Super Bowl LVIII Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Early Look

Super Bowl LVIII

San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sunday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS

The big game is finally here and we get an all red Super Bowl. The Chiefs will look to defend their championship against the 49ers, who have been dominant for the majority of the season. That wasn't the case for the Chiefs, who suffered through a frustrating season but are still one of the last two teams standing in the end. This is a game that is going to be tough to predict with the best team in the NFC going up against the best quarterback in the world. Vegas has the Niners favored by two points in what is expected to be a classic matchup. These teams match up fairly evenly across the board with each other. It will be intriguing the chess moves these two great coaches make with their outstanding defenses and explosive offenses. 

Quarterbacks

This is not a difficult call to make. While Brock Purdy has been very good and far exceeded his draft expectations, there are still plenty of question marks surrounding him. He doesn't have a ton of arm talent and has had his issues in plenty of games. However, he is surrounded by so much talent, and in such a good system it's hard to tell just how much of it is him being good and how much is everything else around him. This will be a massive test for the former Mr. Irrelevant who will look to cement himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in this game.

There are no questions surrounding Patrick Mahomes. Already at just 28 years old, he is well on his way to building a legacy that could see him challenging for the greatest of all-time moniker well before his career is over. This is already his fourth Super Bowl appearance - he's brought home two rings and two MVP trophies so far. The reason the Chiefs can beat a superiorly talented team like the Niners is the same reason they beat a superior team like the Baltimore Ravens, Patrick Mahomes.  

Edge: Chiefs

Rushing Attack

The rushing attack is essentially the opposite of the quarterbacks. You have Isiah Pacheco who is an outstanding young running back running behind a very good offensive line. Andy Reid also has one of the best systems in the NFL when it comes to scheming up ways to run the ball. However, Christian McCaffrey is the running back on the other team. He is currently the best running back in the league. There is no debate between these two backs. San Francisco also has a better offensive line, and an All-Pro fullback, and Kyle Shanahan's run scheme is probably the best in the league today. This is a no-contest in the favor of the 49ers. 

Edge: 49ers

Pass Catchers

There are a handful of great pass-catchers in this game, but once again someone has the clear edge here. While the secondary options in Kansas City have been better in the playoffs and not dropping passes at a historic rate like they were in the regular season, they are all still mediocre at best. The two guys we want to focus on are rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice and veteran tight end Travis Kelce. Rice has been fantastic as a rookie and is well on his way to becoming a star, even if he's not quite there yet. As the season has worn on, he has become better and better while separating himself as Mahomes's favorite target and clear WR1. Kelce on the other hand has really picked it up after a subpar regular season by his standards. In his three playoff games so far he's caught 23 of 27 targets for 262 yards and three TDs.  

The Niners have a full stable of pass-catchers at their disposal. Their tight end George Kittle is one of the best in the NFL. At wideout, they have Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, who at this point are both considered ahead of Rice. Then at running back, CMC is one of, if not the best pass-catching back in the league. The Chiefs are without their primary pass-catching back Jerick McKinnon which could end up haunting them. Even their WR3 Jauan Jennings is better than the Chiefs' WR2. Purdy definitely has the superior weapons. 

Edge: 49ers

Defense

This is by far the closest category we have to break down. The gut reaction when asked who has the better defense is probably the 49ers. Nevertheless, when you really look into it that may not be the case. The Chiefs finished second in yards per game and second in points per game this season. They also finished fourth against the pass, but 18th against the run. During the postseason, the Chiefs have been second in both yards and points per game again while coming in fourth against the pass and sixth against the run. All outstanding numbers. 

Now let's see how the Niners' defense stacks up. They finished eighth in yards this season and third in points allowed. Against the pass, they finished 14th and third against the run. The only area they finished ahead of Kansas City was against the run. In the postseason there is even more of a dropoff for San Francisco who have been bad so far. They have been ninth in yards per game and eighth in points allowed. They rank sixth against the pass and 13th against the run out of 14 teams. Despite San Fran having more star power and a better reputation on defense, it's hard to make a case for them. 

Edge: Chiefs