By Lariat Sports Desk
Whether you’re a football fanatic, a Swiftie or just there for Usher’s halftime show, the stage for the 2024 Super Bowl is set. Here are some of the Lariat Sports Desk’s predictions for the rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Score: Chiefs 24, 49ers 17
MVP: Travis Kelce
Reasoning: Why do people keep counting out the Chiefs? This happens every year, and it gives them a reason to flex and say, “We told you so.” Don’t fall for the bait. The 49ers are loaded on both sides of the ball, but Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes routinely plays at another level at this time of the year.
Plus, do we really expect former Iowa State slinger Brock Purdy to go toe-to-toe with Mahomes on the biggest stage? Purdy may be a beneficiary of an elite system with stellar weapons, but he has to be the one to step up at the end of the day. He played well down the stretch of the NFC Championship game, yet the lights get much brighter for the big game. Don’t let Swift distract you from Mahomes outplaying Purdy, who was labeled “Mr. Irrelevant” for a reason. Also expect a big game from superstar tight end Travis Kelce too, who has become one of the best receiving threats in NFL Playoffs history.
Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Sports Writer
Score: 49ers 31, Chiefs 28
MVP: Christian McCaffrey
Reasoning: The 49ers have been at the top of the NFC standings all season, and I think they’re going into the Super Bowl hungry and eager to win. There are two very prominent storylines going into the Super Bowl, the first being Swift and Kelce. The second storyline is if San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey and head coach Kyle Shanahan can follow their fathers’ footsteps — Ed McCaffrey and Mike Shanahan, respectively — and win a ring.
The 49ers have a well-oiled machine with a great quarterback in Purdy, phenomenal wide receivers such as Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel and a good defense. The Chiefs are coming into this game as the underdogs, but they won’t be able to pull off a win. While the Mahomes and Kelce connection is like no other, it won’t be strong enough against the 49ers. I do think it’ll be a close game. However, San Francisco will definitely be the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Cannon Fritz | Sports Intern
Score: 49ers 27, Chiefs 24
MVP: Christian McCaffrey
Reasoning: This whole season, the 49ers have handled their competition with ease and prominence when the team was fully healthy. With their weapon-heavy offense and ferocious defense, this dominant team was a no-brainer to pick at the start of the year as a Super Bowl favorite.
Purdy has done his job at the highest level, distributing the ball to his playmakers, while McCaffrey and the backfield have done the dirty work on the ground. The defense has been dominant the entire year, and how could it not be, with a defensive line that features four Pro Bowlers and a linebacker core that has a First-Team All-Pro backer with a secondary who led the league in interceptions?
What this team has not faced yet is “Playoff Chiefs.” The scariest team of the last six years has been deemed so for good reason. The Chiefs didn’t dominate the regular season like they usually do with high-flying offense and a good defense. They flipped the script and had a top defense since week one of this year.
But when the playoffs roll around, you can’t even think to forget about Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and his QB, Mahomes. They have found a way to blow through the playoffs in the daunted AFC and make for a formidable opponent this year, maybe even more so than the last time these two teams met for the big game in 2020.
The difference in this game is going to come down to who makes the last stop. The offenses are going to have success throughout, but if the 49ers can find a way to put pressure on Mahomes like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did in their Super Bowl win against the Chiefs, then San Francisco will come out on top.
