Ernie Adams, recognized for his significant role alongside Bill Belichick in the Patriots’ Super Bowl victories, has recently shared insights about this year’s Super Bowl and the optimal overtime strategy.
Adams, who served as Belichick’s football research director after a career in municipal bonds trading, discussed the strategy for overtime during Julian Edelman’s podcast. He highlighted the importance of choosing to kick if winning the coin toss, emphasizing the advantage of knowing the target to win and being in four-down territory throughout the possession.
However, the 49ers, led by head coach Kyle Shanahan, opted to receive at the start of overtime, sticking to their playoff approach. Adams believes it’s better to let the opponent go first to determine the required outcome.
In hindsight, the 49ers’ decision to kick a field goal first, followed by the Chiefs’ touchdown, put them at a disadvantage, according to Adams.
