Chiefs vs. 49ers in Super Bowl LIV: Who should you root for?
By Luke Tucker
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet Sunday night in Super Bowl LIV in Miami. Here’s who you should root for.
This time last year, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs were in completely different scenarios. The Chiefs had just lost to the Patriots in overtime in the AFC Championship game, while the 49ers were fresh off a four-win season after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in Week Three. Fast forward to this season, the two teams posted a combined record of 25-7, and each earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. No matter what style of football you like, there’s sure to be something that’ll reel you in on Sunday night.
If you like comebacks and overcoming odds, the 49ers are your team.
One of the more impressive comebacks of the 2019 season was that of Garoppolo. San Francisco was actually playing in Kansas City when he suffered the season-ending knee injury last year, so his story has truly come full circle as he prepares to take on the Chiefs once again, this time in the Super Bowl. Beyond the physical return, Garoppolo’s performance during his comeback season has been very impressive as well. He played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time in his NFL career, passing for nearly 4,000 yards in addition to 27 touchdowns and a 69% completion percentage.
A second 49er whose comeback has made headlines this season is that of cornerback Richard Sherman. After suffering a torn Achilles while with Seattle in November of 2017, the Seahawks released him prior to the 2018 campaign. Sherman vigorously attacked his rehab–even working with the late Kobe Bryant–to work himself back into playing condition. He agreed to a three-year deal with San Francisco before the start of last season, and played in 14 games.
This season, though, Sherman was back at full health and totaled three interceptions (including a pick-six), 11 passes defensed, and allowed a microscopic 64.1 passer rating when targeted. Sherman was a huge reason for San Francisco’s defensive turnaround in 2019, and was awarded All-Pro honors for the first time since 2015.
If you like offense, you had better pull for the Chiefs.
While the 49ers have had a really good offensive season, no team is currently more dynamic than the Chiefs. Kansas City currently has one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history, and Patrick Mahomes is doing things nobody has ever done before. From side-arm passes, to throwing with his left hand, to heroically avoiding sacks, he is truly one-of-a-kind. Aside from Mahomes, though, the Chiefs have a host of other elite playmakers. Tyreek Hill is quite possibly one of the fastest people in the world and excels at beating defenders downfield. Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the NFL, and Sammy Watkins is the perfect complement.
Kansas City’s offensive firepower ranked the Chiefs inside the top five in total offense for the second-straight year, and allowed them to rack up an astounding 86 points through their first two postseason games. In those games Mahomes has accounted for nine total touchdowns and over 700 yards of offense. The Chiefs offense is one of the fastest and most athletic ever, and Andy Reid is an offensive mastermind. Despite that, the 49ers’ defense will pose their biggest challenge yet.
The 49ers specialize in defense and pounding the rock.
If the Super Bowl was decided by pure offensive talent, San Francisco would probably be outmatched. Fortunately for them, “defense wins championships,” as the old adage goes. Last year’s 4-12 season landed the 49ers the second-overall pick in last April’s draft, which they used to bring Nick Bosa to the Bay Area. Bosa tallied 9.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss during his first season, and just last night was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year. He along with Sherman, Fred Warner, and Arik Armstead are all huge factors in San Francisco’s second-ranked defense.
On top of the 49ers’ fearsome defense, they are one of the best in the league at running the ball. The Niners had three players who ran for at least 500 yards, and as a team finished second in the league in rushing yards and first in touchdowns. The NFL is very much a passing league by today’s standards; however, teams that excel at running the ball–such as the Ravens, Titans, and 49ers–seem to be having tons of success. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a quarterback who throws for 27 scores, but if San Francisco wins, it’ll almost certainly be on the shoulders of the run game and defense.