NFL Super Bowl LVIII is on the horizon featuring the Kansas City Chiefs competing against the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams face off in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, February 11. The game will be televised live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ with kickoff starting at 6:30 p.m. EST.
Music artists Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day will perform during the Super Bowl LVIII pregame show. Afterwards, eight-time Grammy-winning singer Usher will be headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.
The average NFL viewer will notice this particular match-up seems familiar. And they would be correct. On February 2, 2020, The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers previously met in Miami, Fla., at Hard Rock Stadium in Super Bowl LIV. In the end, the Kansas City Chiefs were victorious with a score of 31-20. This year, the San Francisco 49ers have another chance at redemption to earn the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the title of Super Bowl champions.
This is the fourth appearance the Chiefs have made in the Super Bowl within the past five years. Throughout this time, the team has won three Super Bowl games, facing previous champions of the NFC including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles. One of the players contributing to the team’s success is Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Early in his professional career, he became the youngest player in the league to win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl LIV award in the same season.
During a Super Bowl LVIII press conference on February 8, when asked about his ability to keep a low heart rate in big moments like the Super Bowl, Mahomes answered “Definitely something I think that’s learned with experience and being in the moment. I think the biggest thing for me is just trying to be myself…. trusting your teammates, and everything else kind of handles itself.”
Tight End Travis Kelce is the second half of the offensive duo alongside Mahomes. The two players together have a total of 46 touchdown connections, contributing to the Chief’s success. According to the Kansas City Chiefs website, he holds the record for most receptions by any NFL tight end in their first 10 seasons with 814 catches.
“Going through a few of these Super Bowls, you can’t plan any of them. You just got to be ready for the challenge and task at hand. Be able to overcome some adversity and finish off a football game the right way,” said Kelce during a February 8 Super Bowl LVIII press conference.
However, the 49ers are not the same football team from four years ago.
Jimmy Garoppolo was the 49ers previous quarterback who played against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVI. On December 4, 2022, against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo sustained a fracture to his left foot and, as a result ended his season. For the remainder of the game, he was replaced by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy then made his first-career start as starting quarterback on December 11, 2022 against a Tom Brady led Tampa Bay Buccaneers and claimed victory, 35-7. Eventually, he led the 49ers to a division title and appearance in the NFC Championship game during his rookie season.
During a press conference on February 8, Purdy comments on his experience playing against Tom Brady at the start of his rookie career. “In the back of my mind, we were up 21-0 and I’m like “I don’t care, that’s Tom Brady on the other side. We got to keep going and we got to keep scoring.” I think it’s similar for the Super Bowl, but that’s with any great quarterback that you play with throughout the year,” said Purdy.
Another player who contributed to the 49ers reaching the Super Bowl is running back Christian McCaffrey. He has a total of 1,459 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns scored this 2023 season. On Thursday, February 8, McCaffrey was named “2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year” at NFL Honors 2024.
Defensive positions on a football serve a crucial purpose to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Key players like 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa assist with this process. In the 2023 season, Bosa has a total of 27 unassisted tackles with 10.5 total sacks.
Performances like Bosa’s are a necessity if they hope to win against the AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs.
