It was only four years ago that we saw the Kansas City Chiefs score 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl LIV (54) to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Thus began the current dynasty of the Chiefs who are now in their 4th Super Bowl in the last five seasons. For the 49ers, this will be their 8th Super Bowl appearance and they’ll be getting a rematch of sorts against Kansas City. The Niners will have to contend with the same coach and quarterback combo of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. As well as the likes of defensive lineman Chris Jones who single handedly shut down their offense in that fourth quarter four years ago. Kansas City faces the same 49ers head coach in Kyle Shanahan, but with a different quarterback in Brock Purdy and a different running back in Christian McCaffrey. There are a few other players that were involved in that Super Bowl in Miami, but for this one in Las Vegas the new ones will be looking to make an impact for their respective teams. Let’s see how this one will play out.

Coaches

Currently in his seventh season as the head coach, Kyle Shanahan has had an impressive run of late. The 49ers have been to the NFC Championship game for four of the past five seasons and have made two Super Bowl appearances. He gets another chance to win a Super Bowl that many other coaches have not been afforded to get. There are two big differences between this current Niners team and the one that lost Super Bowl LIV. The starters at quarterback and running back are not the same. Jimmy Garoppolo and Raheem Mostert were good that season, but did not have the kind of production that QB Brock Purdy and RB Christian McCaffrey had this year for San Francisco. McCaffrey had a MVP season and Purdy was also in that conversation for a time. Shanahan didn’t have a plethora of receiving targets five years ago that he has now with WR Brandon Aiyuk having a career year and WR Jauan Jennings being a key contributor at crucial times. Not to mention that WR Deebo Samuel and TE George Kittle are still around and are among the best players at their position. McCaffrey brings a new wrinkle to this offense that has been lacking since Shanahan’s arrival. A running back that can catch consistently out of the backfield or lineup as a receiver in certain formations. There has been no denying that Shanahan is among the most effective offensive play callers in the league today. The question has always been can he finally put it all together to win a title?

Currently in his eleventh season as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid has only missed the playoffs once with them. That was back in 2014, his second season at the helm. The catalyst that propelled this franchise to the success they have been having was the arrival of QB Patrick Mahomes. With both him and Reid the Chiefs they have been to six straight AFC Championship games and now four out of the last five Super Bowls. This season has been a misnomer for them as they have struggled mightily compared to years past on offense. To their credit they’ve played their best games of the season in the playoffs where it matters most. A testament to the success of Kansas City under Andy Reid, that doesn’t get enough publicity is on defense. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was the coordinator that stymied the New England Patriots undefeated season for the New York Giants in Super Bowl 42, has been here thru all of this successful run. For many games in the regular season if it hadn’t been for the Chiefs defense they would have lost many more games and been in danger of missing the playoffs entirely. Rumors are abound about Andy Reid stepping away and retiring with another Chiefs Super Bowl victory. While I don’t believe he will retire one thing is certain though. If he wins his third Super Bowl as a head coach, he must be in the conversation as one of the best head coaches in NFL history.

Players to Watch

I don’t think I could add anymore to what has already been said about 49ers QB Brock Purdy. A player that was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has led a team to consecutive conference championship games and now a Super Bowl appearance. He was talked about being the MVP at one point during the season, but even if there were no accolades, the results can’t be debated. This team would not be the same without him at the helm. He does have an amazing array of targets to get the ball to. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are two different types of receivers, but both complement each other extremely well. Jauan Jennings is a bigger possession type receiver that has made clutch catches, especially on third downs. George Kittle is still one of the best tight ends in the league not just for his pass catching prowess, but he is among the best blocking tight ends as well. The offensive line in front of Purdy is a cohesive unit and with All-Pro LT Trent Williams getting his first taste of the Super Bowl just adds to his eventual Hall of Fame resume. There are just as many stalwarts on defense with LB Fred Warner the clear general of the unit. Fellow LB Dre Greenlaw has been just as good as Warner both in passing and running situations. CB Charvarious Ward, who played for Kansas City in Super Bowl 54, has been having a career year for the Niners. Look for him to handle his side of the field with relative ease. Nick Bosa was having an award winning rookie season the last time the 49ers were in the Super Bowl. He will be expected to be a mainstay off the edge. As will Chase Young playing opposite to Bosa, who was a trade deadline acquisition from Washington this season. Arik Armstead when healthy is a force up the middle for the defense. Javon Hargrave was playing for the Eagles in the Super Bowl last year and will be going after Kansas City once again as a 49er. RB Christian McCaffrey is the guy to watch though. He was acquired from the Carolina Panthers for a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th round pick during the 2022 season. I’d expect that the 49ers would make that trade again and again and again. If he is able to total 125-150 scrimmage yards at minimum, it will be a good day for San Francisco.

