12up Logo

3 Reasons the 49ers Totally Outmatch the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV

By Brendan Balsamo

The 49ers ran their way to the Super Bowl on Sunday-- and it might be how they win it, too.
The 49ers ran their way to the Super Bowl on Sunday-- and it might be how they win it, too. / Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

There is no doubt that the upcoming Super Bowl on Feb. 2 is going to be a fun one. It's a battle of the young quarterbacks, as Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers square up against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Looking purely at the quarterback matchup, it seems that the Chiefs would have the upper hand. Las Vegas would agree, as Kansas City is favored in the spread. However, upon a closer look, you might see that the 49ers actually outmatch the Chiefs in this one in several key areas.

3. Dominant Defense

Richard Sherman's comeback headlines the 49ers dominant defense.
Richard Sherman's comeback headlines the 49ers dominant defense. / Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Once he left the Seattle Seahawks and the Legion of Boom, Richard Sherman was done for. A washed-up cornerback like him had no place in this league anymore, especially one fresh off of surgery. However, his resurgence is just one piece of a great defense that helped bring San Francisco back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2013. A team that was fifth in the league in sacks and second in yards allowed per game should push a team that is very reliant on its offense to the brink.

2. Better Rushing Offense

Raheem Mostert put the league on high alert after his performance in the NFC Championship Game.
Raheem Mostert put the league on high alert after his performance in the NFC Championship Game. / Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Yes, the 49ers have a very talented young quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. But, how often was he used in the NFC Championship Game, a game in which their offense was purely dominant? Garoppolo threw eight passes. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards, and San Francisco as a team ran for 285, against a defense that gives up 120.1 rushing yards per game. Even though they managed to contain Derrick Henry in the AFC Championship Game, during the regular season, the Chiefs weren't the most efficient against the run. The 49ers have to rely on Mostert (and a returning Tevin Coleman) if they want to win their first Super Bowl since 1995.

1. Andy Reid's Bad Postseason Track Record

Andy Reid is yet to have any sort of success in the playoffs in his 20-year head coaching career.
Andy Reid is yet to have any sort of success in the playoffs in his 20-year head coaching career. / David Eulitt/Getty Images

Andy Reid is a fantastic regular season head coach, but just can't manage to find any success once the games mean more. In his nearly 15-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid led the team to the conference championship five times, only making the Super Bowl once, and failing to win when he arrived. Even if he was one of, if not the best coach in Eagles history, his lack of a Super Bowl ring is a black mark on his legacy. Reid has led the Chiefs to the playoffs in all but one season of his tenure in Kansas City, and has only managed to reach one Super Bowl: this one. Reid has playoff experience, but very rarely is it positive. Something for Reid needs to change, and if he enters the Super Bowl with the same game plan as always, the 49ers should come out on top.