This Sunday night, the NFL season culminates with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s hoping that all of us who will be braving the time difference will be rewarded with a match worthy of the occasion. In return we’ll head into school or work bleary eyed and severely sleep deprived but that’s all part of the fun! Below we’ll preview the main talking points ahead of Sunday and remember you can grab all your NFL gear here at JD! Click here to shop the collection.
The Quarterbacks
This really couldn’t be more chalk and cheese. On one team you have Patrick Mahomes, the all action, playmaking superstar for the Kansas City Chiefs. Who has the ability to win a game by himself. For the San Francisco 49ers you have Jimmy Garoppolo, a very talented quarterback in his own right but who only threw for 77 passing yards in the NFC Championship game. While the game can most certainly be won or lost by Mahomes, I feel it can only be lost Garoppolo. Mahomes could very well be the x factor which brings the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to Arrowhead Stadium. The 49ers will have to possibly look for another edge to emerge victorious.
Run Game
Both teams possess a significant threat through their rushing but in very different ways. The Chief’s Damien Williams has had a good post season, scoring three touchdowns on their way to the Superbowl. The run threat though posed by Mahomes cannot be understated. Mahomes has averaged 7.1 yards a carry and scored a touchdown in the postseason and the 49ers will be wary of that threat. The 49ers on the other hand relied on a break out performance from journeyman running back Raheem Mostert in the NFC Championship game. Mostert ran for a mind blowing 220 yards and scored 4 touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers will be hoping lightning can strike twice on Sunday when Mostert lines up in the back field.
Offensive Weapons
In this game we’ll see the two consensus best tight ends in the NFL face off as George Kittle of the 49ers takes on Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. Both men scored 5 touchdowns in the regular season and averaged a ridiculous 12.4 and 12.7 yards per carry respectively. On the wide receiver front the 49ers will hope veteran Emmanuel Sanders can bring his Superbowl winning mentality to the game. The Chiefs will no doubt try to get speedster Tyreek Hill involved frequently who has the ability to take it to the house anywhere on the field.
Defence
They say defence wins championships. In that case you’ll want to back the 49ers this Sunday as they are the number 1 ranked defence in the NFL. The Chiefs on the other hand occupy the number 9 spot on the list. Whilst they are by no means a pushover, they don’t possess the same defensive fortitude that the Niners do. Their D is spearheaded by star rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, who looks to be a shoe in to win rookie of the year honours.
Halftime Show
The Superbowl always has something for everyone right! This year’s halftime show will see Jennifer Lopez and Shakira take to the stage to give us a healthy dose of early 2000s nostalgia. I’m sure you’ll all be staying up to the wee hours to hear classics such as “Jenny from the block” and “Hips don’t lie”.
Remember to check out our JD Sports for all your NFL gear for Sunday.
