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The hype for Super Bowl 58 starts with the Travis-Taylor romance, and while the influx of young fans who are drawn to professional football is a nice story for the NFL, it won't play much of a role in the outcome of the game. Of course, Travis Kelce may want to impress his lady love with a huge game and that could provide extra motivation, but it's the outcome of several specific matchups that will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
There are three specific matchups that may go a long way to deciding whether the Chiefs defend the championship that they earned last year against the Philadelphia Eagles or the Niners are successful in winning the title.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce vs. 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown
Forget about the glamorous aspect of the Kelce-Swift relationship, because that doesn't matter once the ball is kicked off.
Kelce is almost certainly the best tight end in the league, and his partnership with quarterback Patrick Mahomes is ideal. The tight end is a dynamic pattern runner who knows how to set up the best defensive backs in the league and Mahomes can read Kelce's moves like a book.
Kelce caught 93 passes for 984 yards and 5 touchdowns this year. He has caught more than 100 passes three times in his career. He has also been perhaps the greatest postseason receiver in NFL history.
He has 156 receptions for 1,810 yards and 19 touchdowns throughout his postseason career.
The 49ers will likely double cover Kelce at multiple points throughout the game, but there will be times when strong safety Ji'Ayir Brown will be responsible for slowing Kelce down. That is not likely to go in the 4iers' favor.
Brown is a rookie, and trying to stay with a veteran receiver who is in perfect harmony with his quarterback is a huge ask.
Specifically, Mahomes is likely to send Kelce out on a number of option patterns. The option for a tight end is to run towards the sidelines or to the middle of the field. Kelce and Mahomes communicate this with body language and eye contact.
Even if Brown has done massive video work to understand how well those two work together, it is a major advantage for the Chiefs.
Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco vs. 49ers LBs Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner
The Chiefs want to establish their running game in the Super Bowl, perhaps more than they have in previous championship games.
They have not been as dynamic on offense this season as they have been in the past, and they seemed to be in some trouble as the season progressed when they fell to 9-6 when they lost their Christmas Night home game to the Las Vegas Raiders.
After that game, head coach Andy Reid decided that the Chiefs had to play a more conservative offensive game that featured the run and ball control
Isiah Pacheco did his job for the Chiefs as he proved to be a dependable and hard-edged runner. He fights for every yard he can get and he plays with maximum determination. Pacheco carried the ball 205 times for 935 yards with 7 touchdowns during the regular season, and he has been even more effective in the postseason. He has rushed for 254 yards in 3 playoff game and scored 3 touchdowns.
The 49ers will try to slow him down with Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner. They are two of the best linebackers in the league. Greenlaw had 120 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season, while Warner led the Niners with 132 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles
Pacheco will obviously have plenty of help from his offensive line, but he will need to be at his best to deliver a consistent ground game against the Niners.
Chiefs DT Chris Jones vs. 49ers OG Jon Feliciano
Chris Jones is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, and he may be the best player on Kansas City's outstanding defense.
He had 10.5 sacks this season, and while he is officially listed as a left defensive tackle, he can line up at a variety of positions on the defensive line.
He is a game-changing player who should be able to close in on quarterback Brock Purdy and cause quite a bit of damage.
The 49ers wouldn't have the best offensive team in the league if they didn't have one of the best offensive lines.
They have played against big-time pass rushers before and Jon Feliciano is capable of handling tough assignments. However, it may be too much to ask Feliciano and his linemates to keep Jones completely in check
