NFL
Super Bowl 54 Preview: Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl facts to know, keys to victory, money trends, and more!
Chiefs/49ers Instagram
In the NFL’s 100th season, it all culminates in Super Bowl 54 featuring the team that played in the 1st Super Bowl (Kansas City Chiefs) and the team that could tie Pittsburgh & New England with the most Super Bowl wins of all-time (San Francisco 49ers). With all the history that’s going into this game, it’s the future that will be on full display on the big stage, for the first time this Sunday.
Reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes has a chance to earn his first Super Bowl trophy while Kyle Shanahan is looking to take advantage of the opportunity to win his first ring as well. Make no mistake about it, the potential is there for 24-year-old Mahomes to become the greatest QB EVER and for 40-year-old Shanahan to go down as the greatest offensive mind EVER. It’s very early in their respective careers, but they’ve gotten off to amazing starts and a Super Bowl Championship will put their careers on the fast track to being considered the GOAT.
Super Bowl 54 Hype Video #Chiefs vs. #49ers 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9DJ4R0txH8
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) February 2, 2020
Patrick Mahomes is the ONLY reason Kansas City should be optimistic about winning this game. The reigning MVP has put together some superstar performances in these Playoffs and if KC wants to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years, it’ll be because Mahomes played at that high level on Sunday. It’s easy to say KC’s key is Mahomes playing well, but he always plays well. Literally, every game of his career that he’s healthy, he has put together a good performance. However, this will be the best defense he’s ever faced, specifically the best defensive front and pass rush. It’ll be impossible for him to play at an MVP level if he’s getting harassed in Miami play-after-play. KC’s O-Line needs to show up and protect their FRANCH15SE QB at all cost.
San Francisco just demolished the Green Bay Packers by running it down their throat early and often. GB was completely manhandled in the NFC Championship, but this KC defense is much bigger, stronger, and shown to be much more adept at defending the run during the 2nd half of the season, especially in the AFC Championship when they contained the hottest RB in the NFL to just 70 yards. San Francisco’s most likely outcome of winning this game is by running the ball successfully. If KC can prevent the 49ers from doing that, they have a great chance of winning this game.
This one might not be necessary, but a game-changing special teams play could be the difference in Kansas City having a parade next week or watching from afar. Special Teams defined Kansas City’s game vs. Houston in multiple ways from their blocked punt and muffed punt that turned into Houston points, and also during the comeback that was sparked by Hardman’s long return, Sorenson’s outstanding tackle on a fake punt, and the forced fumble on the next kickoff. If Andy Reid’s squad can reduce the special teams mistakes this time around while also forcing a turnover or netting a long return, that’ll provide the spark they need to win a potentially close battle.
Everybody is sleeping on Jimmy G going into this game after mediocre performances in the NFC Divisional Rd & NFC Championship games. However, the 49ers know if it comes down to their QB to win the game, Jimmy G has proven capable of stepping up to the challenge, as seen in the shootout @ New Orleans and comeback victory to end the Rams season. Of course, this is the Super Bowl. The bright lights. The immense pressure. It’ll all play a part in Sunday’s game, and if this game comes down to the wire, the 49ers will need Jimmy G to channel his former teammate’s greatness and execute at a high level when it matters the most.
The 49ers have the best pass rush in the NFL. When a team has the best defensive rookie in the league, an elite pass rusher worthy of a franchise tag and monster contract, along with multiple former 1st rd picks along the D-Line, it’s easy to see why they had the 2nd highest pressure rate in the NFL (28.7%) and racked up the most sacks. Mahomes has thrown 18 interceptions in his career, 0 in the postseason. 17 of those have come when rushing 4 or less, while only 1 was thrown when being blitzed by 5 or more defenders. For the 49ers to slow down KC’s elite offense, they’ll need to pressure Mahomes with only four guys and seven others back in coverage.
