See you in Las Vegas, @49ers. pic.twitter.com/CzFwBeItk7
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 29, 2024
The Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship game in a defensive struggle. With the win, the Chiefs advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years and will have a chance to become one of the few teams in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a five-year span, joining the famed Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-1978), the Dallas Cowboys (1992-1995), and the New England Patriots (2001-2004, 2014-2018).
In the NFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers stormed back from a 24-7 halftime deficit to eventually defeat the Detroit Lions 34-31. The Lions moved the ball at will in the first two quarters, but half-time adjustments were key: the 49ers scored an amazing 27 points unanswered. The Lions were partners in their own demise: backbreaking plays included a pair of turnovers on downs in 49ers territory and a devastating lost fumble on their own 24-yard line by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Chiefs and 49ers previously met in Super Bowl LVIII, a closely contested 31-20 win for the Chiefs in which quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl MVP. Both teams have transformed drastically in the years since.
The Chiefs are no longer the offensive powerhouse they once were; they ranked 15th in points scored this season, which would be the worst-ranking offence for a Super Bowl Champion since the 2015 Denver Broncos. They've gotten by this postseason with patient, turnover-free play from Mahomes and suffocating defense: they've allowed a minuscule 12.7 points per game through three rounds of the playoffs, including an impressive 3 total points in the fourth quarter.
As for the 49ers, head coach Kyle Shanahan has built his own offense into perhaps one of the most star-studded units in NFL history: they're only the second team in NFL history to field a 2000 yards from scrimmage running back (Christian McCaffrey) and a trio of 1000 yards from scrimmage pass catchers (Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle) all in the same season. The last team to accomplish the feat was the 2004 Indianapolis Colts, who rostered Hall of Famers in running back Edgerrin James and wide receiver Marvin Harrison as well as dominant pass catchers Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley.
Leading the way for the 49ers is second-year passer and 2022 Mister Irrelevant Brock Purdy. The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft led all quarterbacks with a pristine 113.0 passer rating this season thanks in large part to a ludicrously explosive 9.6 yards per passing attempt. Having only just turned 24 years old December 27th, he'll have a chance to become the second youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, trailing only Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger.
Photo Credit: © Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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