The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl after defeating the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship.
It all comes down to this.
The No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs and No. 1 San Francisco 49ers both punched their tickets to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on championship weekend.
But seeds and records no longer matter. It's all about doing everything possible to win this one game.
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It's a Super Bowl matchup most recently played in Super Bowl LIV in 2020, with Patrick Mahomes and Co. triumphing 31-20. However, the quarterback battle will be different this time with Brock Purdy under center for San Francisco instead of Jimmy Garoppolo.
So, which team could come out on top? Let's dig into it by analyzing each teams' matchups on offense, defense and special teams:
Chiefs' offense versus 49ers' defense
The Chiefs are led by the superstar duo of QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce. It wasn't the greatest regular season for them and the unit, but the best players come alive when it matters most. Mahomes and Kelce are the epitome of that. Beyond them, running back Isiah Pacheco keeps improving after being a seventh-round pick in 2022. His running style may be awkward, but its uniqueness can make it difficult to tackle him.
NFL
Kansas City's rushing offense ranked in the bottom 10 in multiple important categories while the passing offense is around the top 10. But Mahomes is the best in the league at evading pressure and extending plays, despite working with a receiving core led by second-round rookie Rashee Rice.
Defensively for San Francisco, teams didn't rush on it as much because of game state. The 49ers usually led comfortably, so teams needed to pass more. But in recent weeks, the 49ers' rush defense has fallen off a cliff and they nearly allowed Detroit to accumulate 200 yards on the ground. Teams attack Chase Young on the edge, while Nick Bosa is the only consistent pass rusher. The secondary is led by former Kansas City cornerback Charvarius Ward, with Deommodore Lenoir and Ambry Thomas inconsistent. Linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw will be vital in setting the tone.
If the 49ers play like they did versus Detroit and Green Bay, the advantage easily goes toward Mahomes and Co. to take care of business. 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has a gigantic test ahead.
49ers' offense versus Chiefs' defense
San Francisco's offense has simply been elite all season. Except for one four-pick game by Purdy against the Baltimore Ravens (three deflected ones), they've usually had little trouble moving the ball. The 49ers ranked No. 1 in yards per game, yards per play, touchdowns per game and yards per pass, among other statistics. Purdy has a wealth of offensive weapons, such as Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. The offensive line, though, is quite suspect.
McCaffrey led the league in rushing yards and is a top-five MVP candidate for a reason. As much as Purdy gets credit for getting the job done, he has received tremendous help in the backfield from the Stanford product.
Kansas City's defense ranks first in sack percentage, second in points allowed per game and third in touchdowns allowed per game, among other high rankings. It has been an underrated unit throughout the year boasting DT Chris Jones, DE George Karlaftis, CB L'Jarius Sneed and S Justin Reid. They kept Lamar Jackson in check, but he didn't possess the same weapons as Purdy. It'll be up to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to keep Kyle Shanahan's play calling at bay, something the 49ers head coach can be caught at.
Special teams differences
This game could very well come down to a game-winning kick or other field goals throughout the game. At kicker, the Chiefs deploy 28-year-old Harrison Butker, one of the best in the business. Butker hit 33 of 35 field goals (94.3%) and made all 38 PATs. In the postseason, he's 6 of 6 overall and 5 of 5 on PATs.
It's a little different for San Francisco, who calls upon third-round rookie Jake Moody. The polarizing Michigan product has hit 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and 60 of 61 PATs. In the postseason, he's 3 of 5 overall and 7 of 7 on PATs. He's missed kicks in each of the 49ers' first two playoff games.
The two punters are Mitch Wishnowsky for San Francisco and Tommy Townsend for Kansas City, two solid booters of the ball.
The returners are usually Ray-Ray McCloud III for San Francisco and former 49er Richie James for Kansas City, though none have made a significant impact on that front.
Final verdict
The only real significant difference boils down to the two kickers, otherwise both teams have advantages on each side of the ball that could swing the game. But it's also difficult to bet against Mahomes in a playoff setting, especially in the Super Bowl where only Tom Brady conquered the mini GOAT. It'll take a near-flawless 60-minute performance from the 49ers to come out on top. Let's see if Shanahan, Purdy and the defense are up to it.
