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Super Bowl LIV: San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
We are down to it now. The last two teams have survived, and will head off in Miami on Sunday, February 2nd.
It will be the AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs, making their first Super Bowl appearance since the first and only time that they won the big game back in the 1969-70 season, beating a favored Vikings team in the process. They will take on the San Francisco 49ers, who are making their first appearance since the 2012-13 season, which was the unusual power outage game in New Orleans. San Francisco won numerous Super Bowl titles, and have a glorious history in the big game, although the last time that they won one was back in the 1994-95 season, when they still had Jerry Rice, Steve Young, John Taylor, and a bunch of other stars that harken back to an entirely different era in this storied franchise’s history.
Just a couple of seasons before that one, many had hoped – and some expected – these two franchises to meet in the big game. Back in 1994, the Chiefs hosted the 49ers in week 2 of the regular season, and the home team managed to pull off a huge win. It was memorable, because it was the first and only time that former legendary quarterback Joe Montana squared off against his old team, whom he had won four Super Bowl rings with. They both had gone to the Conference Championship Game the year before, but both had lost. The Chiefs would be disappointing that season, finishing 9-7, while the 49ers would win their final title of that remarkable streak of success that they enjoyed through most of the eighties and nineties, crushing the San Diego Chargers in the big game.
Yes, prior to that, the 49ers had continually gone to Super Bowls, and kept winning them, too. They went a while without another appearance until they made it to Super Bowl XLVII, ultimately losing to the Baltimore Ravens.
As for the Chiefs, they came close a few times. They enjoyed some very strong regular seasons, but rarely followed up with serious playoff success deep into the playoffs. They made it to the AFC title game following the 1993-94 season, losing to the Buffalo Bills, in a game where Montana would suffer a serious concussion. They had their ups and downs since, enjoying some very good seasons in the nineties and early 2000’s, before falling upon hard times in the late 2000’s. But then, Andy Reid came on board, and pretty soon, Kansas City became a consistent playoff contender. They made it back to the AFC Championship Game last season, hosting the Patriots, but the Chiefs lost in overtime. They got back to the AFC title game this season, hosting the Titans. Obviously this time, they enjoyed considerably more success.
So, these two franchises never did get to meet in the Super Bowl for a Montana versus Young showdown, but they are here now.
Well, this is a different era. There is no major rivalry between these two teams, although there are historical connections. For a while, it seemed that Kansas City made a point of obtaining former 49ers quarterbacks. From the earliest, Steve DeBerg, to the most famous, Joe Montana, and plenty of others. Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac, and most recently Alex Smith. Smith was eventually replaced by current quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who seems to finally be the best answer for the Chiefs at that position.
Yet, the Chiefs have more than just a star quarterback. Hell, they have far more than just an explosive offense with a quarterback who can get hot and kill you with his hot arm, although that certainly, undeniably, is a part of their approach. And Mahomes, despite some problems with being plagued with injuries earlier this season, still is very, very capable of hurting opposing defenses with his incredible abilities at the helm.
Kansas City has also shown a strong ability not to be overly deflated when they fall behind in a game, especially big games. Everything was going in favor of Houston in the divisional round game, as the Texans jumped out to a rather stunning 24-0 lead. It seemed like the Chiefs could do nothing right at that point. But they kept their composure, and did what they do the best. The offense got in a rhythm, the defense tightened up, and the Chiefs suddenly were unstoppable. Where everything had gone wrong earlier, everything suddenly began to go right for them, and they finished an NFL playoff record seven consecutive drives with touchdowns. They were already up, 28-24, by halftime. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Chiefs had the game well in hand, and they had managed to mostly put it out of reach for the Texans, ultimately outscoring them 51-7 the rest of the way, following that early 24-0 deficit.
It happened again in the AFC Championship, albeit not quite to the same extreme. The Chiefs found themselves down 10-0, and then 17-7 a short while later. Down 10 points, twice. Yet again, though, once they got going, they really began rolling. Once again, KC’s offense started to find a solid rhythm, and the defense tightened up. Once again, they overcame a fairly sizable hole and took a four-point lead by halftime. The second half belonged to the Chiefs. The defense held the Titans, and the offense got going again in the fourth quarter, once again putting the game out of reach by the time that Tennessee scored again to make the outcome look closer and more respectable than it actually was.
