The Sports Staff shared what team they think will win the Super Bowl: the San Francisco 49ers or the Kansas City Chiefs.
Zaria Flippin (Head Sports Editor): San Francisco 49ers
I believe the 49ers will win the Super Bowl. I love a good underdog story, and 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy has the ability to finish what would be one of the best stories in the NFL.
Another factor on how the 49ers will win is running back Christian McCaffrey. The guy is a weapon on his feet, and he has proven how he can impact any team he is on.
McCaffrey will be the game changer for the 49ers and their running game. I can’t name a game this season that McCaffrey recorded a bad game in, and I truly believe that McCaffrey would be my MVP this season.
Another valuable weapon for the 49ers that can cause some trouble for Kansas City’s defense is fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Juszczyk has the ability to change the game in such a sly and sneaky way. Most NFL fans don’t know how talented Juszczyk truly is, and I think he has the potential to be a big factor in the 49er’s win.
I can talk about how this offense is one of if not the best offense in the National Football Conference, but this offense and this defense have the best chance to stop Kansas City in their tracks.
Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner: that’s all I have to say.
Niners all the way, along with Kristin Juszczyk (Kyle Juszczyk’s wife) and Olivia Culpo (Christian McCaffrey’s fiancée)!
Luther Yoder (Assistant Sports Editor): San Francisco 49ers
I think that the 49ers are going to win the Super Bowl because they are the better team.
On offense, it’s more obvious that the 49ers are better than the Chiefs. They have four excellent weapons in tight end George Kittle, running back McCaffrey and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. They also have a pretty good offensive line anchored by left tackle Trent Williams.
Their quarterback Purdy may not be as good as Patrick Mahomes, but he has been good enough to be able to get these guys the ball and create on his own if he needs to.
The Chiefs on offense can’t hold up to the weapons that the 49ers have. What the Chiefs don’t have in weapons they make up for in their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has the ability to create that nobody else in the league does, but I think the defense of the 49ers and the lack of weapons on the Chiefs will hold him back too much.
The defenses of these teams are a lot more even. The Chiefs have a well-rounded defense, with a big name like defensive tackle Chris Jones and some smaller ones in defensive back L’Jarius Sneed and linebacker Nick Bolton. Their defense is also coached by one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, Steve Spagnuolo. The defense has also proven itself, holding the Buffalo Bills to 24 points and the Baltimore Ravens to 10 points in their last two playoff games.
The 49ers defense has a lot of big names with linebackers Warner and Dre Greenlaw and defensive end Bosa. I think that they are not as good in the secondary as the Chiefs. That could be a problem against multiple good wide receivers, but since the Chiefs only have one or two, I don’t think that it will be a problem.
Patrick Schmitz (Sports Reporter): Kansas City Chiefs
This year’s Super Bowl is between two teams that most people did not want to be in it.
Even with that, these are the two best teams in the NFL this year in the playoffs. That said, the best team in the playoffs is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Behind that monster offense of quarterback Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Rashee Rice, the Chiefs will plow their way to victory over the 49ers.
The 49ers have a good defense and have been able to do enough offensively even with the extremely overrated quarterback that is Purdy.
However, that all comes to an end when the 49ers face the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been rolling in the playoffs and wide receiver Kadarius Toney might not play. With this possibility, this would give the Chiefs a boost, as they have won every game he has not played in.
The Chiefs have momentum and will be rolling after they beat the Ravens.
Kelce has a lot to play for, as his girlfriend Taylor Swift will be rushing from Tokyo to see Kelce play. Kelce has been a monster in playoffs and will continue to dominate against the 49ers. Overall, the Chiefs have more to play for. They will be trying to prove how good they are. So, the Chiefs will be your Super Bowl champions.
Gabe Newman (Sports Reporter): Kansas City Chiefs
If you would’ve told me a month ago that these two teams were the ones that were going to the Super Bowl and asked me to pick a winner, I would’ve said San Francisco without hesitation.
Kansas City looked broken, slamming helmets on the sidelines and pointing fingers at teammates while their receivers couldn’t catch a common cold let alone a football.
However, fast forward to today and the Chiefs seem to be a completely different football team. The offense, while still not as prolific as the offense of years past, is a lot more efficient now and seems like they’re all on the same page.
On the same token, the 49ers offense has been a juggernaut all season with talent all over the place. I was a little shocked when they made the decision to go with Purdy as their quarterback especially given the draft capital they invested in Trey Lance and what Jimmy Garoppolo had previously done for them, but it seems like they made the right choice.
I believe the winner of this game is going to come down to who has the better defense, as these two teams play a relatively mistake-free brand of football.
I think the Chiefs defense has the hotter hand right now, and while I expect this game to be a close one, I think the champions defend their title with the big game experience that they have and win the Super Bowl by a score of 38-28.
Payton Liggins (Sports Reporter): Kansas City Chiefs
Before I go ranting, let me just say I wasn’t hoping for this Super Bowl just like the next person.
I was wishing for the Detroit Lions vs. Chiefs, only because I’m a Kelce stan. But if we are talking the real deal, I have all bets on the Chiefs.
I would have to give it to them. Even though they won last year, I wouldn’t mind seeing it happen again.
Both the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs are excellent NFL teams with their own unique strengths.
Both teams have had an impressive season, and it will be exciting to see them face-off on the biggest stage in the sport. The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league, led by their dominant defensive line.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have a high-powered offense, led by quarterback Mahomes and his arsenal of talented receivers.
