Winslow in that each have been the beneficiaries of their circumstances. Winslow had two Corridor of Fame coaches guiding him and a cutting-edge scheme. He had a Corridor of Fame quarterback throwing to him and performed with three large receivers who have been All-Professional at one time or one other.
Kelce performs for one of many best offensive minds and head coaches of his period, is thrown to by soccer’s finest quarterback and lined up with one of many league’s finest large receivers till the 2022 season.
Kelce’s numbers dwarf Winslow’s partly as a result of his Chiefs, like all groups immediately, are throwing the ball extra — a development for which Winslow’s groups have been partially accountable. However Kelce arguably has been extra necessary to the Chiefs than Winslow was to the Chargers. In his profession, Winslow accounted for 18 % of his group’s receiving yards; Kelce has accounted for 25 %. Kelce has led the Chiefs in receiving yards six occasions, together with in 2023; Winslow led the Chargers simply as soon as.
Opponents checked out Winslow and thought, “How can I guard this man?” They take a look at Kelce and say, “How does he make performs?” He’s not as bodily gifted or imposing as Winslow was, however he’s no much less efficient. Rivera says Kelce performs sooner and larger than anticipated.
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Kelce approaches his place with the understanding of a quarterback, which he believes he could possibly be after taking part in the place in highschool and his early school days.
“He thinks like a quarterback, understanding the passing recreation and coverages,” Dungy says.
Route working is his superpower.
“In how he modifies speeds, manipulates defenders, stresses your leverage, I’d put him in a class with Keenan Allen as a receiver,” Weddle says. “He’s not a burner by any means, however he’s at all times open due to that. All of the issues which might be difficult in route working, he has.”
Weddle and Dungy level out the Chiefs hardly ever run to Kelce’s aspect and rely on him to clear a path for a ball service. So Kittle will help the 49ers win in additional methods. However Kelce could make extra massive performs.
Certainly one of them nearly assuredly goes to do one thing that helps his group convey dwelling the Lombardi Trophy.
Will probably be a victory for one convention, one group and one fashion of tight finish.
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(High pictures: Dustin Bradford / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs; Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Photographs)