Well, the time has come. The San Francisco 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs for the right to claim the Lombardi trophy in Las Vegas for Super Bowl XXVIII (58) this Sunday. All the hype and waiting is done, as the NFL plays its final game of the 2023-24 season.
Before I get into the the keys of the game on the field, here are some off-field stats you may find interesting: A 30-second commercial will run advertisers seven million dollars this year!
A standard room at the Bellagio will set you back 1700 dollars, as of Friday.
350 thousand fans will have flown to the game, while 100 thousand will have driven to Vegas.
The 49ers have sold 25 million in merchandise, including one hundred thousand in jerseys, an NFL record.
It is estimated that 52 percent of the crowd at Allegiant Stadium will be 49er fans. San Francisco travels well for road games! Reba is singing the National Anthem, Usher has the halftime show, and Tay-Tay made it from Japan to LA at 4pm PST on Saturday. O/U on how many times CBS show Taylor Swift is six. I'm taking the over! Revenge is best served up with a Super Bowl victory after the 49ers lost to the Chiefs two years ago. It's Bang-Bang Niner Gang time!
Now onto the on-field keys to the game!
On Offense: Protect QB Brock Purdy. The 49ers offensive line will be tested again against a strong Chiefs defensive line. It is imperative they protect Purdy, and NOT let Chiefs DL Kevin Jones near him, or to swat Purdy's passes down, and to allow him to get his downfield reads and make clean passes to his receiving corps. Let CMC (and other RB's) run amok: Kansas City's D-line is also very good at plugging the gaps and reducing an opponents run game. CMC aka Christian McCaffrey, who won the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, is the best running back in the NFL. Blocking will be crucial to allow CMC to find those gaps, or end-arounds, and then CMC's legs get to do the rest. Receivers need to take take advantage of the Chiefs secondary, once Purdy gets the ball to Aiyuk, Deebo, Kittle, Jennings, fullback Kyle Jusczcyk et al, Niners receivers can do what they are so good at, catch, and run run run! And let Purdy run, if he sees an opportunity; he burned the Lions last week with his legs to pick up two crucial first downs late in the game.
Captain Obvious point: Protect the football! No turnovers!
On Defense: Stop the Chiefs run game. Isiah Pacheco is a constant threat to break outside for big gains, and is considered to be an elite running back. Our vaulted defensive line needs to step up and push back hard so San Francisco can minimize the damage on the run game. Harass Chiefs QB Patrick Mahommes: Do not give Mahommes too much time in the pocket to throw those long strikes he is known for, especially to his buddy and favorite target, Travis Kelce, who set a playoff record last week with eleven receptions. The D-line with Bosa and company need to step it up and put the pressure on, as Mahommes has been known to make bad passes or fumbles that lead to turnovers, but can also scramble for yard s with his legs. 49ers secondary needs to play tight, but smart coverage downfield, especially with Kelce and the Chiefs wide receivers, and also avoid pass interference penalties! And refs, Bosa sent out a subtle message to you: Call those holding penalties on the Chiefs! We will be watching.
Time of Possession: DO NOT let Kansa City control the clock! Niners defense needs to convert more three-and-outs, and not give up long sustained drives to the Chiefs.
Special Teams: To the kickers, just do your job and nail the extra-points and field goals (we are pulling hard for you, Jake Moody!). To the kick-off coverage unit, no long kick-off or punt returns. Inside key to the game, the more Kansas City has to punt the ball away, the more that favors Coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers! I've wrestled with this all week but everyone else is brave enough to do it, so my prediction: 49ers 24 Chiefs 17, and a parade in San Francisco on Wednesday, Valentines Day, no less!
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