No surprise, then, that KC’s offense is considered the strength of this team. There is explosiveness with the arm of Mahomes, and the receivers he uses, including those powerful tight ends. Plus, Mahomes has incredible mobility, which makes the offense more difficult to predict. That adds an extra dimension of difficulty for any defense assigned to try and stop them, or even to try and slow them down.
Kansas City was one of the leaders on offense all season, which is not exactly surprising. They had the number six ranked offense in the league, statistically speaking, although that figure might be misleading. Their offense got better and better towards the end, and they have looked absolutely explosive in the postseason. Their passing game was the second best in the league, after the Ravens. But obviously, the Chiefs offense was far more effective during playoff time this season, as the Ravens offense, for all of the fireworks that they displayed during the regular season, went missing for the most part in their one and only playoff game. The Chiefs offense was the opposite, looked even more impressive when all of the chips were down, and that should bode well for them in this game, as well.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are an old school kind of team. They rely on a solid running game, and they have a very solid defense. They had the number two ranked defense overall this season, and led the league against the run. Their passing defense was very tough, which could be makes this showdown against the Chiefs very exciting.
San Francisco also had a very solid offense, as well. To be sure, they had a more conservative approach then Kansas City did. Their offense ranked as the best rushing offense in the league. But the passing game can be dangerous, as well, as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can get the hot hand at times. He is not as consistent as some of the elite quarterbacks in the league, which includes Mahomes. Kansas City was fairly solid against the pass, but they struggled against the run for most of the season, however. So that likely means that the Niners will try and rely on a conservative, ball approach and try to keep the Chiefs offense off the field as much as possible. They will try to control the clock.
All of that might be immaterial, because these teams are different than they were all season long. San Francisco raced off to an 8-0 start, although many people remained skeptical of them. But they recovered from losses nicely, and remained very tough into and now through the playoffs, and it has gotten them all the way to the Super Bowl now. Their defense has held tough, and while there were still question marks at times at quarterback, Garoppolo has mostly been an asset. There were question marks in the beginning of the season about whether he could even hold onto the job, but he has clearly established himself as this team’s main man.
As for the Chiefs, they also started off with a hot undefeated start, although after going 4-0, they struggled, losing four of their next six games. For a while, they looked like a really struggling team, and there were questions about whether they could even win the AFC West again, and even the playoffs were suddenly in some doubt for a little while. But in the latter stages of the season, they answered all of those questions. They won their final six regular season games, following a loss to the Titans. Since then, the Chiefs have been very tough, with an offense that has been particularly explosive in recent weeks, and a defense that has proved fully up to the challenge when it was needed the most. In the eight games since that loss to the Titans, the Chiefs defense has proven very tough. The Chiefs finished the season where most expected them to be all season: among the elites.
So, who will win this game?
In many ways, this game will showcase a decided contrast in styles. The 49ers are apt to use a classic approach, aiming for ball control and a solid running game. The Chiefs rely on an explosive offense that can get hot, and which can strike quickly and with deadly efficiency, which can burn you at any time. The 49ers have a tough defense, but can they keep the Chiefs in check? The Chiefs defense has improved, but can they prevent the 49ers from controlling the clock and limiting KC’s offensive opportunities?
This should be a very great match-up for the biggest game of the season!
My Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City has also shown a strong ability not to be overly deflated when they fall behind in a game, especially big games. Everything was going in favor of Houston in the divisional round game, as the Texans jumped out to a rather stunning 24-0 lead. It seemed like the Chiefs could do nothing right at that point. But they kept their composure, and did what they do the best. The offense got in a rhythm, the defense tightened up, and the Chiefs suddenly were unstoppable. Where everything had gone wrong earlier, everything suddenly began to go right for them, and they finished an NFL playoff record seven consecutive drives with touchdowns. They were already up, 28-24, by halftime. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Chiefs had the game well in hand, and they had managed to mostly put it out of reach for the Texans, ultimately outscoring them 51-7 the rest of the way, following that early 24-0 deficit.
