NFL 100: A Spotlight
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in their history. Their matchups have been relatively high scoring. At one point the Chiefs would hang 44 points on the 49ers in a 44-9 game in 1997 while the 49ers put up 31 points in a 31-3 game in 1985. None of the previous 13 meetings will match up to the 1994 game that was a revenge game beyond all revenge games.
In 1993, the 49ers traded Joe Montana to the Chiefs. Montana had led the 49ers to 4 Super Bowl wins while compiling great stats for the 49ers. I certainly believed that Joe Montana looked forward to the Week 2 match up in the 1994 season against his old team.
Steve Young was brought to San Francisco in 1987. The quarterback would be in Montana's shadow during the 49ers Super Bowl wins in 1988 and 1989. Montana would suffer a season ending injury in 1991, Steve Young would take the reins from Montana. He would have his chance at last. He wouldn't lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl win however.
By 1992, Young had competition. Steve Bono was on the roster and Montana's season ending injury in 1991 was close to recovery. Young would play the most of the season except for the last game where Montana led the 49ers to victory against the Detroit Lions. It would be Montana's last game as a 49er.
In 1993, the rift between Montana and Young grew as teammates began to take sides. Some for Montana, some for Young. Young didn't want to return as a backup and many felt that Montana was the face of the franchise. Ultimately, Joe Montana made the ultimate sacrifice, he requested a trade.
The Week 2 match up in the 1994 season was unlike any other in NFL history. There had been revenge games before. One example that comes to mind was Super Bowl XII where the Dallas Cowboys had traded starter Craig Morton to the Giants, and then Morton was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in that game. Ultimately, Morton's successor, Roger Staubach, and his old team would hand him a rousing defeat. Nothing really like two future hall of fame quarterbacks who played for the same team, duking it out on opposing sides.
In the end, the Chiefs would win the game by the score of 24-17. Steve Young was roughed up by the Chiefs defense, as he was sacked four times in the game. The 49ers would recover from the loss and would finish the season with a 13-3 record. They would beat the Bears in the Divisional playoff and exacted some revenge on the Dallas Cowboys, who had beaten the 49ers in the 1992 and 1993 NFC Championship Games. Young and the 49ers humbled the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Steve Young had finally gotten the shadow of Joe Montana off his back as he led the 49ers to a championship.
The 1994 Chiefs was somewhat of a direct contrast. After winning their first three games, the Chiefs would finish the season with a 9-7 record. The Chiefs would make the playoffs and put up a decent effort against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card game. Montana threw for 314 yards with two touchdowns but ultimately lost the game 27-17 in what would be Joe Montana's last game.
In general, the Week 2 match up between the two teams didn't mean much in the end. Both quarterbacks had reached their respective conference championship games in 1993. Young was humbled against the Dallas Cowboys on the road and Montana would get crushed against the Buffalo Bills in the Bills 4th straight trip to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIV!
So I'll be doing this sort of like what I did last year. I'll do topics on keys to victory, the tv broadcaster, how the two teams got here, the all-time series, and finally my pick to who will win. Let's get started.
TV Broadcaster:
Super Bowl LIV will be played on February 2nd, 2020. The United States TV broadcaster for the game will be FOX. This will be FOX's 9th Super Bowl telecast since becoming the NFC package holder prior to the 1994 season. Calling the game will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. The duo will be calling their sixth Super Bowl together. Their first Super Bowl assignment was back in Super Bowl XXXIX. Joe Buck is the son of the late broadcaster Jack Buck. Coincidentally, Jack Buck was the play-by-play broadcaster for Super Bowl IV for CBS. Super Bowl IV, prior to this season, was the Chiefs last Super Bowl appearance. We shall have to see if they can win it.
The All-Time Series
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in the series. The 49ers hold the edge in the series with a 7-6 mark. The first match up between the two teams was back in 1971 where the Chiefs would beat the 49ers 26-17. Prior to the aforementioned 1994 match up, the 49ers had won four straight against the Chiefs. Most recently, the Chiefs beat the 49ers 38-27 during the 2018 season.
