With Lamar Jackson failing the entire NFL and the Lions choking in the third quarter, the matchup for Super Bowl LVIII has been set. The San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs will meet in Las Vegas to decide who will leave with the Lombardi Trophy. This event already occurred four years ago in Super Bowl LIV when the Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20, so both sides are eager to see how the rematch will go. Before comparing how each team stacks up, it’s important to know what a win would mean to each of them.
If the Chiefs win, they would be the eighth franchise ever to pull off back-to-back Super Bowl victories and cement their current position at the top of the NFL as a dynasty. Mahomes would get his third ring, which would put him only one ring behind Joe Montana and allow him to continue inching toward Tom Brady’s seven rings.
If the 49ers win, they will get their sixth franchise trophy, tying the record for the most with the Steelers and Patriots. Brock Purdy would stop getting called a system quarterback as he leads his team to victory against one of the best teams in the NFL.
Onto the matchup, I think this is going to be very similar to what happened four years ago. The Chiefs are going to keep collecting trophies even though they’re in a down year. The 49ers were barely able to scrape a win over both the Packers and Lions, with home-field advantage, while the Chiefs won a close road game against the Bills and soundly beat the Ravens on the road again. The main changes on the rosters from Super Bowl LIV are the 49ers getting Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy. On the other hand, the Chiefs gained Isiah Pacheco and lost Tyreek Hill. While this looks a lot better for the Niners, Mahomes hasn’t struggled much this season despite how bad his receivers seem at times, especially Kadarius Toney, who might not play if his “personal issues” continue.
The current odds for the game put the 49ers -2.5 over the Chiefs, meaning they’re favored to win by at least three points. However, there’s still a week until the game arrives, so these odds are bound to change. As it stands, I’d bet on the Chiefs to pull an upset over the Niners in Las Vegas and continue their legacy of having Taylor Swift attend their games. My recommendation is to watch the Puppy Bowl, because Team Ruff vs. Team Fluff is sure to be a way closer and more entertaining matchup.
