Biggest Questions Facing San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII
After a thrilling pair of conference championship games, the Super Bowl LVIII matchup is finally set. The Kansas City Chiefs will be meeting the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11 with the Lombardi Trophy up for grabs.
This exciting clash is a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, which the Chiefs won 31-20 after a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback. Much has changed in the four years since that game, including many of the players on both rosters. With so many new pieces in place, there could be a far different outcome this time around.
With that in mind, here are the biggest questions each team will need to answer to win this showdown in Sin City.
Can San Francisco Finally Stop Mahomes?
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The 49ers have never beaten Patrick Mahomes.
Although the Niners have only faced Kansas City's superstar quarterback three times—twice in the regular season and once in the Super Bowl—they've lost each time, with an average margin of defeat of over two touchdowns. That shows how lopsided all of these contests have been, which doesn't bode well for the Niners now that the Lombardi Trophy is back on the line.
Mahomes has dominated his impending foe through the air, completing nearly 66 percent of his passes for 1,023 yards and eight touchdowns in the three victories. Not only will the Niners need to stop Mahomes from airing it out, but they'll also have to outscore the prolific passer.
The last time these two teams shared the field was October 23, 2022. Mahomes was his usual brilliant self in the game, throwing for 423 yards and three touchdowns to lead his side to a 44-23 victory. That game notably occurred right after Christian McCaffrey's blockbuster trade to San Francisco, and the star running back logged only 23 snaps in his Niners debut.
San Francisco dropped to 3-4 following that defeat, but it went on to rip off 12 consecutive victories on the way to an NFC Championship Game appearance that year. The Niners not only found a spark with McCaffrey in their backfield during that stretch, but perhaps more importantly, they finally identified a franchise quarterback. Brock Purdy steadily developed into a game-changing signal-caller over the next two seasons and could be the main reason this organization finally bests Mahomes.
It won't be easy for Purdy to outduel Mahomes in their first head-to-head meeting, but the 49ers are far better equipped to win this Super Bowl than they were with Jimmy Garoppolo under center four years ago.
Can the Chiefs Clean Up Their Offense?
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The Chiefs proved they didn't need an elite receiving corps to win the Super Bowl last year. They lifted the Lombardi Trophy despite trading star wideout Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason.
While the decision worked in the short term, the long-term ramifications of that move could come back to haunt Kansas City.
A lack of elite pass-catchers has hindered the Chiefs throughout the 2023 campaign. The team led the league in drops during the regular season and couldn't get reliable production out of anyone besides stalwart tight end Travis Kelce—who looked to be slightly regressing at the age of 34—and emerging rookie Rashee Rice.
As a result, Mahomes came back down to earth following his 2022 MVP campaign. The future Hall of Famer threw a career-high 14 interceptions while experiencing a precipitous drop in his passing yardage and touchdown tosses. Although Mahomes has thus far avoided turnovers during the playoffs, he'll have his work cut out for him trying to keep a clean sheet against a San Francisco defense that tied for the fifth-most takeaways this season.
The Chiefs offense has also committed some uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the year, which has creeped into the playoffs as well. The team looked especially out of sync in the red zone during its Wild Card Round bout with the Miami Dolphins—mishandling a snap and having a touchdown taken off the board due to a penalty—while a goal-line fumble in the divisional round allowed the Buffalo Bills to linger around in a tight game.
After not scoring a single point in the second half of their AFC Championship Game clash with the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs need to get their offense cleaned up to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs in two decades.
Which Side Wins the Pass-Rushing Battle?
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Given the elite quarterbacks and pass-catchers involved in Super Bowl LVIII, the outcome of this game is likely to be determined in the trenches. The side that emerges victorious in the pass-rushing battle has a fantastic chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs and 49ers each have the pieces to get after the opposing quarterback and protect their own, making this arguably the most intriguing of the positional bouts set to be on display in Las Vegas.
Kansas City ranked second in the league with 57 sacks during the regular season and continued that excellence through the playoffs. The team has amassed six sacks in three postseason contests, including four on Lamar Jackson this past weekend.
However, offensive line isn't as strong of a suit for the Chiefs right now, especially at the tackle spot. Starting left tackle Donovan Smith has regressed in his age-30 campaign, earning a concerning 55.4 PFF grade. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor has fared even worse with a 52.1 PFF grade this season.
