Super Bowl LVIII Cheat Sheet

It’s that time of the year again! If you are like me, you have been waiting 21 weeks including preseason for what is the biggest night in sports and entertainment year in and year out. Two powerhouse teams face off this Sunday in a competition for the Lombardi Trophy. 

Just 4 short years ago the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers clashed in Super Bowl LIV. Kansas City emerged victorious after a huge 21-point 4th quarter. This Sunday’s game contains a plethora of exciting player matchups, none greater than head coaches Andy Ried and Kyle Shanahan. Reid brings 20+ more years of experience than Shanahan and a star-studded team that has not only been to the super bowl frequently in the last 4 years but has won 2 times. 

Fast forward a couple years and we have a brand new matchup for these two teams. New faces lining the rosters make for some of the best offensive vs defensive battles of the season. 

We are in store to see two of the best offensive leaders to play this year. Kansas City Quarterback Patrick Mahomes- 2 time Super Bowl Champion and MVP, also a 2 time NFL MVP. Considered by many to be one of the greatest to play the position. He is changing the future of the game and he has not even been in the league 10 years yet. Accompanied by his trusty tight end Travis Kelce with 93 receptions this year the pair for the Chiefs are looking strong going into Sunday. Look out for Kelce to haul in the majority of the receptions as he is backed up by receivers Rashee Rice (938 rec. yds.) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (315 rec. yds.).

Patrick Mahomes continues to dominate in this league in his 7th season. Mahomes is working towards a 3rd Super Bowl Championship which will put him above some of the greatest QB’s to ever play. His stats this season: 4,186 throwing yards on 67.2% completion, 27/14 TD/INT, and 75 carries for 389 yards. Now his sixth year in a row throwing for over 4,000 yards. This season has not been smooth sailing for Mahomes and the Chiefs, defending champions is never and easy gig. Can he cement his legacy by going back-to-back this year? I expect the Chiefs to try to establish the run game early with Isiah Pacheco (935 rush yds.) and Mahomes (389 rush yds.) as it will be a key part of their offense working against a brick wall of a 49ers defense. Whatever happens you can count on Mahomes going out and putting on a show.

Chris Jones(DT) sets the tone for the Chiefs defense with 20 solo tackles and 10.5 sacks, Purdy will definitely be feeling the heat. The 6 year safety Justin Reid holds down the fort with 95 total tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. This Chiefs defense is stacked tip to toe, led by Steve Spagnuolo who is looking to become a 4 time Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator, 3 with the Chiefs. 

On the other side we see Brock Purdy the 2022 seventh round pick, number 262 to be exact, leading what is one of the best groups of 11 offensive players I have seen in my lifetime. Purdy threw for 4,280 yards during the regular season, an astronomical number for a second year QB. Those yards were spread out to a few pro bowl alternates Brandon Aiyuk (1,342 rec. yds.) and Deebo Samuel (892 rec. yds.). Leading the way for this offense will be captain George Kittle (1,020 rec. yds.) who is quickly becoming recognized as the best tight end in the league. Pairing with Christian McCaffrey who may have found his forever home up in San Francisco.

Christian McCaffrey had a 17-week streak of scoring a touchdown come to an end in week 8. What more do we need to see, the guy is almost superhuman when you put him on a football field. 1,459 rushing yards on 272 carries totaling 14 TD’s, with only 2 fumbles. Plus 67 receptions for 564 yards and 7 TD’s. Another veteran in his 7th season, it looks like he has found a system where he can thrive and most importantly WIN. This guy just does everything right, I’m betting big on McCaffrey on Sunday. 

A lot of star power on the defensive side for the 49ers, I am most excited to see how Nick Bosa (10.5 sacks), and Chase Young (7.5 sacks) will continue to dominate. These two backed up by Fred Warner and the rest of the linebacker crew is going to be a scary sight for Mahomes. The defense for the 49ers will need to step up big time if they want to attempt to contain the Chiefs offense.

Injuries are looking up on both sides for this Sunday a few Chiefs including Rashee Rice, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Jerick McKinnon were limited participants at practice this week. For the 49ers Oren Burks and Arik Armstead were also limited participants joining George Kittle, however, expect Kittle to play on Sunday barring death. 

All this excitement takes place in what is funny enough called Paradise Nevada, which is bordering Las Vegas. Allegiant Stadium stands there proudly basking in its 1.9 billion dollar valuation. The 4-year-old stadium is top of the line in every aspect, with the leading technological advancements and best customer service. Vegas seems to be getting busier every year as they push forward on their journey to be one of the biggest markets in professional sports. There is no need for a weather report this Sunday because Allegiant Stadium is an indoor field. No wind or rain or snow. Just two elite teams battling it out for the biggest win of the year.