by Jackson Schneider ’24
February 9, 2024
The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writers and do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
A rematch is in store for this Super Bowl as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers face off in a rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl where the Chiefs won in a second half comeback victory. Many of the stars that headlined the last game are still headlining this game with players like Patrick Mahomes, George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Trent Willams, but there are new faces that have been the main reason these teams made it to the big game.
For the Chiefs, it was not a normal season. The regular season was headlined by offensive miscues with the loss of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill looming large this season as the Chiefs were unable to get any real weapons in free agency. Mahomes never had a threat to throw to outside of Kelce, who was having a down year himself. The offense dealt with many dropped passes and many games scoring below 20 points, but luckily the Chiefs came through with one of the best defenses in the league. Headlined by star defensive tackle Chris Jones, this Chiefs defense has been stopping elite offenses all season, recently holding MVP Lamar Jackson to just 10 points and coming up with two huge red zone turnovers in the second half. If the Chiefs want to win this game they will need their defense to step up and get pressure on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy as that has been the best way to stop him all season.
If Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs come through in the clutch once again and win the Super Bowl it will no doubt cement him as a top two or three quarterback of all time, putting him in the GOAT conversation at the age of 28. It will also cement head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce as some of the best to ever do what they do as Kelce would become the greatest tight end ever and Reid moves into the company of guys like Bill Belicheck and George Hallas as best coaches ever. It will also make it known who the new NFL Dynasty is as the only active NFL Quarterback who has beat Mahomes in the playoffs is Joe Burrow.
The 49ers have finally returned to the big game after two years in a row of falling in the conference championship. While last time they were in the Super Bowl in 2019 they had QB Jimmy Garappolo and a running back committee of three different players this time they have former Mr. Irrelevant (Last Pick in the Draft) Brock Purdy under center and the best running back in the NFL, Christian Mccaffrey. Along with the best running back, they also have the best offensive lineman in football with Trent Willams, a top tight end in George Kittle and one of the best wide receiver cores with Brandon Ajuyk and Deboo Samuel. To pair with the most skilled offense in the NFL is a sturdy scary pass rush led by Nick Bosa, Arik Armested and Chase Young. Former second overall pick Chase Young needs to step up in this game as he has been inconsistent ever since his arrival in the Bay. If the 49ers give Mahomes too much time he will do what he always does: pick apart your team making almost no mistakes and taking a ton of time off the clock.
If the 49ers win this game it will cause a shift in the NFL and how NFL General Managers make winning teams. Proving that you do not need a superstar Quarterback to win the Super Bowl as Brock Purdy is no longer seen as a middle of the table QB and put into the top 10 qbs in the NFL. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers head coach also gets the Super Bowl monkey off his back as nobody can criticize him for his infamous 28-3 choke in the 2017 Super Bowl. And finally Christian McCaffrey would prove to the NFL that you can pay running backs the big bucks and it can lead to long sustained winning as he practically saves the position as their positional value is currently decreasing fast.
I think this is the best possible game we could have had based on the teams that made the playoffs. These are the two most talented teams in the NFL with the best players and I expect it to come down to the end, but at the end of the day Patrick Mahomes is the greatest quarterback ever. When it comes down to big moments he does not miss the routine throws you see Purdy miss.
My prediction is: Chiefs 28- 49ers 20