Something that’s very possible in this game between two of the best, if not THE two best offensive play-callers in the game, is one coach could completely dominate the game, similar to how Belichick’s defense strategy was too much for the Rams playmakers to overcome in Super Bowl 53. Kyle Shanahan is recognized as one of the greatest offensive minds in the game and the culprit behind SF’s rise this season despite what was perceived to be average playmakers. If he can dial up some innovative calls that the Chiefs defense has no idea how to defend to get easy yards and/or points, it could be a huge advantage for a team that will need as many points as possible when battling against the KC Cannon.
Kansas City Chiefs players have seen this battle in practice for years, and now millions of people will be able to witness it on the grandest stage. Dee Ford infamously costed the Chiefs a trip to the Super Bowl last year after a bonehead offsides penalty during what would’ve been the game-sealing interception. Now he has a chance of redemption, but will be matched up with one of the most consistent high-level blockers in the business. If Ford can bend around the edge like he’s done at the highest level the past two seasons just a couple times this game, and bring Mahomes down or force an errant mistake, Ford will prevent the Chiefs from winning the Super Bowl two years in a row, this time wearing a different jersey.
After setting a NFL record for most reception yards in a season in 2018, George Kittle took his game to another level this season as the best all-around TE in the game, dominating in both facets: receiving and blocking. This is a major matchup to watch when it comes to both the pass game and run game. As Shanahan dials up the pass plays, it’s up to the Honey Badger to neutralize Jimmy G’s go-to weapon, while in the run game, Kittle has to showcase his overpowering strength and hope that his lingering shoulder injury won’t prevent him from bulldozing Mathieu out of the way to pave lanes for his RBs.
UPDATE: With Tevin Coleman fully healthy now, no active player (not counting IR) is injured going into Super Bowl 54 https://t.co/pRAlQ95TPG
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) February 1, 2020
No key injuries
S Juan Thornhill, Torn ACL (IR; 3rd missed game of the season)
EDGE Alex Okafor, Torn pec (IR; 9th missed game)
EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah (IR; 9th missed game)
While the San Francisco 49ers have a fully healthy roster (starting RB Jerick McKinnon notwithstanding, who’s missed the entire season), the Kansas City Chiefs will be without a few key players. On the opposite side of Frank Clark, Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah would rotate attacking the RT, before they each got injured. This couldn’t have come at a better position than EDGE for the Chiefs with those 3 starting-caliber players and Tanoh Kpassagnoh who’s picked up the slack admirably. Kansas City also notably picked up former Super Bowl Champion Terrell Suggs to solidify the EDGE rushing group.
Juan Thornhill isn’t as easy as a replacement, but ‘Dirty Dan’ Sorensen has stepped up admirably in the Playoffs. Thornhill was a rookie sensation and his improved play in the second half of the season was in line with KC’s improved defense throughout the second half. The UVA product unfortunately tore his ACL in Week 17. Since then, Sorensen has made monumental plays on Special Teams like this and this, and set the tone for KC’s defensive turnaround after the first quarter against Tennessee with thunderous hits. Sorensen, Kpassagnon, and Suggs make up for anything left behind from Thornhill, Okafor, and Ogbah’s absence. However, since San Francisco is playing with almost exactly the same healthy roster in this game as they had in Week 1, they get the edge (slightly).
EDGE: San Francisco 49ers
Top Money Trends to Know for Super Bowl 54: SF vs. KC (-1.5)
When looking at the top trends, it’s clear who has the advantage. Kansas City is not only on a 8-game winning streak, but they’re on a 8-game winning streak against the spread. Going into this game as the betting favorite (-1.5) also favors Kansas City who has ended up covering those spreads in each of their last seven games. When it comes to the Super Bowl, anything can happen, but if one were to base their prediction on previous results like these money trends, it’s clear who has the edge.
EDGE: Kansas City Chiefs
With all the above being said, it seems like this game’s either going to be one genius play-caller completely out-coaching the other OR it’s going to come down to a Mahomes-led game-winning drive and whether SF’s defensive front can make a game-changing play or not. Sunday can’t come soon enough!
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