Super Bowl Predictions for Chiefs-49ers

Super Bowl LIV in Miami will feature the offensive genius of Kyle Shanahan and ferocious San Francisco 49ers defense against the high-flying Patrick Mahomes-led offense of the Kansas City Chiefs. These two teams may have taken two wildly different paths to get to the big game, but they are as evenly matched as championship opponents as they come.

Given how the last two Super Bowls have played out, the biggest game in the sport has taught us, if nothing else, to expect the unexpected. With that in mind, let's drop five big prognostications for the NFL's grand season finale.

5. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce Each Top 100 Yards

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Chiefs kicked their air attack into high gear after going down early against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC title game, and Mahomes leaned on his arsenal of skilled pass-catchers to put the game on ice. While Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill were double-teamed for most of the game, beating Robert Saleh's defense is going to force Mahomes to lean on his two Pro Bowl weapons in the freaky-fast Hill and the dynamic Kelce. With only a modest running game by comparison, Mahomes' arm will be expected to win this game, and those two will need to ball out in order to realize the dream.

4. Nick Bosa and Dee Ford Fail to Sack Patrick Mahomes

San Francisco pass rushers Nick Bosa and Dee Ford / Rob Leiter/Getty Images

San Francisco's defense is predicated on the amazing pass rush tandem of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford getting to the QB while dropping plenty of linebackers into coverage. Ford and Bosa had their way with Minnesota and Green Bay this postseason, but the Chiefs present a different kind of test. Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz could easily be considered the best tandem of tackles in the game, and that could make getting to Mahomes a much more difficult task than it was getting to Aaron Rodgers.

3. Emmanuel Sanders Tops 100 Yards And Scores

San Francisco 49ers WR Emmanuel Sanders / Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

The 49ers decided to throw it back to 1950 and only pass the ball eight times while still managing to demolish the Packers in the NFC Championship. That strategy simply isn't going to fly in the Super Bowl; Jimmy Garoppolo must be ready to sling it, and he'll need to target a cornerback unit in Kansas City that is probably their weakest as a whole on their defense. The time is right for Emmanuel Sanders to wreak havoc in the KC secondary.

2. Neither Team Rushes for 100 Total Yards

San Francisco 49ers RB Raheem Mostert / Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The NFC Championship game should be shown in coaching seminars in perpetuity, as it was a clinic of play calling and play design from Kyle Shanahan's running game. Raheem Mostert and that ground attack could have a much different go of it against the Chiefs, however, who were the first team since November 3 to hold Derrick Henry under 70 yards rushing. With Damien Williams not exactly looking like Christian Okoye in the Chiefs backfield, expect a prolific aerial duel between Mahomes and Jimmy G.

1. Kansas City Wins By 10 Points

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes / Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Houston had them down 24-0 at home and it didn't matter. Tennessee had them down 10-0 and 17-7 at home and it didn't matter. When you have a unique talent like Mahomes under the tutelage of offensive masterminds like Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy, magic can happen at any given moment. If Mahomes is on his game once again, the Chiefs might win their first title since Super Bowl IV 50 years ago. Expect them to do so by double digits.