Emmanuel Sanders was the intended target on a play which could have changed the complexion of Super Bowl 54.
On a third-and-10 with roughly 100 seconds left in the game, the San Francisco 49ers receiver had beaten double coverage and was streaking toward the end zone. But quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo overthrew Sanders on the play, with the ball falling well out of the receiver’s reach. Garoppolo would take a sack on fourth down on the following play, and the Chiefs would score a game-sealing touchdown two plays later.
Sanders grew frustrated amid questions about that third-down play. Here’s what the exchange looked like, via NESN’s Zack Cox:
Reporter: Which route pattern did he run on the play that ended the game for San Francisco’s offense?
Sanders: “What do you think it was? What route do you think it was? What did it look like? What did it look like? What route do you think it looked like?”
Reporter: Was it a post route?
Sanders: “Yeah, it was a post route.”
Reporter: How close were you to catching the deep attempt?
Sanders: “How close do you think I was? That’s a dumb question.”
Mahomes to Hill on third-and-15 was a major turning point in the game, but I keep thinking about this play. Sanders was open and Garoppolo missed him. pic.twitter.com/QQFNIhDYU1
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) February 3, 2020
Sanders, who finished the game with three catches for 38 yards, clearly didn’t want to talk about the missed opportunity.
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