It all comes down to this, the final game of the season with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. This is essentially a rematch of Super Bowl LIV in 2020 where 49ers tight end George Kittle stood on the sideline in the fourth quarter knowing he wasn’t going to win his first Lombardi Trophy.
“I will be back here, and I will be back here with a vengeance,” Kittle said as he stood on the sideline.
Now, he and the 49ers have a chance at redemption against the Chiefs, who are looking to build a dynasty and become one of the greatest franchises in all of NFL history.
Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m.; streaming on CBS)
Scoring prediction: Chiefs –31 49ers – 30
The Niners are coming off a resilient win over the Detroit Lions where they faced a 17-point deficit during the first half. It was the run game of the Niners that got them through, led by running back Christian McCaffery and quarterback Brock Purdy. The run game is what San Francisco will lean on as they should.
The Baltimore Ravens made the mistake of going away from their run game in their AFC Championship game against Kansas City, which is a big reason why the Chiefs are here with another opportunity. The Chiefs’ defense is what got them to the big dance as they held Baltimore to only ten points just two weeks ago.
The Niners come in with a lot to prove especially when it comes to Purdy and if he can get it done in the big moments. If he can make big plays on third down and find his talented skill position players, the 49ers should win. However, it’s hard to bet against quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He is often compared to Tom Brady for a reason, Mahomes seems to always find ways to win games. It’s hard to imagine that Mahomes doesn’t find a way to win. I believe the Chiefs win a close one and Mahomes will be the Super Bowl MVP.
Preston Palm is a third-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
