49ers to take on the Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch
By Nikolas Araiza
Following a thrilling championship weekend, with defensive masterclasses and improbable comebacks, the Super Bowl is set.
Championship weekend has come and gone for the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, both advancing to Super Bowl 58. The Chiefs were able to go on the road and shut down the Baltimore Ravens' offense. The 49ers had to claw back from a 17-point deficit.
The Chiefs will be looking to be the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005. The 49ers will be looking to get revenge for Super Bowl 54 when the Chiefs beat them 31-20 and scored 21 points in the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
To kick off the championship weekend, the Ravens hosted the Chiefs. The Ravens were the betting favorite coming into the game, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had other plans.
Spagnuolo called key blitzes to disrupt Lamar Jackson all game, which led to Jackson being uncomfortable in the pocket and missing key throws to wideouts all game. The Chiefs took away the Ravens' passing game, which is the true strength of the Ravens' offense.
In what was a gut-punching moment for Ravens fans, to kick off the fourth quarter, Zay Flowers fumbled a ball in the endzone. It would have made the score 17-14 Chiefs. Instead, the game remained 17-7, and the difference in the final score would be 17-10, with the Ravens missing that one touchdown by Flowers.
Jackson in a post-game interview explained “Oh, I'm not frustrated at all, I'm angry about losing, we were a game away from the Super Bowl.” following another disappointing year, the Ravens will look for answers in the offseason.
Patrick Mahomes was able to do just enough to lead his offense and win the game. The Chiefs were able to win this game on the back of Spagnuolo's gameplan, and allowing the Baltimore Ravens to beat themselves.
On the other side of the bracket, The 49ers would have to make history to win. With 11 minutes to go in the third quarter, the 49ers were trailing 24-7. From that point forward they would score 27 unanswered points.
The 17-point deficit and comeback would mark the largest in NFL conference championship history.
Brock Purdy had his moment with a 51-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk, which he promptly followed up with a touchdown pass to Aiyuk.
The Lions’ loss can be directly pointed toward their two costly turnover-on-downs when they were well within field-goal range.
These decisions were based on pure analytics, which head coach Dan Campbell favors. Even after the loss, Dan Campbell stands by his decisions, stating “It's easy hindsight. I get it. I get that, but I don't regret those decisions, and it's hard.”
The Niners struggled against the run all game allowing 182 yards and three TDs. They will certainly have to close that hole in their defense against the Chiefs.
In a year where Patrick Mahomes had his worst statistical year, the main question surrounding the Chiefs is will the offense be there, or will the offense with the most dropped passes and second most offensive penalties, show up?
The 49ers will hope the rushing defense of years past will be present, instead of the defense that has allowed 5.6 Yard Per Carry, over the past two weeks. In the end, it will come down to who can make the least mistakes, these holes within both teams will need to be shored up if either team wants a chance to win.
Super Bowl 58 will take place on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be the first Super Bowl played in Allegiant Stadium. This year's Super Bowl is set to shatter the old record for the most expensive Super Bowl, with this year's average ticket price at $9,815, compared to the previous record of $7,046.