Super Bowl 58 is set to take place on February 11th, which is just days away now. With the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers, it’s important to break down how each team stacks up against one another in each positional matchup, so let's run through each position group and see which teams come out on top at each position.
Quarterback: Chiefs
This is a no-brainer, as Patrick Mahomes easily takes the cake over Brock Purdy, and for that matter, pretty much every other starting quarterback currently in the NFL. While Purdy’s stats on paper are better than Mahomes this season, there's still no question who you'd rather have under center with the Super Bowl on the line.
Running Back: 49ers
It is incredibly tough to pick against Christian McCaffrey, especially after his 21-touchdown campaign this year. As one of the best backs in the entire league, the Niners offense is perfectly tailored to his skill set, and he has thrived in Kyle Shanahan's offensive system.
While Isiah Pacheco has been a revelation for the Chiefs and has looked the part of a star running back, he just is not as good as McCaffrey. Pacheco’s role in the passing game has really improved this season, and while he stands up well in this comparison, he’s no match for CMC.
Wide Receivers: 49ers
The two-headed monster of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are one of the top wide receiver duos in the entire league. With Aiyuk racking up over 1,300 receiving yards and Samuel earning 97 total touches, these two guys immediately give San Fran the leg up at this spot.
Rashee Rice is the lone consistent contributor for the Chiefs, as the likes of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson don't make nearly enough plays on a weekly basis to help out Kansas City's offense.
Tight End: Chiefs
This is a marquee tight end matchup, which is a rarity nowadays. With Travis Kelce and George Kittle both vying for the top spot, the Chiefs take this category.
It feels more like a toss-up than anything, as Kelce has been a postseason savant for this team after not putting up as big of a regular season as in year’s past. Kittle was an All-Pro this year but tends to take a back seat with all the other offensive firepower that San Francisco has, so Kelce earns the nod here – but only slightly.
Offensive Line: Chiefs
The interior of the Kansas City offensive line is what earns them the nod here, as Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney are rocks inside, although Thuney's status for this game certainly doesn't seem to be good right now. The tackle spots have both been suspect for the Chiefs, as Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith have struggled at times this season, but it isn’t enough to hold them back here.
Trent Williams is the leader of the offensive line for the Niners, but the rest of the unit lacks firepower and consistency. While Williams looks to be the best option of the 10 offensive linemen to choose from, his counterparts hold him back.
Defensive Line: 49ers
This doesn’t feel like much of a close race here, even though the Chiefs do have Chris Jones and a surging George Karlaftis. It just speaks to how good San Francisco has repeatedly built up their defensive line, something that the front office has set out to do on a yearly basis.
Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave, and Chase Young make up the majority of their rotation, with others filling in the gaps. This kind of depth is remarkable and truly unmatched by any other team in the league, giving them an easy win here.
Linebackers: 49ers
Fred Warner is all that needs to be said for why San Francisco has the best linebacker unit in Super Bowl 58, and Dre Greenlaw is a great second option alongside him. With Warner almost certainly holding the title of best linebacker in the NFL, the Niners have thrived with him leading the way on defense.
Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr. are more than serviceable options for Kansas City, with Bolton easily leading the way, but they pale in comparison to what the Niners bring to the table.
Defensive Backs: Chiefs
Even though Charvarious Ward went from the Chiefs to the Niners this past offseason, the Chiefs still have the best group of defensive backs in this game. With Super Bowl 58 expected to be a game pitting two strong offenses against one another, it will be interesting to see how much success the defenses have.
Kansas City boasts the two best corners in this game in L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie. These two options do wonders on the boundary for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, with Mike Edwards doing yeoman’s work in the slot.
The Niners have been suspect in this area all year, as Ambry Thomas has been picked on a ton. Expect Mahomes to look Thomas’ way a lot on Sunday, regardless of who is matched up with him.
Specialists: Chiefs
Harrison Butker has a ton of experience in pressure-cooker situations, and that familiarity with performing in the moment should serve him well in Super Bowl 58. Combine him with Tommy Townsend’s strong punting performance this year, and you have the makings of a solid 1-2 punch.
Rookie kicker Jake Moody has been on and off for San Francisco, which will need to live with the growing pains of the Michigan product on the big stage. Mitch Wishnowsky put together another strong year, but Moody’s inexperience helps the Chiefs get the win at this spot.
Coaching: Chiefs
It is hard to beat Andy Reid’s postseason acumen and record, as he has 22 playoff wins and three Super Bowl rings dating back to his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Combine his offensive knowledge with how Spagnuolo runs the defense, and that pairing is incredibly tough to beat, regular season or postseason.
Kyle Shanahan is a solid coach in his own right, consistently being on the same page as the front office and always knowing how to get the most out of his players. But a newer coaching staff, one that saw former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans depart last offseason, is a bit green still.
Final Tally: Chiefs (6) vs. 49ers (4)
Kansas City earns the overall nod here, having taken six of ten categories. While everyone knows the capabilities of Mahomes and the offense as a whole, this contest likely will come down to game management and how the coaching staff fares in pressure-packed situations.
While the Niners opened as a surprising 2.5-point favorite over Kansas City, this line has shrunk to -1.5 in the days leading up to the game. Anything can happen in a rematch of Super Bowl 54 back in 2020, and while it looks like the Chiefs have more experience in the right places, the Niners have plenty of firepower of their own, which should help make this game a great way to finish the 2023 NFL season.
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