How Did They Get Here?: San Francisco 49ers
Not much was to be expected from the 2019 49ers. They had lost four games in 2018 and they were playing in a tough division with the Rams and Seahawks vying for dominance. They were led on offense by Jimmy Garoppolo who had missed 2018 with an injury. Garoppolo threw well in 2019, with 3,978 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. On defense they were led by veteran Richard Sherman who had signed with the 49ers in 2018 to provide a boost to the secondary. What made the 49ers stand out was their running game. The team relied on three running backs to get them yardage. Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida ran for 500+ yards in 2019 with Coleman getting 544 yards, Mostert getting 772, and Breida getting 623. The trio would combine for 15 rushing touchdowns. They were the comeback story in the NFL with a 13-3 record and crushed the Vikings and Packers to get to their 7th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
How Did They Get Here?: Kansas City Chiefs
Expectations for the 2019 Chiefs were relatively high as this team last season was one offsides penalty away from possibly going to a Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes entered his 2nd full season as the Chiefs starter, quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league in his 3rd season. The young quarterback would miss a few games due to injury but backup Matt Moore filled in nicely as Moore started for the Chiefs in the Packers and Vikings games during the regular season. The defense was anchored by Frank Clark on the defensive line while veteran Tyrann Mathieu patrols the secondary. On offense the Chiefs have a deep receiving corp with Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs would finish the season with a 12-4 record. In the playoffs they beat the Texans and Titans to get to their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.
Keys To The Game
The game is intriguing in terms of the possibilities of the passing game. I feel the game will be more of a offensive game than a defensive one in last year's Super Bowl. I can't see it being a combined 100+ game but i feel the scoring will definitely be in the 20-30's. Here's the keys to victory for both teams:
Chiefs:
Get the running game going: I feel the 49ers will attempt to contain Patrick Mahomes from really hurting them.
Slow down the 49ers running game: San Francisco's bread and butter on offense is their running backs. Expect a long game for the Chiefs defense if they can't slow down the 49ers rush.
Don't stick to the conservative game: Let's be honest, Andy Reid is renowned for his conservative playcalling, especially when the Chiefs have a lead. Just play smart.
49ers:
Jimmy Garoppolo: He has benefited from a stellar running game and I feel the Chiefs defense will try to cause the 49ers to be one-dimensional. If he doesn't get into a rhythm, I can expect the 49ers will have a rough time on offense.
Contain Patrick Mahomes: The Titans learned the hard way in not containing Patrick Mahomes. Fortunately, the 49ers do have a rush that can get to the quarterback.
Get the wide receivers going: There's no question that the 49ers rushing attack is great but their wide receivers aren't as deep as the Chiefs. Perhaps they need to get going to prove they belong.
The Pick
Super Bowl LIV will be the 23rd Super Bowl that I've watched since Super Bowl XXXII. My record in the game hasn't been that stellar but its hard to predict it after all. Before I release my pick for the game, here is my record so far:
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots (won)
All-time record: 9-12
My pick for the team that will win Super Bowl LIV is:
The San Francisco 49ers.
While I feel the Chiefs are the sexy pick in the game due to Patrick Mahomes. I think the 49ers defensive front will prove to be too much for the quarterback. On offense I think the 49ers running game will be the big thing to watch. It will be interesting how well Jimmy Garoppolo will handle starting in the Super Bowl. I like seeing championship droughts come to an end but I just think the 49ers have been the better team all year. If they win they will join the Steelers and Patriots with 6 Super Bowl wins. I'd be alright with the Chiefs winning too but only one can become the champion and I'll take the 49ers.
As far as Super Bowl recap posts, I'll think about doing one on Tuesday/Wednesday next week. I've never done one before but I feel one more post will put a nice bow on the season. See you guys next week and enjoy the game!
-Tom
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