The Super Bowl is finally here. A rematch on the big stage with two of the most successful teams over the last half decade. The Chiefs are no strangers to this game. They’ve now been in the Super Bowl four of the last five years. This is the second Super Bowl in the last five years for the Niners who have been knocking on the door the last three years. Both teams are stacked with talent and the game should live up to its hype. The Niners are favored by 2 points which signals a close game. Here’s our preview.
How They Got Here
The San Francisco 49ers locked up the 1-seed in the NFC in Week 17 and breezed to the best record in the conference and a bye week in the wild card round. They are led by RB Christian McCaffrey, the best rusher in the NFL, and assisted by second year QB Brock Purdy. Both are MVP finalists.
The Niners were great in the regular season, but these playoffs have been a different story. They have had to overcome two different second half deficits to win their two playoff games, one a 17-point margin against the Detroit Lions in the Championship Game.
The Chiefs won their division for what feels like the 1000th straight year, but it wasn’t the typical Chiefs dominance that we have been accustomed to seeing. There were offensive fits and the lack of a true number one wide receiver plagued Patrick Mahomes at times. Yet, the Chiefs bounced back and put enough wins together to get back to championship level football.
In the playoffs, they’ve been nothing short of great. They made easy work of the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round before upsetting the Buffalo Bills on the road in the divisional round. They dominated the favored Baltimore Ravens in the conference championship game as they shut down Lamar Jackson and the high-powered Ravens offense.
How They Stack Up
These two teams are really good in different spots which should make this an interesting game. While the 49ers are technically top three in both defense and offense, their defense has struggled down the stretch. They’ve been torched in the first half of their two playoff games. Luckily, their offense is explosive. They should be able to put up points against just about any team, but that’s where the Chiefs really stand out. They are second in defense and have a top notch secondary.
Keys
49ers – Run it behind Christian McCaffrey. You can’t forget this guy is on your team, which Kyle Shanahan has done at times in this postseason. This offense runs as CMC does. Pound the ball with him and make the Chiefs play true.
Chiefs – Win the turnover game. The Niners struggle when Brock Purdy throws picks. The Ravens put the blueprint out on Brock Purdy and how he can struggle. If they can put pressure on the QB and let their secondary go, they can win this game.
Players to Watch
49ers – Nick Bosa: He had two sacks in the NFC Championship, but this pass rush has been weak. You aren’t beating Pat Mahomes with weak pressure. Time to prove why you have the biggest non-QB deal in NFL history.
Chiefs – Rashee Rice: 938 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie is going to make you a big deal to Patrick Mahomes. The wide receiver needs to have the game of his life to prevent Travis Kelce from being double teamed.
Prediction
I’ve been riding them all season and I am riding them in the Super Bowl. I have the 49ers winning 28-25. This offense can score and I trust the defense to come up with a big stop at the end to get revenge on the Chiefs.