Sunday, January 26, 2020

2019-20 NFL Playoff Predictions (Part 4 - Super Bowl)


This is it. The last showdown. The final battle. The duel of the fates. The Super Bowl. Many battles have been won and lost this season, but the war will be won and lost in Miami. Only two teams remain, and they will face off in Miami for Super Bowl LIV: 

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers 


Finally, a Super Bowl without New England.

The story of Super Bowl LIV is one of droughts. The Chiefs last won the Super Bowl in 1970, when they won Super Bowl IV over the Minnesota Vikings. This victory remains the Chiefs’ only Super Bowl title, having failed to reach the big game in half a century – until now.

The 49ers, meanwhile, have a drought of their own: they have five Super Bowl titles to their name, but total victory has been absent for twenty-five years. Before 2020, they last played for the Super Bowl in 2013, when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII – this was the also the first time the 49ers lost a Super Bowl game.

One drought will end while the other will endure. But who will lift the Lombardi Trophy? Let’s look at each team.

How the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl
The Chiefs finished 12-4 at second in the AFC thanks to the last-minute intervention of the Miami Dolphins. A slew of injuries plagued the Chiefs through the middle of the season, resulting in the team dropping four of their six games between Weeks 5 and 10. After that struggle, the Chiefs finished the season with a six-game winning streak and rode the momentum straight into the playoffs.

The Divisional game’s first quarter was apocalyptic for the Chiefs, and even that is an understatement. Every conceivable thing that could have gone wrong went wrong, plunging the team into a 24-0 hole against the Houston Texans. Patrick Mahomes simply shrugged, accepted the challenged, and led the Chiefs’ offense to score 41 points unanswered, demolishing the Texans 51-31.

The AFC Championship was nowhere near as bad for the Chiefs, but the team still fell behind 17-7 against the Tennessee Titans. Patrick Mahomes didn’t break a sweat and led the Chiefs’ offense again to score 28 points unanswered, toppling the Titans 35-24. The Arrowhead Curse is truly dead.

How the Chiefs can win the Super Bowl
The Chiefs have waited fifty years for this moment, and they will not let this opportunity slip away so easily. Patrick Mahomes is the key to any Chiefs victory; he is the juggernaut who shreds defenses and scores touchdown after touchdown. The offense needs to break through the 49ers’ iron wall and score touchdowns on every drive; the Chiefs must continue to build on the momentum they've developed since the second quarter of the AFC Divisional game. The more pressing question is whether the Chiefs’ defense can withstand the 49ers’ relentless attacks on the ground and in the air; the defense will face their toughest test on this day.

How the 49ers reached the Super Bowl
The 49ers finished 13-3 at first in the NFC, a remarkable rebound after a 4-12 season last year. Aside from a trio of losses in the regular season, the 49ers have dominated the NFC. When the 49ers did lose, it was never by more than one score. Through a superbly balanced offense and defense, the 49ers used their strength to overrun the Minnesota Vikings 27-10 in the Divisional round before demolishing the Green Bay Packers 37-20 in the NFC Championship. Twenty-five years of disappointment is enough for San Francisco; they want the Lombardi Trophy and tie the record for most Super Bowls – six – held by the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How the 49ers can win the Super Bowl
The 49ers defense needs to swarm Mahomes before he can unleash his power. Neutralize Mahomes quickly and the 49ers will instantly become the favorites to win the game. Once Mahomes is off the field, the 49ers need to use every weapon at their disposal to overcome the Chiefs’ defense. The rushing attack is clearly the 49ers’ main weapon, so Raheem Mostert need only unleash the same relentless attack as he did against the Packers. Even if the rushing attack encounters issues, the 49ers can easily fall back on their passing attack. No room for errors, however; an interception or turnover could swing the momentum back in the Chiefs’ favor. The 49ers need to continue their dominant play if they hope to win in Miami.

FINAL PREDICTION


This will be a high-scoring affair, a stark contrast from last year’s insomnia-curing Super Bowl LIII. The 49ers’ combined attacks from the ground and the air will overwhelm the Chiefs’ defense, but Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense will unleash every attack possible to prevent this game from becoming a lopsided affair. This will truly be a ferocious battle, and only one will survive.

And it will be San Francisco.

49ers win, 49-45

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