Intro: The AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs match up against the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in Miami to declare the Super Bowl Champion. Mahomes or Garoppolo? Reid or Shanahan? The Chiefs high powered offense, or the 49ers stout defense? We got you covered in the preview below for Super Bowl LIV.
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
Date: Sunday Febuary 2nd, 2020
Time: 6:30 PM on FOX
49ers:
Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Key Players:
QB Jimmy Garoppolo- Garoppolo has been labeled by many as a game manager, but he should be labeled as a winner. He does his job and makes big plays on third down when needed.
RB Raheem Mostert- After rushing for over 200 yards and 4 TD's in the NFC Championship, all eyes will be on Mostert in this one. Look for a heavy dosage of carries to the San Fran lead back, but Kyle Shanahan will spread the love to Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman as well to keep the Chiefs on their toes.
WR Deebo Samuel- Samuel is the 49ers most explosive weapon and can be used in the running game, screen game, and is a downfield threat as well. Kyle Shanahan will find ways to get this man the ball.
TE George Kittle- Jimmy G's go-to target is a force in all aspects of the passing game and the Chiefs will need to shut him down, especially on third down to win this one.
DE Joey Bosa- A rookie who has been a force off the edge all year, could give some problems to the Chiefs offensive line.
CB Richard Sherman- One of the best corners in the game, he will be tasked with slowing down the Chiefs perimeter speed with Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill.
X-Factor: FB Kyle Juszcyk- A FB? Yes. Juszyck is one of the keys of the 49ers great running game and can ease up life for Jimmy G through checkdowns as well. Look for Juszcyk to be a factor in the Red Zone as well. He would be my player prop for the first touchdown.
Key Stats:
49ers finished in the top five in offesnive yards, and fewest defensive yards allowed
2nd in rushing yards per game at 144 ypg
Arik Armstead registered ten sacks, good for fifteenth in the league
Raheem Mostert recorded ten total TD's, good for tenth in the league
Jimmy Garoppolo finished fifth in the league in completion percentage at 69%
Chiefs:
Head Coach: Andy Reid
Key Players:
QB Patrick Mahomes- Arguably the best QB in the league, Mahomes is in his first Super Bowl appearance and is playing his best ball of the season. With a multitude of weapons around him look for Mahomes to light up the Super Bowl.
RB Damien Williams- The Chiefs inconsistent running game could be their downfall in this one. Williams will need to churn up tough yards and help Mahomes in the passing game as well. If Williams can help the Chiefs establish the run early, that will open up the downfield passing options for Watkins, Hill, and Hardman.
WR Tyreek Hill- One of the most electric playmakers in the league, his game breaking speed could come up big in the game if the Chiefs can establish a running game early. Hill is my darkhorse for Super Bowl MVP.
TE Travis Kelce- Kelce will be out to prove that he is a better TE then George Kittle in this one, and if there is one area of vulnerability for the 49ers defense it is their LB's which will most likely be matched up on the Chiefs star TE.
LT Eric Fisher- The 49ers have a stout defensive front and Fisher will be tasked with stopping some of the 49ers pass rushers such as Joey Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford.
DE Frank Clark- The main pass rushing force for the Chiefs will need to make sure Jimmy G doesn't have all day to throw in the pocket.
S Tyrann Mathieu- The best player on the Chiefs defense plays all over the field, and he could get matched up with Kittle in the biggest game of the year.
X-Factor: WR Mecole Hardman- Speed. If Hardman gets the rock in the open field, or behind the San Fransico secondary he could make some game breaking plays. He also returns kicks for the Chiefs and could cause some havoc for the 49ers special teams unit.
Key Stats:
Travis Kelce finished 4th in the NFL in receiving yards
Chiefs finished 4th in passing yards per game
Patrick Mahomes finished 8th in passing TD's despite missing 2.5 games
Tyrann Mathieu recorded four interceptions, good for thirteenth in the league
Patrick Mahomes averaged 8.3 yards per pass attempt, which was fourth in the league
Final Prediction:
In a game of two teams who are extremely even on paper, and both have electric playmakers on offense and game wreckers on defense this is a real toss up and could come down to who has the ball last. In these type of games the more experienced team with the better QB usually prevail. At the end of the day, I think the Chiefs have too many weapons and speed on the perimeter for the 49ers to keep up with. Chiefs win on a touchdown pass with under a minute left to give Andy Reid his first Super Bowl title, and potentially begin a new AFC dynasty.
Chiefs 28 49ers 24
*ALL STATS VIA ESPN.COM*
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