I feel like this year Isiah Pacheco really stepped up and helped the team with running yards and touchdowns. I’m not a big Chiefs fan, but comparing this year and last year, the team has gotten closer and formed a good, dynamic team.
It’s difficult to predict the outcome of such a closely contested game, but it’s sure to be a thrilling matchup. Ultimately, the team that executes their game plan with precision, makes fewer mistakes and capitalizes on their opportunities will likely come out on top.
Maurice Phipps (Sports Reporter): San Francisco 49ers
The Chiefs and Niners in the Super Bowl is a matchup that we saw four years ago, and, since then, both teams have undergone significant changes.
For this matchup though, I believe the outcome will be different.
This Chiefs team is obviously good, but they’re not unbeatable, and in my opinion, the Chiefs have found themselves walking into the Super Bowl as the ‘on-paper’ inferior team.
For the first time in Mahomes’ career as a starter, the defense is the best part of this team. That’s not to say the Chiefs offense is bad, but Mahomes isn’t slinging in the high-powered offense we’re used to seeing, and his targets have left a lot to be desired for this season.
McCaffrey is the best running back in football, they have All-Pros on both sides of the football and Mr. Irrelevant himself, Purdy.
Years previous, it’s seemed like the Niners were just a serviceable quarterback away from winning a Super Bowl. Well, Purdy is more than serviceable.
Speaking as someone who came into the season believing he was a product of the talent around him, Purdy is good enough to win them this game – although I don’t think he’ll have to.
I think the Niners will lean on McCaffrey heavily to gash through the Chiefs exploitable run defense. If it’s a defensive game, the Niners have the playmakers to deal with a stifling defensive effort.
Prediction: Niners beat the Chiefs 31-17, Christian McCaffrey Super Bowl MVP.
Cameron Thomas (Sports Reporter): Kansas City Chiefs
It has been tough for me to decide who I think is going to win the Super Bowl. Ultimately, I am going to have to go with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Even with how dynamic the San Francisco 49ers are on the offensive ball with the ability to run the ball with McCaffrey and being explosive through the air with tight end Kittle and wide receivers Aiyuk and Samuel, it does not matter when you look at what Kansas City’s quarterback Mahomes can do.
Mahomes came back from double-digit leads and had to make a game winning drive in thirteen seconds.
I originally had the Chiefs losing to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, and I was wrong. At that point, I kind of figured they would be in this position.
For the Chiefs, their receiving core has not been great all year, but they have flipped the switch at the right time and are making plays. They can also run the ball with Pacheco, which the 49ers have had trouble stopping this postseason.
I think the run game will open everything else for the Chiefs offense. Now, if we look on the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs have been a top tier defense all year and ranked fourth in passing defense and struggle to stop the run. However, I think they will stop the run game and make Purdy beat them for four full quarters.
Chiefs 26-20
Chloe Proffitt (Sports Reporter): Kansas City Chiefs
This will be the second time the Kansas City Chiefs and San Fransisco 49ers have met at the Super Bowl, as the Chiefs overtook the 49ers in 2020 31-20.
The Chiefs also won last year, and, in my opinion, the Chiefs have the best chance at winning the 2024 Super Bowl.
The past few playoff games, the 49ers game has not been the strongest.
The Chiefs defense has been tight, as they are helped by cornerbacks such as Sneed and Trent McDuffie, plus safety Justin Reid, who have all combined for 15 tackles for loss and 27 pass deflections.
Kansas City is also ranked second in defensive yards along with points allowed. Both teams play fast, and Kansas City’s tight end Kelce will be quarterback Mahomes’ go-to man.
Kelce has the most catches in NFL playoff history, recorded 984 receiving yards. Mahomes as quarterback will continue to be an advantage towards the Chiefs.
He is a two time NFL MVP. This season alone he has thrown for 4,183 yards.
The Chiefs will take the back to back Super Bowl win. Andy Reid, the Chiefs head coach, has proved he can coach his team to win.
Since being the Chiefs’ coach, Reid has led the Chiefs to double-digit wins in 10 of his 11 seasons along with eight straight conference wins. This puts the Chiefs at another advantage over the 49ers.
Aidan Cusack (Sports Reporter): America
Super Bowl Sunday is now on the horizon. One team will remain atop the NFL after Sunday night, a game deciding the fate of two juggernaut franchises.
I could summarize the storied histories of these two teams, but that is irrelevant to this article. I think the real champion of the big game will be neither the 49ers nor the Chiefs.
No, the true winner of Sundays matchup will be America.
The 49ers will win, no doubt, but this win is not for them. This win will be for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Ravens, the Miami Dolphins and the Bills.
The 49ers will win for the Denver Broncos and the rest of the AFC West, even the AFC as a whole.
Yes, indeed any team that has been held under the larger than average thumb of Andy Reid and the Chiefs will win the Super Bowl on Sunday. Their win will just be through the means of the San Fransisco 49ers.
It is borderline unpatriotic to root for the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as an offense to the beautiful game.
All jokes aside, I feel the game will be close. San Fransisco fans know that their team has not been playing to their standards set in the regular season. A battered and bruised offense coupled with a tired defense has led to many tough games.
The Chiefs will have a chance, in fact they will probably have the lead for most of the game. Yet, if I have learned anything from watching the NFL in the past five years, it is to trust in Shanahan. When he has a healthy(ish) roster, he is an unstoppable force. I suppose the question is if Andy Reid is really an immovable object.
I believe 49ers will win, and with this win, the nation will win. One nation. Under Shanahan. With Liberty and Juszczyk for all (except the Chiefs of course).
The Sports Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
