Started from the bottom, now they're here
Superbowl LIV will feature San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. Two teams that are very different, but both very exciting to watch which is a guarantee for a spectacle in the final game of the NFL season. San Francisco 49ers had a meteoric climb since the arrival of Kyle Shanahan. He needed only three seasons to turn one of the bottom feeders in the NFC, into one of the best teams in the league. General manager John Lynch deserves some credit as well because he is on the same page with his coaching staff and does everything in his power to get them the type of players that will work in their systems/schemes.
Defensive coordinator Robert Salah is another important piece in this puzzle. His defense was struggling a lot in previous years, but before this season, he modified his scheme to fit their talent better. With that move, he created arguably the best defense of the league. Combining that defense with an extremely efficient running game that helps them control the tempo of the game, it is very difficult to beat these Niners. One of the best proofs for that is how dominant they looked in the NFC championship game, beating the Packers 37-20, where the win was never really in doubt.
Andy. Finally!
Kansas City Chiefs have a similar story with Andy Reid. They had a lot of success since he took over in 2013. They've missed the playoffs only once in that period, but haven't been to Superbowl since this year. Drafting Patrick Mahomes was probably the key move that pushed them over the hump. Alex Smith was a very serviceable quarterback, but Reid needed someone with more arm talent to really execute his high octane offense. What 49ers are when it comes to rushing the ball, Chiefs are when we talk about passing - The Best. It will be interesting to see this clash of the styles and find out which one will prevail.
Neither team has too many issues with the injuries. At least when we talk about new ones. Even Tevin Coleman seems to have a shot to dress up for this game, after being carted off in the NFC championship game. In or out, that is the position that 49ers are probably least worried about. Raheem Mostert will probably get most of the carries anyway, after climbing from 3rd string to a starter, thanks to his great performances throughout the season.
Superbowl LIV best bet
This one could really go either way. Chiefs' offense can be very scary when they find some rhythm and start to air the ball out with all that speed at the skill positions. Also, I believe that these big games can often be decided by the best playmakers on the field and Kansas City probably has more of those on the offensive side of the field (Mahomes, Hill, Kelce, Watkins, Hardman...). But, it is also really difficult to look past the Niners. They have very few weaknesses. At the beginning of the season, I was most worried about Jimmy Garoppolo, who was pretty inconsistent, but he cleaned it up in the second part of the season and the playoffs, managing the game beautifully and not turning the ball over. This running game is a very good matchup against a suspect Chiefs run defense. If they can get some chunk plays on the ground, extend their drives and keep Mahomes on the sidelines, their chances for the win will increase. Also defensively, I believe that their cover 3 scheme should limit the damage that Chiefs can do with their deep passing game.
