Super Bowl 54 Preview: Chiefs vs. 49ers

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By John Conturso, Sports Editor

The big stage for the NFL season is officially set. The offensive juggernaut in the Kansas City Chiefs will go against the stout San Francisco 49ers defense. This will be an epic showdown and will be a battle of the ages.

The Kansas City Chiefs had a great season this year. They finished the year with a 12-4 record and had a first-round bye in the playoffs. The first team they played in the playoffs was the Houston Texans. The game was one of the more exciting games of the season. The Houston Texans jumped out to a 24-0 lead at the start of the second quarter. The Chiefs came all the way back to win 51-31. It was an insane game where Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdowns. In the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs played the Tennessee Titans and absolutely dominated them. They won the game 35-24. Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdowns and he also ran for a touchdown as well. The defense also shutdown “King” Henry, who has basically been unstoppable the past two playoff games.

The San Francisco 49ers were the most surprising team in the NFL this year. They finished the year with a 13-3 record and was the number 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs. They played the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round and won the game 27-10. Tevin Coleman went off during the game as he ran for 105 yards and also had two rushing touchdowns. They went on to play the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. It was basically the Raheem Mostert game, as he had 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was basically unstoppable and helped the 49ers win the game 37-20.

The Chiefs will look to turn to reigning league MVP, Parick Mahomes to lead the offense against the 49ers. He threw for 4,000 yards to go along with 26 touchdowns against only 5 interceptions. He also only played in 14 games because he got injured early in the season. The Chiefs also have elite pass catchers in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Hill had 860 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in only 12 games. Travis Kelce had one of the best seasons in NFL history for a tight end, as he had 1,229 receiving yards and five touchdowns. They also have key role players in all-purpose rookie Mecole Hardman and underrated running back Damien Williams. The Chiefs are a threat to score at any moment in the game with their elite offense.

The 49ers on the other hand, play a different game than the Chiefs. Instead of throwing the ball 35 times a game, they prefer to run the ball with their 3 star running backs. The 49ers backfield consists of Tevin Coleman, Matt Brieda, and Raheem Mostert. Mostert has dealt with the most adversity out of the bunch, as he was cut from six teams before he ended up having a breakout year this year. They each split carries and root for each other to succeed on the field. The 49ers also have a capable quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo who came back and had a great season after the season he tore his ACL. He threw for 3,978 yards to go along with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has some scary weapons on the outside as well. George Kittle will look to command the ball during the game, as he is one of the best tight ends in the league. He had 85 receptions for 1,053 and 5 touchdowns. He was also in the MVP talks this year as a tight end for his selfless play. He is the ultimate team-first guy. After a midseason trade with the Broncos, Emmanual Sanders has also put up solid numbers as he has 502 receiving yards with the 49ers this year. The 49ers offense is very capable of either putting up forty in this game or putting up ten.

The defense is what will win the game for both teams. Who will make the last stop or who will come up big in the last few minutes. The Kansas City Chiefs have had a very underrated defense this year. They have been overshadowed by their offense but the defense can be scary good. The defense is led by one of the best interior linemen in the league in Chris Jones. He had 9 sacks this year while constantly racking up double teams against the opposing team’s offensive line. Tyrann Mahieu had one of his best seasons to date. After signing a massive contract with the Chiefs in the offseason, he lived up to his contract and the hybrid safety had 75 tackles and four interceptions. Frank Clark also had a great season in his first year in Kansas City. He racked up eight sacks to go along with 37 tackles. The X-Factor for the Chiefs defense will end up being Daniel Sorensen who has stepped up big in Juan Thornhill’s absence.

The 49ers defense has been elite all season. It is led by All-Pro corner Richard Sherman who had another amazing year in his second year with the team. He had 3 interceptions this year to go along with 61 tackles. The heart and soul of the team though lie with their incredibly deep defensive line. They are led by Defensive Rookie of the Year front runner, Nick Bosa who was basically unstoppable this year. He had 47 tackles and 9 sacks this year. Arik Armstead had 10 sacks and 54 tackles this year. Finally, Deforest Buckner had 7.5 sacks to go along with 61 tackles. They are also extremely deep at linebacker, as they have Fred Warner and offseason signee Kwon Alexander. Fred Warner had 118 tackles this year and Kwon Alexander was hurt for most of the year but he has been dominating in the playoffs. They will look to force Kansas City into uncanny turnovers throughout the game.

“I feel like the Chiefs are going to take this one home. They have such a great offense and their defense can hold their own against the inconsistent 49ers offense. It will be a great game and I just can’t wait to see who will perform better out of George Kittle and Travis Kelce.” said senior Drew Siwicki.

The game will hopefully be a game for the ages. The two best tight ends in the league will go at it. The reigning league MVP against one of the more stout defenses in the NFL. The game will be held on Sunday, February 2nd at the Hard Rock Cafe Stadium in Miami.