QB Patrick Mahomes is playing his best football right now when it matters most for the 2023 season. He has TE Travis Kelce to thank for that in large part. This duo is almost impossible to shutdown, but it has happened more times than you think. With that Mahomes has brought along rookie WR Rashee Rice who has emerged as the number one receiver in this offense. Others like Justin Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have made clutch catches in crucial situations. RB Isiah Pacheco has been a workhorse out of the backfield and has been a reliable check down option for Mahomes. The offensive line has been solid, but not having Joe Thuney on the inside at guard could loom large for this one even with the line’s performance in the AFC Championship game without him. The Chiefs defense has been playing well throughout the playoffs. DL Chris Jones can be rotated around multiple spots in any given formation and will give any offensive line fits as a result. If he isn’t able to get to the quarterback, he will put himself in position to knock down the ball before it leaves the line of scrimmage. Kansas City will be without one of their best pass rushers in Charles Omenihu who tore his ACL in the AFC Championship game. DE George Karlaftis, who had 10.5 sacks during the regular season, will be counted on for the bulk of the edge rushing. They aren’t household names, but the linebacking corps is a solid group with Nick Bolton, Willie Gay and Drue Tranquill. Justin Reid plays well in both pass and run defense for this unit at the safety position. The real strength of the defense has come from their cornerbacks in Trent McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed. For Sneed, he didn’t allow a single touchdown pass until their Divisional Round game against Buffalo. I’d suspect these two will switch responsibilities covering Samuel and Aiyuk, but if McDuffie and Sneed live up to the seasons they’ve had, they could have another notch on their belts.

Key of the Game

Turnovers always come into play in every game, but they are even more important for games like this one. San Francisco was ranked 5th in takeaways during the regular season while Kansas City was ranked 27th. The Chiefs were ranked 9th in giveaways during the regular season while San Francisco was ranked 22nd. Who will turn the ball over less in this contest? It goes without saying really just like who will put the most pressure on the opposing quarterback. These two points are a given in every game. With both teams using the running game to their advantage in their own unique way, which running back will be more effective? Can the Chiefs, whose run defense is a weak spot for them simply contain RB Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers offense? Can the 49ers who have shown in their two previous playoff games that their run defense perhaps isn’t as good as once thought, can get back on track and force the Chiefs to win exclusively by passing the ball? If either team’s defense forces their opponent to become one dimensional, that could play a factor into forcing turnovers at crucial points of the game.

Who Will Win?

This Super Bowl is a rematch of sorts with the same head coaches representing the same respective teams from four years ago. Patrick Mahomes has had continued success since winning his first Super Bowl and has added another since then. San Francisco has remained a contender since that Super Bowl against Kansas City, but they were missing a few key pieces in order to return to this spot. For one, the quarterback position while good with Garoppolo for a time, his timing with his receivers was off when it mattered most. Especially on throws longer than 20-yards. Brock Purdy doesn’t have the arm strength of Mahomes, but his accuracy has been exactly what the Niners have needed to complete those occasional deep passes in order to complement an offense that runs the ball frequently. With that running game now having a back in Christian McCaffrey who is a jack of all trades, that will be the deciding factor in this contest. The San Francisco 49ers will be hoisting their 6th Lombardi trophy in franchise history. McCaffrey will be named the MVP having scored three touchdowns (two rushing) total with a final score of 31-20.