NFL 23-24 Super Bowl Prediction- 49ers beat Chiefs in SB rematch

The finale of the NFL is upon us and it’s a superstar showdown. Patrick Mahomes is in yet another Super Bowl and he’ll be looking to win back to back trophies for his Chiefs. Kansas City were brilliant last week against the top seeded Ravens and it was an incredible job by their defense. For the 49ers, they started extremely slow last week against Detroit but they ramped it up over the course of the game and finished on a good note. These two teams played in 2020 in the Super Bowl and we’ll see who’ll win this rematch. 

 The 49ers edged their way to victory last week but they have to start quicker in this game. If they get in a hole early against Andy Reid’s team, it’ll be tough for them to come back. The offense has to get going early and Brock Purdy needs to be exceptional. The 49ers biggest regular season game was against the Ravens and it was a pretty ugly game for Purdy. Purdy doesn’t need to be better than Mahomes but he needs to be decent because of the tremendous players he has on offense. One of the biggest matchups in this game is Samuel and Aiyuk vs Sneed and McDuffie. This Chiefs cornerback duo have shut down receivers all season long and they’re elite. The Niners wideouts need to exploit the secondary because scoring points is the only way they’ll win. The Chiefs run defense is solid so I’m expecting a lot of targets for Aiyuk and Samuel. In addition to this WR duo, the Niners have the best running back in all of football. In this game, CMC might not have a lot of production on the ground so I’m expecting Kyle Shanahan to use him in the passing game. He can be effective for short slants and that’ll take away some of the attention on the receivers. The Chiefs defense only gave up 10 points last week so it will be challenging for Purdy’s offense. 

 Giving up 31 points is never good for a defense and San Francisco has to be better on the defensive side. Mahomes, Kelce, Pacheco, and Rice have it in them to control the game and for San Fran, they have to be clinical on defense. Chances against Mahomes are minimal so when they get their opportunities, they have to take them and not do silly penalties. Possession is a huge factor in this game and the longer the ball is not with the Chiefs offense, the better chance the 49ers have to win. A big decision for the 49ers is whether to bring extra rushers to Mahomes or not. Pacheco runs hard so they might be exploited on 2 high safeties but if they have 1 safety and bring pressure to Mahomes, that’ll get Kelce free. Kelce has to be a major focus and he should not be able to have a field day. He dominated Baltimore last Sunday and his connection with Mahomes is why KC won. There are a lot of things to worry about when playing Andy Reid’s offense so it’s a tough task for the 49ers. 

 Baltimore was roaring last week but like he always does to his opponents, Patrick Mahomes silenced that crowd. The Chiefs had the ball for 37 minutes and it felt like MVP Lamar Jackson never got the football. Kelce had another signature performance and he had an amazing 11 receptions, 116 yards, and touchdown game. He’s climbing into the category of unguardable for me and that’s exactly what the Chiefs want heading into Super Bowl 58. Last week, the Niners were poor on defense and I think the Chiefs offense will add to their woes. Their four game changing players are Rice, Pacheco, Kelce, and Mahomes who have six much potential to do damage. KC’s WRS have struggled this season but Rice has become one of Mahomes’ favorite targets this season. He was big in the Wild Card Game and he could be influential along with Kelce. Both of them will cause problems to the 49ers defense and I’m predicting 75+ yards for each of them. If Kelce and Rice aren’t enough, the Chiefs have the luxury of Isiah Pacheco. He has so much juice in him and he could drain a lot of the defense’s energy. They’ve had their offensive struggles this season but they seem like a new offense in the playoffs. 

 In my time of watching the Chiefs, I’ve never seen their defense win the game for them. All the talk about Jackson shredding this defense evaporated after Spagnuolo’s defense held them to 10 points. Lamar was sacked 4 times and the Ravens had 3 turnovers on offense. They stopped a usually good Ravens run game to only 81 yards and they forced Baltimore to pass. The Niners have weapons all over the field and they have rush Brock Purdy. He can make mistakes under pressure and he won’t have any time. Getting in his head could fluster Purdy and he might turn the ball over then. They play the best offense in my opinion in this game and if they can replicate that game, they will win. 

 My prediction is that the 49ers will win 34-31. Brock Purdy has looked good in the playoffs and I think he’ll be able to cope with the pressure. Purdy is learning every game and he keeps getting better in the big moments. I think he’ll lead this team on the field really well and have a good game. They’ll get out to a lead early and they won’t look back. Mahomes puts up these ridiculous performances in the playoffs and he’s so hard to beat but as a whole, San Francisco are the better football team. They have so many incredible players and two I’d like to highlight are Samuel and McCaffrey. The different positions of them will catch Kansas City off guard and I have a feeling they’ll both have huge games. They’re so unpredictable and Spagnuolo’s defense doesn’t know what they’re up against. This team can beat anyone in the league but they have to execute. You can watch this game on CBS and Paramount+ at 6:30 PM EST on 2/11/2024 from Las Vegas, Nevada. 

 These two teams are very different from four years ago and there are tons of new players. Will Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs stamp themselves as one of NFL’s best with another Super Bowl win or can “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy bring a trophy to the Bay Area?