With just days remaining until Super Bowl 58, the NFL season is poised to conclude with the final two teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
The Chiefs have found themselves in Las Vegas in a rather unconventional manner compared to their previous trips to the Super Bowl. Kansas City had to navigate through the NFL playoffs as the third seed in the AFC, which meant they only had one guaranteed home game. After handling business at Arrowhead against the Miami Dolphins, they left their home field behind and had to hit the road for the first time with Patrick Mahomes under center.
Allen and the Buffalo Bills were upset once again, putting Mahomes and the Chiefs in their sixth consecutive AFC Championship Game. It was yet another road game, this time against an even more challenging opponent in the Baltimore Ravens, who boasted a top-10 total offense and defense. But once again, the Chiefs silenced the doubters and secured their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance and their fourth in five years.
Many believed that going on the road was perhaps the Chiefs' greatest obstacle to overcome on their journey to Super Bowl 58. However, that ultimately seemed to be no challenge for last year's champions, and it shouldn't be at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, given it's a neutral site game, even if the Chiefs are considered the home team.
However, making the Super Bowl presents its own unique set of obstacles, even for a team like the Chiefs with a wealth of experience in the big game. So, what are the Chiefs' obstacles for Super Bowl 58?
Patrick Mahomes' Super Bowl woes
Wait, what? The two-time Super Bowl MVP and champion has Super Bowl woes? In fact, he does. As good as Mahomes is during the regular season and the postseason, when he and the Chiefs get to the Super Bowl, that's typically when he's at his worst statistically, according to StatMuse.
Maybe you can blame that on youth in his previous games, even though he won in his first appearance when he was just 24-years-old. But in his first two Super Bowl games, he threw two interceptions apiece, with the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seeing him not throw a single touchdown pass. Also, in that game, he had a passer rating of 52.3, one of the lowest of his career. Then, last year against the Philadelphia Eagles, he threw for under 200 yards.
But as we know, it's in the fourth quarter that Mahomes has shined, leading late comebacks that have given the Chiefs victories over the 49ers and the Eagles. What can we expect from Mahomes in Super Bowl 58?
Travis Kelce versus the 49ers' defense
The 49ers, and most likely their impressive linebacking corps, made them one of the better teams in the league against tight ends, according to Pro-Football-Reference. They only allowed three touchdowns during the regular season, yet they were around the middle of the pack in receptions (88) and receiving yards (827).
However, in their two postseason games thus far, they have given up a touchdown off seven receptions and 27 yards against the Packers' Tucker Kraft, and 10 receptions for 105 yards to Lions' rookie Sam LaPorta in the NFC Championship Game. LaPorta's double-digit receptions and triple-digit yardage were only the second time the 49ers allowed such in the entire season (they were eight yards shy of that feat against the Vikings).
Kelce, who struggled throughout the regular season, has since turned it on game by game in the postseason, having his best against the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. He caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. This will be a battle to watch out for in Super Bowl 58.
Chiefs wide receivers and offensive line maintaining impressive postseason play
What had many questioning the Chiefs' ability to get back to the Super Bowl was their receiving corps and offensive line, both of which had major struggles during the 2023 regular season. The Chiefs' receivers had 44 drops, while the offensive line gave up 28 sacks. So far, in the postseason, Chiefs receivers have only five drops, and Mahomes has been sacked just twice, those of which didn't come until late in the fourth quarter against the Ravens in the AFC title game.
The 49ers ranked seventh-best in defensive sacks in the league with 48. They also rank ninth in forced opponent incompletions per game with 12.6.
Repeating as Super Bowl Champions
As many times as they've been there by now, you'd think it's just another game for Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, and Mahomes, who will have been a part of all four of the Chiefs' Super Bowl trips in the past five years come Sunday. But now they have the opportunity to do something that hasn't been done in 18 years: repeating as Super Bowl champions.
That has to be a goal for this team, one that will be a huge part of their legacy when this dynasty is talked about years from now. It would also clearly signify their replacement of the New England Patriots as the new dynasty of the league, given that they were the last franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowls. If the Chiefs can pull it off, they would be in an elite group where only seven other teams have accomplished such a feat. It's crazy to say but when you're this good for this long, repeating as champions is one of your obstacles.
Not overlooking Brock Purdy
As the league is still figuring out who and what the 49ers' quarterback Brock Purdy can and can't do, he shouldn't be overlooked. Purdy is 21-4 during his career, which includes the postseason that now has two NFC title games added to it, with a Super Bowl appearance incoming. He has thrown 44 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. You can argue he's a game manager or not, that he is producing all thanks to a system and talent that's provided to him. But none of that will matter if he beats the Chiefs on Sunday.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has so far been brilliant during the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see what he has in store for Purdy come Super Bowl Sunday.
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