The Kansas City Chiefs will be heading to Super Bowl 58 to take on the San Francisco 49ers. It will be a Super Bowl rematch between the two teams from the 2019 season where the Chiefs dynasty initially started.
Little did anyone know that back in 2019, that would be just the beginning of this historic run that the Chiefs are on, where they've now made four Super Bowl appearances in five years, going 2-1. But more or less their equal has been the 49ers on the other side of the league in the NFC.
On Sunday, the Chiefs made their sixth straight AFC title game, while the 49ers were playing in their third consecutive NFC title game and fourth in five years. These teams have been on the same trajectory so to speak for the last half-decade, yet it's the Chiefs that keep coming out on top, holding two Lombardi trophies to the 49ers' none.
But as good as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been at hoarding all the championships from others, being in the AFC, in another conference, hasn't dictated much of the 49ers' success outside the one Super Bowl appearance. However, it seems that every team in the league has to go through Kansas City in some regard now in hopes of hoisting a championship trophy.
Will the Chiefs, Mahomes, and Andy Reid continue their impressive run, further solidifying this dynasty and repeat as Super Bowl champions? Or will the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan finally bring a championship back to San Francisco for the first time since 1994? Let's get into some Chiefs' bold predictions for Super Bowl 58.
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Travis Kelce ties Jerry Rice for playoff touchdown receptions
Travis Kelce has been a completely different player since the NFL playoffs began. In the Chiefs' three postseason games, he has 23 receptions on 27 targets for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Against the Ravens in the AFC Championship, he set the all-time postseason receptions record, surpassing Jerry Rice with his 152nd catch.
Rice, of course, has about every receiving postseason record known to man, but Kelce has already taken one of them this year, and he has the ability to tie or better two more. If Kelce were to score three touchdowns, which Rice did twice in his career in Super Bowls 24 and 29, he would match that of most touchdown receptions in a Super Bowl and Rice's postseason career touchdown record with 22.
That is a hefty load to ask of Kelce, especially against the 49ers defense. But counting Kelce or anything with the Chiefs out right now seems ludicrous.
Patrick Mahomes avoids being sacked or making turnovers, wins Super Bowl MVP
Now making his fourth Super Bowl appearance, you can imagine how ridiculous Mahomes' numbers already are this early in his career. He's thrown for 738 yards, accounted for six touchdowns, four interceptions, and three fumbles, taking seven sacks.
He was kept scoreless with three turnovers in the beating by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55. In last year's game, he was turnover-free, but against the 49ers in his first Super Bowl, he threw two picks and had two fumbles.
Mahomes hadn't been sacked at all this postseason until later in the fourth quarter of Sunday's AFC Championship Game where he was eventually taken down twice. He's also been turnover-free all this postseason. Expect that trend to continue, and he to avoid being sacked again, which it will all lead to Super Bowl MVP.
Chiefs defense shuts Deebo Samuel down
The play of the game in the NFC Championship Game was Brandon Aiyuk's tipped catch that changed the entire momentum of the game. But still, a major x-factor of the game is wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Though still playing through a shoulder injury that occurred in the Divisional Round, quarterback Brock Purdy targeted his favorite receiver the most out of any others, with nine targets. Samuel only missed one of those and had 89 yards but no scores.
Still, just having Samuel's presence on the field is enough to intimidate any defense. It will be interesting to see what Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has dialed up not just for him but the 49ers offense that has a number of weapons. However, if they can shut down Samuel, that puts them in a good position to win the game.
Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls, beating 49ers again
Most have wanted to doubt this Chiefs team all year long. Maybe because it was the cool thing to do. Maybe because they seemed outmatched. Maybe it was because of all those drops that the receivers had and the offensive line that couldn't protect Mahomes. But none of that has seemed to matter in postseason play, and this looks like the same old dominating Chiefs—and even more so—that we've always known they are.
It will most likely come down to the pressure that the Chiefs defensive front will put on Purdy, who struggled against the Green Bay Packers' pass rush in the Divisional Round. The Chiefs got to the Ravens' Lamar Jackson four times with eight hits in the AFC title game, throwing the entire Ravens offense off track. Remember, this is a young quarterback only in his second season. The pressure will be on, and the Chiefs will only intensify that.
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