On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will secure a place in NFL history with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Super Bowl Sunday. Should they be victorious, they’ll be on the throne of the next NFL dynasty. This team will have to play its best game of the season for that to happen.
Only a few believed the Kansas City Chiefs would play in Super Bowl LVIII. Late in the year, they had a lot of detractors and skeptics, including me. But the team united after the Christmas Day Massacre against the Las Vegas Raiders. They found their groove, mojo, and the resolve to stop fitting square pegs in round holes.
I wish it hadn’t taken so long to fix the obvious mistakes, but credit Coach Andy Reid and his staff for changing their offensive approach. He was fortunate to be able to do that so late in the season, but he had a big boost from the defense, who had their act together since the opening week.
They would not be in the Super Bowl if not for the defense. If not for Patrick Mahomes holding the offense with barbed wire and duct tape, the Chiefs would not be in Las Vegas.
I’ve not wavered in my belief that the Kansas City Chiefs will win Super Bowl LVIII. They are the better team overall, the best coached, and have the superior defense, yet they remain the underdogs.
Here’s why they will win Sunday.
Embrace the Underdog Role – The Kansas City Chiefs are at their best when people most doubt them. The NFL experts said Mahomes and company were vulnerable in three playoff games leading up to their Super Bowl match against the San Francisco 49ers. Many picked the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens to defeat the Chiefs. Well, they were all wrong!
Even Friday morning, the narrative was still strong 49ers lean, but most rang the bell for the Chiefs when forced to pick a winner. Still, enough people believe the 49ers are better than Kansas City. The boys in red have heard it for two weeks now, and they’ll continue to use it as Jet Fuel for the disrespect they’ve been littered with since arriving in Las Vegas.
Arrowhead West – Since Allegiant Stadium was built four years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs have never lost in the domed Las Vegas structure. They’ve piled up one dominating victory after another, and the Red and Gold in the stands have drowned the Silver and Black.
Their experience in that building is a significant advantage to Kansas City. For some reason, they elevate their game, and I argue Mahomes generally plays his best four-quarter games in the Silver and Black Cathedral. Maybe it’s his inner (Red) Raider coming out, but statistically, some of his best games have been in Allegiant Stadium.
Stopping McCaffrey – The Chiefs have a singular goal on defense. They must stop the 2024 NFL Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey. Next to Mahomes, he’s the second-best player on the field. He can do it all, but he’s not invincible. The offense falls apart when the 49ers struggle to run the ball, which isn’t often. Over the last three games, Kansas has shown they can shut down the run.
The Chiefs’ defense has done an excellent job stopping the run in three playoff games. Against the Dolphins highly talented running crew, KC’s defense held them 76 yards on 19 carriers. The Bills managed 109 yards at Buffalo on 24 carries a week later. Their leading rusher that day was Josh Allen, who had 68 yards. Finally, against the NFL’s best rushing team, the Baltimore Ravens KC’s defense held them to 84 yards on 16 carries.
Pressure Purdy – Along with stopping the run, 49ers Quarterback Josh Purdy is no slouch at tucking the ball under his arm and running in open spaces. Very much like Mahomes, he has deceptive speed and is elusive. Purdy can get the best of the Chiefs’ defense if he plays a perfect game. Short of that, I don’t see him mastering the puzzle of Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive mice traps.
Purdy led two post-season comebacks to get his team into the Super Bowl. Yet, after watching his opening night on stage with his counterpart, Patrick Mahomes, he looked overwhelmed. Going from Mr. Irrelevant to Super Bowl champion defies the odds. Yet, to do it against a Chiefs defense that negates second-half comebacks, it could be a long day for the 49ers quarterback.
Ride Mahomes Legacy – I’m unsure what else I can say about Patrick Mahomes. He’s already imprinted his face on the Mount Rushmore of the Chiefs Kingdom. He, along with Len Dawson, Derrick Thomas, and Travis Kelce – who barely unseated Bobby Bell, has only one thing to do in his career. Catch and pass Tom Brady for the most Super Bowl wins ever.
On Sunday, Mahomes will get his third, the Chiefs will shut up all their critics, and they’ll spend the entire 2024 offseason changing their roster once again to do something no other NFL team has ever done; win three straight Super Bowl titles!
Final Score Prediction:
Chiefs 34 – 49ers 19
