That's what you call laying your body on the line.
Jimmie Ward dished out a major hit, but the 49ers' safety took the brunt of the punishment when tackling Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes on a third-down attempt in the first quarter of Super Bowl LIV.
On a third-and-11 from San Francisco's 15-yard line, Mahomes rolled out to his right and thought he had a clear path to the end zone, but Ward had other ideas. He popped Mahomes with a huge hit right near the first-down marker, and managed to jar the ball loose from Mahomes' arms. The dislodged ball went out of bounds behind the first-down line, leaving Kansas City with a 4th-and-1 opportunity.
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SIGN UP HERE Ward remained down on the field for several moments, but eventually got to his feet. He went to the sideline for one play, but unfortunately for he and the 49ers, the Chiefs converted on a first down while he was out on a four-yard direct snap to running back Damien Williams.
Despite Ward's great play, Mahomes ultimately would not be denied. Kansas City worked the ball down to the goal line, and he eventually scored on a one-yard touchdown run to put the Chiefs up 7-3.
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So, for you bettors out there, hopefully you put your money on Mahomes to score the first TD.