It happened again in the AFC Championship, albeit not quite to the same extreme. The Chiefs found themselves down 10-0, and then 17-7 a short while later. Down 10 points, twice. Yet again, though, once they got going, they really began rolling. Once again, KC’s offense started to find a solid rhythm, and the defense tightened up. Once again, they overcame a fairly sizable hole and took a four-point lead by halftime. The second half belonged to the Chiefs. The defense held the Titans, and the offense got going again in the fourth quarter, once again putting the game out of reach by the time that Tennessee scored again to make the outcome look closer and more respectable than it actually was.
No surprise, then, that KC’s offense is considered the strength of this team. There is explosiveness with the arm of Mahomes, and the receivers he uses, including those powerful tight ends. Plus, Mahomes has incredible mobility, which makes the offense more difficult to predict. That adds an extra dimension of difficulty for any defense assigned to try and stop them, or even to try and slow them down.
Kansas City was one of the leaders on offense all season, which is not exactly surprising. They had the number six ranked offense in the league, statistically speaking, although that figure might be misleading. Their offense got better and better towards the end, and they have looked absolutely explosive in the postseason. Their passing game was the second best in the league, after the Ravens. But obviously, the Chiefs offense was far more effective during playoff time this season, as the Ravens offense, for all of the fireworks that they displayed during the regular season, went missing for the most part in their one and only playoff game. The Chiefs offense was the opposite, looked even more impressive when all of the chips were down, and that should bode well for them in this game, as well.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are an old school kind of team. They rely on a solid running game, and they have a very solid defense. They had the number two ranked defense overall this season, and led the league against the run. Their passing defense was very tough, which could be makes this showdown against the Chiefs very exciting.
San Francisco also had a very solid offense, as well. To be sure, they had a more conservative approach then Kansas City did. Their offense ranked as the best rushing offense in the league. But the passing game can be dangerous, as well, as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can get the hot hand at times. He is not as consistent as some of the elite quarterbacks in the league, which includes Mahomes. Kansas City was fairly solid against the pass, but they struggled against the run for most of the season, however. So that likely means that the Niners will try and rely on a conservative, ball approach and try to keep the Chiefs offense off the field as much as possible. They will try to control the clock.
All of that might be immaterial, because these teams are different than they were all season long. San Francisco raced off to an 8-0 start, although many people remained skeptical of them. But they recovered from losses nicely, and remained very tough into and now through the playoffs, and it has gotten them all the way to the Super Bowl now. Their defense has held tough, and while there were still question marks at times at quarterback, Garoppolo has mostly been an asset. There were question marks in the beginning of the season about whether he could even hold onto the job, but he has clearly established himself as this team’s main man.
As for the Chiefs, they also started off with a hot undefeated start, although after going 4-0, they struggled, losing four of their next six games. For a while, they looked like a really struggling team, and there were questions about whether they could even win the AFC West again, and even the playoffs were suddenly in some doubt for a little while. But in the latter stages of the season, they answered all of those questions. They won their final six regular season games, following a loss to the Titans. Since then, the Chiefs have been very tough, with an offense that has been particularly explosive in recent weeks, and a defense that has proved fully up to the challenge when it was needed the most. In the eight games since that loss to the Titans, the Chiefs defense has proven very tough. The Chiefs finished the season where most expected them to be all season: among the elites.
So, who will win this game?
In many ways, this game will showcase a decided contrast in styles. The 49ers are apt to use a classic approach, aiming for ball control and a solid running game. The Chiefs rely on an explosive offense that can get hot, and which can strike quickly and with deadly efficiency, which can burn you at any time. The 49ers have a tough defense, but can they keep the Chiefs in check? The Chiefs defense has improved, but can they prevent the 49ers from controlling the clock and limiting KC’s offensive opportunities?
This should be a very great match-up for the biggest game of the season!
My Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
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