49ers defender receives belated justification for his decision on humiliating play at hands of Patrick Mahomes
Dee Winters found himself on the wrong end of a viral moment in Week 7 of the 2024 regular season, when the San Francisco 49ers linebacker was juked by Patrick Mahomes during a slaloming 33-yard scramble in the third quarter of their Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the immediate aftermath of that play, the point was made that Winters likely hesitated to hit Mahomes on the left sideline because of the potential of him being flagged for a late hit out of bounds.
Relevant https://t.co/KuMwkRQCBM
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) January 18, 2025
During Saturday's Divisional Round matchup between the Chiefs and the Houston Texans, Winters received some justification for his hesitation, albeit on a slightly different play.
Mahomes drew a personal foul call against Texans linebacker Henry To'o To'o in the third quarter on a play on which he slid extremely late, with the flag attracting the ire of the ESPN announcing team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF
— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025
The call was particularly egregious as To'o To'o did not even appear to make contact with Mahomes on the hit, his helmet instead colliding with that of teammate Foley Fatukasi.
But it encapsulated why defending quarterbacks who can scramble is so difficult for defenders. Mahomes and his contemporaries can wait until the very last second to make a decision with ball in hand, leaving defenders in an extremely tricky position knowing there is an increased chance a tackle attempt could end in a foul.
Winters made the decision not to take that risk in Week 7, whereas To'o To'o paid the price this time around. The situations were slightly different, and it won't make Winters feel any better, but the flag against his fellow linebacker served as an excellent illustration of why he appeared reluctant to go in for the hit on Mahomes.
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