We have the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl by beating the Tennessee Titans. In the NFC, the 49ers overpowered the Packers to advance to the big game. Coming into the final game, my overall record is 89-48, which makes the winning percentage 64.96%. The last time these two played each other was the beginning of last season. In that game, Kansas City walked away with the win and Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL. This will be the 7th appearance in franchise history for the 49ers. They lost to Baltimore in Super Bowl XLVII in one of the strangest games ever. The Kansas City Chiefs will be making their third trip with the last one coming in 1969. Will the Niners tied the Steelers and Patriots for all-time wins or will the Chiefs finally win one?
Quarterback
We have Jimmy Garoppolo taking on Patrick Mahomes. In the postseason, Garoppolo haven’t had to do too much as he’s threw for less than 300 yards in two games. While many of the critics have pointed that out numerous times, I’ll go in another direction. Garoppolo made me a believer in the Saints game where he made great decisions as they won in New Orleans. When it comes to Patrick Mahomes, he’s the reigning MVP and arguably the best QB in the league. For me, Mahomes is the prototype quarterback of the future seeing he can beat you in so many ways. If you’re comparing the quarterbacks of this game, it’s unfair to whoever is opposing Mahomes now. With that said, the advantage at the quarterback position goes to Mahomes.
Advantage: Kansas City
Running Backs
Tevin Coleman of the 49ers won’t be available for the Super Bowl. Raheem Mostert was the 49ers MVP in the NFC Championship game as he rushed for 220 yards and 4 TDs. No matter who’s in the backfield, San Francisco loves to run the ball and they’re good at it. The question is, can Mostert have a repeat performance or somewhere near his record-setting game? Kansas City boasts a good backfield themselves and its lead by Damien Williams. Williams is an above average runner and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. The Chiefs have about three running backs they’ll probably throw at San Francisco. With the 49ers being more of a running team, the advantage has to go to the 49ers.
Advantage: San Francisco
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
When it comes to the tight end position, both of these teams have arguably the best in the league. Travis Kelce has been in the top tight end conversation for about four years now. Greg Kittle of San Francisco is probably the best in the league when you factor in blocking also. San Francisco became a different team when they traded for Emmanuel Sanders. Deebo Samuel has been a pleasant surprise for the 49ers seeing he’s developed into one of the better WRs on the team. As far as Kansas City goes, they can hit you from damn near anywhere. Tyreek Hill is probably the fastest player in the league and one of the top playmakers. The Chiefs also have Sammy Watkins, Meco Hardman and Damarcus Robinson. I’ll pick the Kansas City receiving core over damn near everyone.
Advantage: Kansas City
Offensive Line
We know that both teams depend on the guys in the trenches a lot. For San Francisco, they rely on the run game and the NFC title game was proof. The Chiefs offensive line is no slouches as they handle their business also. The Chiefs have had moments where the offensive line controlled the entire game. Both teams are amongst the best in running the ball and protecting the quarterback. It’s hard to pick which is the better line because both of them are great.
Advantage: Neither
Defensive Line
When it comes to the defensive line, San Francisco built their time from that position. When the 49ers were having those losing seasons, they drafted guys like Nick Bosa to cause havoc. San Francisco has gotten after the opposing quarterback unlike anyone else. Kansas City isn’t too far from the 49ers and they have a lot of veterans. They claimed Terrell Suggs off of waivers and he’s added even more to the stout Chiefs defensive line. With the 49ers being the best in the league, we have to give the advantage to San Francisco.
Advantage: San Francisco
Linebackers
Just like the defensive line, both teams have their fair share of game changers at linebacker. The linebackers will need to be key in this game because of their assignments. They will have to track and keep up with both quarterbacks because they’re mobile. With Kittle and Kelce being the top two tight ends in the game, they must find a way to cover them. Once again, they both have major roles in this game and very capable of doing it. I’ll give the slight edge to Kansas City, but not by much.
Advantage: Kansas City
Secondary
With both teams having several weapons on the offensive side, the secondary will have to come up big. Kansas City has improved immensely over the past few months. In the beginning of the season, they were getting torched left and right. Ever since Week 6, the Chiefs have improved on the defense and one of the reasons has been the secondary. They were one of the reasons Kansas City had one of the best defenses during the second half of the season. On the other hand, San Francisco has been good on the backend most of the season. Richard Sherman has brought confidence to them and he’s still an elite pass defender also. This is another close one, but I’ll give the nod to the 49ers.
Advantage: San Francisco
Final Thoughts
As you can see these teams are evenly matched with both having the same number of advantages. Can the 49ers defensive line get to Patrick Mahomes to force throws? If so, they have a shot at winning this game because no secondary can hold receivers 7-to-8 seconds. Can the 49ers run the ball against the Chiefs like they did against the Packers? If not, can Jimmy Garoppolo out the offense on his shoulders and guide them? How will the Chiefs secondary play against Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel? Can the 49ers contain Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Meco Hardman and Sammy Watkins? Can the Chiefs get some rushing yards from anyone else besides Patrick Mahomes? If so, Kansas City could finally hold up the Lombardi Trophy. Can Andy Reid finally get the Super Bowl ring he’s missed out on? I’m going with the Chiefs to finally win the Super Bowl.
Kansas City Win 34-27
