On Feb. 11, Allegiant Stadium will host the San Francisco 49ers (12-5) and the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) in Super Bowl LVIII. As an Oakland Raiders fan, the only thing I am looking forward to is the Super Bowl halftime show. Alas, even a lights-out performance from Usher won’t save me from the depths of despair.
Like a lazy high schooler who procrastinates on their homework, the NFL scriptwriters have copied and pasted their script from Super Bowl LIV. In what turned into an instant classic, the Chiefs erased a 4th quarter deficit to win their first Super Bowl in almost 50 years. With both teams rostering young and talented superstars at the time, it isn’t overwhelmingly surprising to see these two teams meet again on the biggest stage.
The 49ers will look to win their sixth Super Bowl and establish themselves as one of the NFL’s most prestigious franchises. Whereas the Chiefs aim to win their third Super Bowl in only four years and succeed the New England Patriots as the NFL’s next dynasty. Fans of either team will rightfully be excited, but neutrals should also have a lot to look forward to. This game features some of the NFL’s best players with a lot of history between them.
When it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, it all starts with Patrick Mahomes II. With the guidance of head coach Andy Reid, the former Texas Tech standout has turned the Chiefs into perennial contenders. After winning Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to two more Super Bowl appearances and another victory in Super Bowl LVII.
While the two-time MVP has an otherworldly connection with Travis Kelce, Mahomes has struggled to develop a rapport with the rest of the receiving core. Drops have become a recurring theme this season and have slowed down the Kansas City offense.
While the offense couldn’t get off the ground, Kansas City’s defense kept them afloat. Led by their alpha defensive lineman Chris Jones, the Chiefs boast one of the best passing defenses in the NFL. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s secondary is littered with young and hungry stars like L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. Despite their championship pedigree, the Chiefs stumbled into the playoffs this year.
With the Chiefs looking like a shell of themselves, many predicted them to crash out of the playoff early. However, the reigning champions rattled off wins against the Dolphins, Bills and Ravens to silence the doubters.
For the 49ers, their road to the Super Bowl is a polar opposite to Kansas City’s. Apart from a three-game losing skid, the Niners breezed through the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed and a bye week, and went straight into the NFC Divisional round.
However, the 49ers haven’t looked like the team that was in cruise control during the regular season. Escaping heartbreak twice against the new-era Packers in the Divisional and the kneecap-biting Lions in the Conference Championship.
Led by Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, the 49ers possess a uber talented roster from top to bottom. Their group of skill positions featuring Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are a living nightmare for any defensive coordinator. With Trent Williams defending the blindside, head coach Kyle Shanahan can reliably set up Purdy and the Niners for big splash plays.
San Francisco isn’t short on talent on the other side of the ball either. Despite losing All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga to a torn ACL, the Niners still possess one of the most formidable defenses in the league. Off-ball linebacker duo Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw spearhead a dangerous front seven that features Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. The secondary is headlined by ex-Chief Charvarius Ward. Since joining the 49ers, Ward has blossomed into one of the NFL’s premier shutdown cornerbacks.
While I’d like to see both of these teams lose, one of these teams will inevitably hoist the Lombardi trophy next Sunday. It is extremely difficult to bet against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s experience. I also know my Momma (Dallas Cowboys fan) won’t be too happy with me either. Nevertheless, my brain keeps telling me the 49ers will win in Las Vegas.
In Super Bowl LIV, the Niners didn’t yet have the winning mentality champions are made of and it cost them dearly. I believe this year is different. Their comeback victories against the Packers and Lions showed the killer instinct they have lacked the past few postseason runs. I also expect San Francisco to be hungrier and want their get back from the Chiefs. They’ll come out of the gates with extreme intensity and put the defending champs on their back foot. I predict a scoreline of 27-20 with Christian McCaffrey winning Super Bowl MVP on the back of two touchdowns. For better or worse, the Vegas casinos will be invaded with San Franciscans shouting “Bang! Bang! Niner Gang!”
