Who Will Win Super Bowl 58
Brock Purdy as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. (New York Post).
February 8, 2024
Zach Myers, Journalism Club Member
Another roller coaster NFL season comes down to one final game. Super Bowl 58 will feature the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of Super Bowl 54. But who will win? First, I will break down how each of these teams can win the game before giving my grand prediction.
This will be the Chiefs 3rd Super Bowl appearance under Patrick Mahomes, who is on pace to be the greatest quarterback of all time. While this season has not been one of Mahomes’s best seasons, his efficiency in the playoffs showcase that he is still the best quarterback in the NFL. Apart from him, the Chiefs have some other talent across their offense, starting with the running backs in Isaiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards Helaire. Pacheco has emerged as a good second option in case Mahomes struggles, rushing for 935 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Helaire, while he has been an overall bust in the NFL, has shown flashes of talent as a 3rd down running back option.
One thing that has been consistently dragging down the Chiefs offense this year is their wide receiver play, which has cost them many games this year. This includes Kadarius Toney’s penalty against the Bills in the regular season and multiple drops by other players in key games. While so far in the playoffs the wideouts for KC have improved, one mistake in the Super Bowl (which is likely) will probably cost them the win. Travis Kelce, while having a down season, has an unmatchable connection with Patrick Mahomes and they recently set the playoff record for quarterback-receiver touchdowns.
The offensive line, while injury prone, has the capability of keeping up with the best defensive linemen in the league on the back of stars Joe Thuney and Jawaan Taylor. What has been consistent for KC this year is their defense, which is unusual. They rank in the Top 5 in many defensive categories, led by consistent defensive line play by Chris Jones as well as an all star secondary led by L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. While Kansas City may seem like the juggernaut, what do they have to go up against?
This will be the 49ers 2nd Super Bowl appearance in the last 5 years and first under Mr. Irrelevant starting quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy has seen unprecedented success as a quarterback given that he was the last player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he only started due to injuries last season from Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. While Purdy’s success can be due to the offensive mind of head coach Kyle Shanahan and the various weapons the 49ers have, it does take some skill to be a last overall draft pick and have more success than some first round picks.
The weapons Purdy has to work with are some of the best in the league? Running back Christian McCaffrey is arguably the NFL MVP, leading the league this season in rushing yards and tied for the lead in total touchdowns. San Francisco’s receivers are also very skilled, namely Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Samuel is a swiss army knife player in some sorts, being a pro-bowl receiver while also being a formidable runner in certain end around situations. Aiyuk on the other hand is arguably the best 2nd receiver in the NFL, recently having a 1,300 yard season and making the All-Pro second team. He is an extremely athletic receiver who is capable of hurdling the nearest defender.
George Kittle is arguably the modern day Rob Gronkowski, being the most physically dominant tight end in the league while also being a great blocker and speedy option for Purdy. While their offensive line isn’t top tier, Trent Williams on the left is an 11 time pro bowler and future hall of famer who is capable of blocking with the best of them and the rest of the line has done their job enough for the success of Purdy and McCaffrey. The 49ers defense is also one of the best in the NFL, with a defensive front seven consisting of Pro Bowlers Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as well as a formidable defensive end in Chase Young and rising star in Dre Greenlaw. Their secondary doesn’t hold much star power but they rank as a top 5 coverage team in the NFL.
I really want the 49ers to win this game for various reasons. One is that even though I like Mahomes, I really don’t want him to have a chance of surpassing Tom Brady’s legacy. The second, and most prominent reason, is I don’t want the media firestorm that would come considering the relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. While my pick will seem bias, I am involving my opinions of the team in my pick and I am going with the 49ers over the Chiefs with a score of 28-24. I believe that the secondary of San Francisco matched up with a weakened receiver core for Kansas City will be the key indicator, and the 49ers have enough offensive talent to stave off an excellent KC defense. No matter the result, it should be a great end to the NFL season.
Patrick Mahomes as a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs’. (Wikimedia Commons).
