Chiefs vs 49ers: Who will take the Superbowl trophy?

PATRICK HANSEN

Super Bowl LIV will be held in beautiful Miami. We are now just days away from the one game that everyone tunes in to see. Whether your team is in the Super Bowl, a football diehard fan or just a commercial enthusiast, everyone will be watching this game on Feb 2. The matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers can be seen as a surprise to many different football fans as the 49ers were projected to have a three-win season and the Chiefs had concerns on whether Tyreek Hill would play this season, and of course the Patrick Mahomes injury scare. But both teams have overcome multiple obstacles to land in the biggest game of the year.

The San Francisco 49ers are aiming to become only the third team (along with the Patriots and Steelers) to claim their sixth Super Bowl title. The 49ers’ last win came in 1995 and this will be their first appearance since falling to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 back in 2013. Despite the recent drought in San Francisco, the Niners are looking to reclaim a title.

On the other hand, the Kansas City Chiefs are making their first appearance in the Super Bowl in 50 years. The last time was when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV. This will also be coach Andy Reid’s second appearance in the championship game following his 2005 loss for the Eagles.

With both teams having everything to play for, the game should be one of the best games in recent history. Both teams have similar stats throughout the season, they both average upwards of 390 total offensive yards per game and allow under 90 rushing yards per game. The story of the game will be the quarterback competition between Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo, as well as each team’s defense.

The Chiefs are the current favorites, according to the ESPN football power index, with a 64.8% chance of winning. The biggest challenge of the game will be the ability of the 49ers defense. The 49ers will be looking to depend on Raheem Mostert to drive the ball down the field as he already has 278 rushing yards this postseason along with four touchdowns, with 220 yards and each of his four touchdowns coming in the win over the Packers. The weakness of the 49ers is looking to be Jimmy Garoppolo, as he has thrown for only 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception so far in the playoffs.

The defense for San Francisco, however, has been stunning while defending the run, but a little more shaky through the air. They have allowed just 83 rushing yards but allowed 422 passing yards through the first two games of the postseason.

For the Chiefs, the team is ready to be back in the Super Bowl conversation following their 50-year drought and if any Chiefs squad is good enough to win it all, this is the one. Kansas City possesses arguably the best quarterback in the league in Patrick Mahomes and the weapons he has around him on offense in Damien Williams, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill Along with the strength of the offensive line it’s a no brainer as to why the Kansas City is favored in this game.

The biggest question surrounding the Chiefs in this game is how it will start out. The previous two games have been miraculous comebacks for Chiefs, but the 49ers get dangerous when they get big leads. The Chiefs will need to get the offense rolling early to come out with the win.

The defense for the Chiefs is seen by many as a worry for the Kansas City, but the defense has improved immensely since the start of the season, being able to hold the Texans pass game in the second half of the divisional round and shutting down Derrick Henry and the Titans run game in the conference championship.

Prediction for the Super Bowl: Chiefs beat 49ers 28-17.