To make matters worse, Pro Bowl left guard Joe Thuney missed the AFC Championship Game because of a pectoral injury. It's unclear whether he'll make it back in time to protect Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers could take advantage of the Chiefs' protection woes by stepping up their efforts on the edge. They fared decently well in terms of pressure generated during the 2023 season—they recorded 48 sacks on the year, tied for seventh-most in the league—but they haven't been able to get home during the playoffs.
Superstar edge rusher Nick Bosa is the only 49er to record a sack during this year's playoffs after collecting a pair on Jared Goff on Sunday. No one on the team found a way to bring down Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love once in the divisional round.
The 49ers have protected Brock Purdy relatively well in 2023, but they did let him get sacked 28 times during the regular season. The offensive line remains anchored by ageless wonder Trent Williams, who is still playing at an extremely high level despite being in his 13th NFL season. The rest of the offensive line has its issues, however, and the Chiefs will likely try to exploit right tackle Colton McKivitz's tendency to blow an assignment.
This upcoming clash in the trenches should be nothing short of riveting, and the stakes couldn't be higher with a Super Bowl LVIII title on the line.
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Can Kansas City Shut Down At Least One of San Francisco's Playmakers?
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Kansas City's defense has fared far better than its offense this season, and that hasn't changed in the playoffs.
The Chiefs held an explosive Miami Dolphins attack to a meager seven points in the Wild Card Round and limited the Buffalo Bills to 24 points on the road the following week. Their best performance arguably came in the conference championship, as holding the Baltimore Ravens to only 10 points earned them a spot in the Super Bowl despite a lackluster 17-point showing on offense.
Kansas City's defense has its work cut out for it against the 49ers. San Francisco is loaded with skill-position talent, and Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has figured out how to best utilize all of them in a system that appears unstoppable when firing on all cylinders.
It all starts with Christian McCaffrey, who was a legitimate MVP candidate this year and has raised the bar during the playoffs. The versatile back had 188 yards and four scores on 37 carries and another 72 yards on 11 receptions over his two postseason games to date.
Brandon Aiyuk may be the toughest to shut out right now. While his NFC Championship Game numbers don't jump off the screen, his highlight-reel catch of a ball that bounced off his defender's helmet and subsequent scoring grab helped jump-start the team's epic comeback against the Detroit Lions. Aiyuk has been locked in during the last three months, scoring six of his eight total touchdowns this season—including the playoffs—since the calendar flipped to November.
Deebo Samuel remains a game-breaking weapon who can contribute as both a pass-catcher and rusher. He led the team with 89 yards on eight receptions this past weekend despite coming into the game with a shoulder injury that he suffered early in the divisional round. If the 49ers get him going early, he could terrorize Kansas City's defense throughout the Super Bowl.
George Kittle had a quiet NFC Championship Game, notching just two catches for 27 yards, but the veteran tight end led his position in receiving yardage and scored six times this season. He'll be a good bet to score at least once more in the Super Bowl by exploiting mismatches and serving as a safety valve for Purdy.
The Chiefs have to figure out how to neutralize at least one of the Niners' four elite playmakers and limit at least one other to a subpar performance to have a realistic chance of becoming champions.
Will the 49ers Be the Team That Finally Stops Isiah Pacheco?
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Can anyone stop Isiah Pacheco right now? Opposing defenses certainly haven't been able to.
The second-year running back has found paydirt in all three of Kansas City's playoff games thus far—building on a streak that began with a rushing score in last year's Super Bowl—and is a great bet to punch in another in two weeks.
Injuries haven't slowed Pacheco, either. Despite being designated as questionable prior to the AFC Championship Game due to toe and ankle injuries, the powerful 5'10", 216-pound back was able to suit up and pound the rock constantly. While he wasn't as effective against the Baltimore Ravens as he had been in recent weeks, he still mustered 68 yards on 24 carries, matching his playoff career high for rushes.
Pacheco now heads into the Super Bowl having piled up 254 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries during the 2024 NFL playoffs. The San Francisco defense will need to prioritize shutting down the 24-year-old, limiting his ability to put points on the board and churn clock.
The 49ers initially seemed like one of the worst possible matchups for Pacheco after they allowed just 89.7 yards per game on the ground during the regular season—the third-best mark in the NFL—but they've been far more susceptible to opposing running backs during the playoffs. Aaron Jones and David Montgomery both put up big numbers against this squad, with the Niners allowing a combined 318 yards on the ground in their matchups against the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
If San Francisco can't shore up its defensive front and get things figured out, expect a healthy and well-rested Pacheco to run rampant in the Super Bowl.
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