Chiefs are a good matchup for 49ers in Super Bowl LIV
The San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in what should be an extremely exciting Super Bowl 54. The teams are built completely different, which makes this a very intriguing matchup.
The identity of the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs could not be more apparent. The 49ers are built around running the football and playing physical defense. The Chiefs are more comfortable throwing the ball 35 times a game and getting into an offensive shootout.
The Chiefs would be described as a pass-first finesse team by most. They want to throw the ball to top playmakers like wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce in order to move the ball down the field.
They have the playmakers to help quarterback Patrick Mahomes put up an insane amount of points—quickly, as the Chiefs did when they scored 51 in three quarters against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.
The 49ers are the complete opposite.
San Francisco wants to play physical on both sides of the ball and control the clock with running and short passing plays. While the Niners play a similar style to what the Tennessee Titans do (the team the Chiefs beat to get to the Super Bowl), San Francisco has the personnel for better success.
The Niners’ defense has played outstanding throughout the year, and they can frustrate even the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The running game, led by breakout star Raheem Mostert, is on fire coming off of his 220 yards and four touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers.
When a pass-heavy finesse team meets a dominating physical team, the matchup usually favors the latter. A team that can win the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball will be more consistent than a team that is forced to rely on big passing plays to move the chains.
The media consensus suggests that the 49ers will be in big trouble if they fall behind early and are forced to turn to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to lead them in a shootout.
The Niners have been involved in multiple shootouts this season, however, and Garoppolo’s performances in those games prove this theory false.
Garoppolo was “forced” to throw the ball 35 times or more in four regular-season games: Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals, Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks, Week 11 against the Cardinals again, and Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints.
The Niners went 3-1 in those games, with the only loss to the Seahawks on an overtime field goal. Garoppolo threw for a total of 1,338 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in the games in which he exceeded 35 passing attempts.
The narrative that the 49ers are hiding Garoppolo behind a heavy running attack has grown tiresome. It’s no secret that head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s main focus is to establish the run, but that doesn’t mean Jimmy G is incapable of leading the team to victory.
The physicality of the 49ers should be able to wear down the Chiefs enough to give San Francisco the advantage as the game goes on.
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If the Niners do find themselves playing from behind, Garoppolo is more than capable of leading a comeback.