Super Bowl LIV Picks

By Jacob Sanders

It’s here. The final game of the NFL season is here. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. If you know me, I love football. I always love the Super Bowl. And yet, this Super Bowl is the one I am most excited for since the Ravens-49ers Super Bowl. Why? Becaus it’s different. This is the first time we get to see a Super Bowl with the new era. Jimmy G. Patrick Mahomes. This is the first time Andy Reid will get his shot at a Super Bowl without having to face Tom Brady or Bill Bellichick. There’s a lot to love about this Super Bowl and I just can’t wait for it.

As usual, Sanders will give a case for each team and 3 reasons why they will win, then make his final prediction. Also, Sanders went 1-1 on Championship Sunday putting him to 168-100-1 on the season.

SF 49ers vs KC Chiefs

A case for the 49ers:

1. Kyle Shanahan’s masterful offensive mind

Yes, it’s hard to debate that anyone is better at scheming an offensive game plan than Shanahan. A few names may pop up, but no one has done it better this season. The way he draws up his running game only to punish a team through the passing game later in the game has proven to be a formula most teams can’t beat. The talk of Jimmy G not having to do anything is nonsense. Kyle Shanahan has realized he doesn’t need to pull out his entire playbook. Why do that when half the playbook is working and has always been working? Make no mistake though. Shanahan will be prepared to pull out all the stops for the Super Bowl. It’s the final game so the entire playbook will be available to use. Shouldn’t that scare anyone knowing that we haven’t seen everything he has?

2. San Francisco’s plethora of skill position players

How ridiculous is it that you can argue several different players taking the MVP if the 49ers win? You could argue Richard Sherman, George Kittle, Jimmy G, Nick Bosa, Emmanuel Sanders, etc., could all take the MVP home if the 49ers win. This speaks to how full the cupboard is from top to bottom thanks to John Lynch’s savvy as a GM. Arguably no one has been better the last couple years at drafting for his team than John Lynch has. Put in the fact that he also traded for Emmanuel Sanders and lured in a veteran like Sherman, and you see that he has a brilliant mind for all phases of team building. It’s now resulted in a youthful Super Bowl roster that carries grit, energy, and veteran leadership. It’s the perfect combination to win a Super Bowl.

3. The 49ers monstrous defensive line

It’s not hyperbole to argue that the 49ers defensive line may be the best in the NFL. Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, and DeForest Buckner are all household names. Here’s something you may not have known. When all four line up on the field, they have allowed a QBR of 0.7. For those who don’t know, a perfect rating is 158.3 and the worst possible rating is 0.0. In other words, when all four lineup together, nothing gets done offensively. It’s impossible to describe just how crazy that is and how insane that must be for an offensive line to deal with, no matter who that offensive line may be. If you ask me, the 49ers greatest strength lies within the trenches. If they can win that battle defensively, the 49ers may be hoisting another Lombardi trophy.

A case for the Chiefs:

1. Andy Reid’s offensive savvy

Just several lines above, I mentioned that it’s hard to argue anyone matching Kyle Shanahan’s offense. It just so happens that one of the few coaches who can outmatch Shanahan is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid has been in this game for years and is still at the top when it comes to offensive game planning. If there is anyone who wants to come into a Super Bowl and try to blow the doors off the 49ers defense, then this is the play caller for the job. Andy Reid can get it done. With Patrick Mahomes as his queen chess-piece, Reid has shown that the entire field is the red zone if  you call the right play.

2. The speed, aggressiveness, and agility of the Kansas City Chiefs

When we talk speed on the Chiefs, we are mostly referring to Damian Williams, Tyreek Hill, or Mecole Hardman. But how about the fact that Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark can appear anywhere on the field defensively. This Chief’s team is arguably the fastest team in the NFL. Their ability to spread the field wide or cover the field wide is arguably their greatest team strength. It’s hard to cover several receivers when all of them have the potential to blow the top off of your defensive coverage. Or how about the fact that the second a running back gets the ball on a screen or run play, Mathieu is there to blow up the play from the secondary. There’s a key difference between the 49ers and Chiefs here. The 49ers are surgical doctors. The Chiefs are athletes at a track meet with blinding speed. That blinding speed can make a huge difference.

3. Patrick Mahomes

I’ve thought this through many times before declaring it on a post. But Patrick Mahomes is currently the best quarterback in the NFL. No one is better at playing their own game than Patrick Mahomes and that’s no disrespect to the likes of Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, or Russell Wilson. It’s just that Mahomes is on another level than everyone. From across-the-chest plays, to left-handed throws, to no-look throws, to majestical touchdown runs, Patrick Mahomes has done just about everything you can think of on the field. Patrick Mahomes has become must-watch television not because he is a one-man show, but because he has the ability to turn around the pace of a game in just one play. No other QB is showing a comfort level in their offense the way Mahomes is. In a game that’s at the level of the Super Bowl, this type of comfort, moxxy, and playmaking is usually the difference-maker in what decides the game.

Final Prediction:

I have not had this much trouble picking a Super Bowl winner since the Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers Super Bowl. It’s hard to predict the outcome of the biggest game in the NFL when both teams are deserving to win and both teams make compelling cases. But here’s my best aim at making a shot into the dark.

In the past six Super Bowls, I have picked the favorite to win the Super Bowl 4 of 6 times. I am 3-1 picking the favorite and 2-0 when picking the underdog. When you look at this game, it’s hard to call either team a favorite or an underdog. Being the amateur writer that I am, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you who the real favorite or real underdog. What I will tell you, is that I believe one team has a higher consistent level of play than the other. Let’s examine the Chiefs. At 12-4 the Chiefs have been impressive this season, but they are a team that hasn’t reached their ceiling very often this year. When they do reach their ceiling, they blow the doors off their opponent and the game isn’t even remotely class. The Chiefs are a team ready strike you with blow after blow and that’s how they win. Compare that to the 49ers who have played many more close games than the Chiefs have. However, the 49ers have been more dominant in the sense that once they take a lead, they rarely give it up. The 49ers have won every single way possible this season from shutout, to teeth-clenchers, to shootouts. If you ask me, the 49ers are consistently playing near their ceiling. With that being said, here’s my final take, and my prediction.

The 49ers are by far the most consistent team in terms of controlling a game, scoring, and winning. However, the Chiefs have a much higher ceiling than the 49ers do. Theoretically, if the Chiefs and 49ers both play to maximum potential, the Chiefs should take the Lombardi trophy home. That being said, I’m concerned that the Chiefs will start slow like they have their last two playoff games and by the time they find their ceiling, it could be too late. The Chiefs win when they score a ton but the 49ers have already proved they can win a shootout too. If the Chiefs come out the gate slow, it could be real trouble for them. All this being said, I’ll take the team who has more consistency and variance in winning. So, I’ve got the 49ers winning it here. And I expect it to be one hell of a game.

49ers 38 Chiefs 35