Sports on Draft

On Super Bowl Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will be representing the old school, ‘Smash mouth’ football vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, who embody the new school, ‘Air Raid’ style of play. Super Bowl 2020 could feature some fireworks in Miami – a game that includes the most explosive offense in the NFL against one of the best defenses in the league.

Kansas City is favored by just 1-point (1 ½-point to be exact), predicting this game is pretty much a toss-up. Picking Super Bowl winners is never really easy, especially when a team is the favorite by inch.

One thing we know is that these two teams deserve to be here.

The Chiefs have several All-Pros and six players that were selected to the Pro Bowl this year, led behind defending MVP, Patrick Mahomes. Not only is Mahomes arguably the best quarterback in football, but he has a plethora of weapons to choose at his disposal.

If Lamar Jackson hasn’t had such an insane, eye-opening 2019-2020 NFL regular season like he did, then Mahomes might have won the MVP award again. What separates the greats from the very good players, however, this is the playoffs.

Mahomes was a game away from the Super Bowl last year, and his playoff performances this year resonates that the young quarterback is on a mission. He led the Chiefs with five touchdowns, and willed his team from an astonishing 24-point deficit against the Houston Texans (51-31).

The Chiefs’ star quarterback surged his team to one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, Kansas City scored six consecutive touchdowns to reel off 41 straight points. This team can score, and is deservingly why they are the most dangerous offense in the league.

Speaking of the best, this season, the San Francisco 49ers certainly are that on the defensive side of the football.

While San Francisco has a reputable offense, this team’s greatest strength is the defense. They ranked first in the playoffs and second in the regular season, as well as first in total pass defense.

49ers’ Defensive Coordinator, Robert Saleh, certainly has galvanized the San Francisco defense. According to CBS Sports, they’ve just allowed 15 points per game in the postseason after surrendering over just 19 per game in the regular season.

Players like Richard Sherman, Nick Bosa, and DeForest Buckner are usually advertised whenever the San Francisco defense is in discussion, but they have an all-around superb unit. With all of the household names on defense, it is easy to overlook players like outside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and especially slot cornerback K’Waun Williams, who has also been making a significant contribution to the team’s success.  

In the dominating win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, K’Waun Williams tied for the top grade on the 49ers’ defense with an overall grade of 78.6, according to Sports Illustrated. Williams had six tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, and three stops in the passing game.

With unsung heroes like Williams, as well as the new star running back, Raheem Mostert, this 49ers’ unselfish mentality is another big reason why they will be playing in the Super Bowl. Whether it’s the defense that makes the plays to win the game, or Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo doing the little things as a game manager to put them in the best position, this 49ers’ team is all in, and their great chemistry is a product of their success.

While I’m neither a 49ers nor Chiefs fan, Super Bowl LIV could be one for the ages. What is most interesting to me is that the Chiefs’ defense, like the 49ers’ offense, doesn’t get as much credit as deserved, mainly because they are so dominant on the other side of the ball.  

Sports on Draft Co-Author, Max McLaughlin, made a great point that a big factor in this matchup is the defensive and offensive front 7. “I believe this game will be decided in the trenches.”

I think this is a great point, for the Chiefs also have a reputable defensive line, and the challenge will be stopping the 49ers’ stout run game. Of course the challenge on the other side will be stopping the Chiefs high powered attack, but also the key for the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo, will be getting the job done on offense.  

I really don’t have that much confidence in my prediction, which is the Chiefs defeating the 49ers, 38-35. My prediction almost changes from day to day, especially after re-evaluating how much of an all-around team the 49ers are, but I just think that this might finally be the year that Head Coach Andy Reid finally hoists the Vince Lombardi trophy.