The stage is set. As the NFL postseason comes to a close, two teams are left standing in Vegas: The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Who will win in the long awaited 2019 Super Bowl rematch, the white hot Chiefs catching fire at the perfect time, or the consistent greatness of Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers?
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs came into the season as one of the primary Super Bowl contenders, but an unusually average season for Andy Reid’s offense led them to an 11-6 record, lowest in the Mahomes – Kelce era. Questions arose heading into the playoffs on whether they could continue their AFC dominance. In typical – Chiefs fashion, they pieced it together at the right time.
The Chiefs started their playoff run with a blowout win against the Dolphins, with the help of the -4 degrees Kansas City weather. In the divisional round against the Bills, Mahomes reclaimed bragging rights against Josh Allen in a classic shootout between two of the league’s best quarterbacks. All roads led to Baltimore in The AFC championship, and Marquez Valdez Scantling sealed the game with a 32 yard catch on 3rd and 9.
When you think of Kansas City, their fast-paced west coast offense comes to mind. But this year, their defense has been the unit keeping them in games. After sitting out of training camp and their week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions, all-pro defensive tackle Chris Jones signed an extension and never looked back. Jones went on to have 2nd highest pff grade amongst interior d-lineman, and the defense as a whole finished as top 2 in ypg allowed.
The Chiefs offensive weapons have shown flashes of ones that could compete in a Super Bowl (under the best quarterback in the league), but their performance is the biggest question mark heading into Sunday. Will they be able to bring it at the sport’s biggest stage – or will the Chiefs skill positions crumble under the spotlight?
San Francisco 49ers
For the Niners, it was clear from the jump that this team would be contending for a ring. They cruised through their division, finishing with a record of 12 – 5 and the number 1 seed in the NFC.
They scraped together a victory against the Packers in the divisional, the 49ers faced another NFC north opponent in the Lions in the conference championship. After going down 24 – 7 at halftime thanks to allowing 158 yards on the ground, something clicked for San Francisco, shutting out Detroit in the 3rd and finishing it off with an Elijah Mitchell touchdown in the 4th.
On paper, the Niners easily have the most talented rosters in the league. Whether it’s their offensive firepower of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk or their defense stacked with career all pros and a former DPOY, no one can compete. But what’s most special about the NFC champions is the mastermind behind their greatness – Kyle Shanahan.
It doesn’t hurt that his offensive weapons seem to be able to play almost any skill position on the field, but it’s the way Shanahan uses them that separates him from the rest of the coaches in the league. He can attack you with 2 running back sets, putting Deebo in the backfield with McCaffrey out wide, and destroys opposing defenses with play action calls. This has allowed the front office to place any quarterback and still find success, now making a trip to the Super Bowl with their 2nd QB in 5 seasons. The 49ers offensive system is a well-oiled machine – and it translates onto the field.
The receiving trio of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle combined for 3,000 + yards and 20 touchdowns in the regular season, and Mccaffrey’s record breaking campaign in the red zone led him to the offensive player of the year.
The biggest question mark for San Fran lies in the 24 year old QB Brock Purdy, who has significantly less playoff experience than his Kansas City counterpart after injuries in last year’s playoffs sent him off the field – and the 49ers home. Purdy has also seen some struggles with decision making against high level defenses, throwing 4 interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens towards the end of the regular season. Can Purdy play his role well enough to defeat the best playoff quarterback since Tom Brady?
49ers 34 Chiefs 31
MVP: Christian McCaffrey
It’s hard to doubt Patrick Mahomes, but I don’t see a world where a fully healthy 49ers squad doesn’t pull it out. Its time for a new team to take the throne, and that team plays in San Francisco. The 49ers will win their 6th Super Bowl ring this Sunday.
