Tonight, at 6:30 p.m., the final game of the 2019-2020 NFL season will commence in Miami. The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the San Francisco 49ers for what should be an intriguing matchup. Let’s preview the game, some storylines, make a pick, and also throw in a few bold predictions. Here we go.
Game Preview
AFC Champions: Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
At the beginning of the season, everyone has an idea of who they think will win MVP, who has a shot at winning each division, and of course, who will go to and win the Super Bowl?
When the Ravens started going on their run, many analysts and fans hopped on the Lamar Jackson train and figured they would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Other people believed that the ageless wonder Tom Brady would make another run back to try and win his seventh title. That was quickly dispelled though by Derrick Henry and the Titans as they beat both teams.
What a lot of people didn’t predict was that Andy Reid was going to lead the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl to try and win for the first time since 1970. Granted, many Kansas City fans and some outside predictors got this right, but it was hard to guess how the team would rebound after coming so close a year before.
That being said, the team got hot at the right time, winning six games in a row before the playoffs started. Reid and quarterback Pat Mahomes have elevated this franchise to new heights in recent years and a big factor of that has been the play on offense.
A Lethal Offense
The Chiefs have had consistently one of the top offenses in the league for the past few seasons. In 2019, they were fifth in the NFL averaging 28.2 points per game and sixth in yards per game with 379.2. A main reason for that has been quarterback Pat Mahomes and the deadly weapons around him.
Mahomes, who won the MVP last year, is having yet another solid season. The players at his disposal are certainly dynamic as they include play-makers like Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Travis Kelce. What Mahomes has been able to do with his receivers and tight end this season has been impressive, especially as of late. During the playoffs, Mahomes has 615 passing yards and eight touchdowns in just two games.
The Chiefs organization has believed that this kid would be exceptional from day one. As a result, Mahomes was the first quarterback selected in the first round by the Chiefs in the 2017 draft since they took Todd Blackledge with the seventh overall pick in 1983. Only in his third year out of Texas Tech, Mahomes has certainly turned out to be the special player that the Chiefs hoped he would be.
The Quest for Glory
Andy Reid has not had too much success in the playoffs during his coaching career. He has a 14-14 record and has only made it to the Super Bowl one other time during his tenure. That was in the 2004-2005 season when he was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles fell to Brady and the Patriots by a score of 24-21. Since then “Big Red” has cultivated many competitive teams that have had chances to win. He’s racked up awards and accolades along the way as he’s won 207 games in his 21 years as an NFL coach (130 with the Eagles, and 77 with the Chiefs), but he’s still yet to get his hands on the elusive Lombardi Trophy. This will certainly be the best chance in years for Reid and the Chiefs to break both of their title droughts.
NFC Champions: San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
The NFC was a different story than the AFC this year. It was a deep conference with lots of the title contenders who all had a shot at winning the league.
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers were 4-12. In the eyes of GM John Lynch, this team had potential to be successful in the future. What people didn't expect was for that success to occur so quickly.
Third year head coach Kyle Shanahan found the right combination of guys to put out onto the field as the Niners won their first eight games to start the season. Shanahan is only the third coach in NFL history along with Tom Landry and Marvin Lewis to start 8-0 after an earlier 0-8 season start in 2017. To say this team was trending in the right direction was an understatement.
The Niners quietly earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and having that home-field advantage was vital to their success in the playoffs.
In the divisional round, the Niners easily handled the Vikings by a score of 27-10, but then had to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for a chance to go to Miami. This game would have been definitely more difficult if it was in cold and windy Green Bay, but it wasn’t. San Fran had the advantage and like they’ve done all season, they capitalized off of it and beat Rodgers 37-20.
The 49ers are now back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, also known as the "Blackout" Super Bowl that took place in 2012 when the Harbaugh brothers battled it out for the title. Certainly, Niners fans want to forget that game, and beating the Chiefs would help that memory fade.
The combination of the Niners skilled and experienced defense and the play of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been integral in leading to a dominant run. In his first full season under center, Garoppolo has had solid numbers but the thing that sticks out most is his ability to be efficient in completing passes. Garopplo has a 69.1 completion percentage which was tied for fourth best in the league and was a big reason why the offense has been effective all season long.
Before coming to the Bay Area, Garoppolo was the understudy to Tom Brady for the Patriots. Many fans in New England believed that "Jimmy G" would be the next great Patriot quarterback, but that notion was dispelled in the 2017-2018 season when he was traded for a second-round pick. Now the spotlight is on Garoppolo to see if he can prove that he's worth much more than that.
Defense Wins Championships
The defense is the strength of this team. A pair of young linebackers in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw have made a lot of impact in a short amount of time. The combined for 151 solo tackles, three forced fumbles, four sacks, two interceptions in the regular season.
Cornerback Richard Sherman anchors an experienced secondary to pair with the linebacker play. This will be Sherman's third Super Bowl of his career as he previously went to two with the Seahawks. Sherman brings the knowledge and experience that is vital for this game.
Lastly, a solid defensive line is headlined by a rookie. Nick Bosa, the 22-year-old second overall pick out of Ohio State has lived up to the hype. Just recently, Bosa was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his numbers certainly justify him getting that accolade. In the regular season, Bosa had 16 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, and an interception. Look for the former Buckeye to be causing problems all night for Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes as he'll be in the backfield consistently.
Picks
Hopefully this is a more entertaining game than last year’s 13-3 barn burner between the Patriots and Rams. A key talking point will be the Chiefs weapons on offense versus an impressive and talented 49ers defense. That’s why this game may be a closer score than people think as the 49ers still are not getting the credit they deserve.
That being said, I do like the Chiefs in this one. Again, this will be a close game that will go wire to wire. Pat Mahomes may have to lead a fourth quarter drive against a stingy Niners defense in order to win.
Pick: Chiefs 28, 49ers 24
Bold Predictions
1. I’m in the mood for being "bold" as the title says, so I’ll say that Pat Mahomes has all four of the team’s touchdowns. Three in the air and one on the ground.
2. Richard Sherman “the best corner in the game” will have at least one interception.
3. A field goal will be missed or blocked.
4. There will be at least three total turnovers.
Let’s see how many of those I get wrong, but when you’re making bold predictions, you've got to have faith because you never know what could happen on the NFL’s biggest and brightest stage.
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