Industry experts share insights on a potential Kansas City vs. San Francisco showdown: “I believe the Niners exhibit greater talent and explosiveness than the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs have defied expectations in the last two weeks.”
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs were here four years ago. The same goes for coaches. The same goes for the general manager. Although the quarterback’s dynamics are somewhat similar, his team’s dynamics change temporarily.
So, is this reduction from Super Bowl LIV to Super Bowl LVIII really the same thing?
Not exactly.
“I think the Niners are a lot more talented than the Chiefs and a lot more explosive than the Chiefs,” the AFC executive told me last week. “But Chiefs surprised me the last two weeks. I didn’t hate (Patrick) Mahomes, but now I really understand why Mahomes is a guy. He’s ready to get his chance.”
Mahomes vs. The 49ers.
But that is not all.
Four years ago, he had two teams in the same formation – a young, balanced and attacking team, but now there are teams at different stages. The Chiefs need to pay Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. The 49ers owe a lot to their star system. For Kansas City, that means being much smaller in some key areas. For San Francisco, the quarterback should be younger.
But both are built differently here than before, and this achievement is a tribute to the way both organizations operate. So how does this compare to what happened in Miami in February 2020? Whatever the end result is, it may be slightly different.
Here’s what we discovered while diving…
• Between Jones and Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme, the Chiefs’ defensive line should have a chance to beat the 49ers’ excellent but vulnerable offensive line. That said, San Francisco has a much clearer way of dealing with this issue. “The combination of (Christian) McCaffrey, (Brandon) Aiyuk, Deebo (Samuel) and (George) Kittle means a lot to Kansas City’s defense,” said one AFC executive. “I don’t like the Niners’ O-line, but they don’t have a lot of games where they wait 10 minutes for guys to get open. I’ve seen San Francisco run it and score easily. I don’t like dramas about.” Kansas City.”
• Of course, the key is Samuel’s health. And it happens in many ways. First, as one AFC leader put it, “How can he produce so many explosive plays with something so simple that he doesn`t have to block well? “He has a lot of plays that take the pressure off,” “and” he can create 15 to 20 yards out of nowhere.
And it’s not just an impact when he carries the ball, but also in the running game. “Given his fitness with Devo, we need to bring in an extra player to keep him.” “In his place,” the former AFC coach said. “Besides him, we will have another guy who can lean forward more and run.
• Meanwhile, Joe Thuney has struggled with injuries, and the Chiefs’ tackling has been up and down, and the matchup will likely be the deciding factor against the 49ers’ unused defensive line its talent this season.
Additionally, the Chiefs lacked an outside threat to take advantage of the Niners secondary, so DC Steve Wilkes got more aggressive with his rushing tactics. “Will the Chiefs break with me?”, one NFC official said. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s because I think San Francisco is so explosive offensively. Kansas City won in possession of the ball against Buffalo. Kansas City is a different team than what they are which is. That’s a byproduct of the Tyreek Hill trade that put all the picks and money into defense.
Another top team,” the third AFC coach added, “Are they will be able to protect Mahomes?” I think this is another game where Mahomes has to use his magic because he doesn’t have that of a playmaker, so he’s trying to expand his game and create something.”
• Travis Kelce could be the X-factor for the Kansas City offense. Despite stumbling throughout the season, he somehow reached new heights in the playoffs and was close to the form he was in before his injuries struck. “Kelce looked much better in the playoffs,” said the AFC’s first executive.
“He’s been the same all season. He and Mahomes are back on the same page. Kels had 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown in the AFC Championship game. He found a way to play because of limitations to the field.” Skill positions have to be available immediately.” For San Francisco, that means they can get Kelce out of trouble and let Mahomes look elsewhere.
• So, if the Niners run an out-of-the-box offense that isn’t as explosive as the Chiefs, that could be very important. The same is true in other respects. The 49ers offense, led by sophomore Brock Purdy, shows cracks playing from behind and from distance. This is an area where the Kansas City defense can benefit. “This is a very balanced Chiefs defense,” the NFC manager said. “Before, they had big plays where they were creating turnovers and possessions and trying to get the offense to extend their lead, but now they’re playing more balanced.”
What about Purdy?
A lot of this has to do with the team around him. The view from the players I spoke with is that as long as the 49ers can run the ball and control things, Purdy is good enough. “He’s got a very good team around him. He’s a good midfielder on a good team, and he’s got a team that believes in him,” the NFC coach said. “He had his ups and downs and time affects him, but he played well when they needed him to.”
Here we return to Mahomes and consider who he is and what he can do in this game.
In many ways, this will be an opportunity for him to build on his ever-growing legacy. Because winning with the team he’s on now is so different than what he accomplished four years ago, or even the year before that. That means narrowly winning on the big stage, as Tom Brady regularly proves he can do.
“Like Brady, when Mahomes plays well, it’s a big deal,” the second-generation AFC coach said. “There’s a good chance he’ll pass your quarterback. If that happens, that team usually wins.”
“It’s a bit of David vs. Goliath here, with the Niners being Goliath, but maybe Muhammad could have been Goliath,” said one AFC official.
Sunday was like that.
The Super Bowl will give him a chance to repeat himself and add something very important to everything everyone has said about him since that night in Miami these four years past.
