Super Bowl LVIII Preview: Chiefs vs. 49ers in Las Vegas

The biggest game in the National Football League is just days away and will showcase a Super Bowl LIV rematch where Kansas City won 31-20. Since then, both of these teams have remained the cream of the crop in the National Football League. Many of the same players remain on both rosters and haven’t forgotten the game, especially those on the losing side.  San Francisco comes into the game as a two-point favorite.  While Kansas City can become the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to repeat as champions.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City just knows how to win in January.  This will be the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl appearance in just five seasons.

This offense had many “experts” doubting them when the season started with receivers dropping multiple passes every game. Many predicted a down year for Mahomes and the Chiefs and it was, at least by their standards. The team led the league in drops this season, Mahomes threw a career-high fourteen interceptions. Enter Rashee Rice, the rookie who has become Mahomes’ favorite target not named Travis Kelce. The second-round draft pick ended the regular season with almost a thousand receiving yards with seven touchdowns.

It’s hard to say that a team with Mahomes under center isn’t better on offense, but that is the case with Kansas City. The Chiefs’ defense has thrived in second halves of games only giving up one touchdown in the second half of their last six games. If San Francisco fails to get off to a hot start it could be a long night in Las Vegas for them.

Isiah Pacheco has been a monster in the playoffs that no team has been able to stop thus far. Pacheco has scored in all three of Kansas City’s games this postseason. The Niners have struggled against the run in the playoffs with three different Detroit players scoring a rushing touchdown in the NFC Championship game. This is something they did not struggle with in the regular season so they have to figure out how to get back to that style of play.

The 49ers have never beaten Patrick Mahomes and it’s never been a close game. Could this be the year the 49ers finally get over the hump?

San Francisco 49ers

It will take a group effort from San Francisco to compete with Mahomes. Luckily, they have arguably the best-skill players in the league, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. However with how good Kanas City’s defense has been in the postseason San Francisco needs Brock Purdy to play his best game yet.

During the team’s toughest test in a regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens, the 49ers, and particularly Purdy had an awful game. Purdy threw no touchdowns and four interceptions, something he absolutely cannot do against Mahomes and the Chiefs.

People want to downplay Brock Purdy’s play by calling him a game manager, but he was the one who led the team last week in a second-half twenty-four-point comeback in the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, every QB who isn’t Patrick Mahomes gets labeled as a “game manager”.

The 49ers had the fifth-most takeaways in the league and will have to force Mahomes to turn the ball over. Unfortunately, he is one of the best at escaping pressure which is what makes him such a dangerous threat. San Francisco’s defense has struggled to stop opposing offenses in the postseason, especially in the run game. San Francisco DC Steve Wilks called the team’s effort in the NFC Championship “unacceptable” and “embarrassing” with many players agreeing and vowing that it won’t happen again.

Making Mahomes uncomfortable in the pocket has to be their number one goal. Kansas City has committed numerous offensive penalties that have resulted in stalled drives. This is something the 49ers must take advantage of.