Third time’s the charm, right? San Francisco is appearing in Big Game No. 3 since winning the franchise’s fifth Lombardi Trophy in 1994, still searching for a sixth ring.
This is the most offensively gifted 49ers team to reach the Super Bowl since the 1994 team won it, and certainly more explosive than the Garoppolo-led unit that Kyle Shanahan coached in 2020. San Francisco was third in the NFL in scoring at 28.9 points per game.
The Niners had to rally from second-half deficits in home playoff games against both Green Bay and Detroit. Fortunately, the Chiefs do not play in the NFC North, which bodes well for San Francisco.
Offensive star: Christian McCaffrey
Running back Christian McCaffrey was so dominant during the regular season (leading the NFL with 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage) that he got serious MVP buzz in this “running backs don’t matter” era. Such production is nothing new for McCaffrey, who placed second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2015 while at nearby Stanford. The seventh-year pro has been just as good in the postseason, scoring two in each game this year, giving him six in five career playoff games for the 49ers.
Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan, a former Saratoga High School student, is in his seventh season with the 49ers. Known as a creative play-caller with a penchant for turning run-of-the-mill quarterbacks into quality passers, Shanahan has proven himself to be one of the elite coaches in the NFL, much like his father, Mike. But the one thing the elder Shanahan has on his son? A Super Bowl ring – he has two as a head coach, actually. A 49ers win would make things a bit more even at the family dinner table.
Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars scrambles as Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers attempts to tackle him during the second half at TIAA Bank Field on November 21, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Defensive star: Nick Bosa
Defensive end Nick Bosa held out for a big contract, was rewarded with a $170 million deal, and has been money for the 49ers down the stretch. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year had two sacks against Detroit in the NFC title game and has nine quarterback hits in two playoff games. His 16 tackles for loss doubled up the next-highest 49er, and he led the team with 10.5 sacks, even as that was considered a “down year” for Bosa.
Top role players
QB Brock Purdy: Calling an MVP candidate at the game’s most important position sounds blasphemous, but that’s how loaded the 49ers are. Threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 69 percent of his passes, and led the NFL in quarterback rating (113.0) and yards-per-attempt (9.6).
TE George Kittle: En route to his fifth Pro Bowl and fourth All-Pro selection, Kittle gave Purdy an inviting target over the middle while also serving as a sixth lineman in the running game. His 1,020 receiving yards led all NFL tight ends.
LB Fred Warner: The All-Pro linebacker made it six seasons with triple-digit tackles (132) in as many years, and had a career-high four forced fumbles. The signal-caller of the NFL’s third-stingiest scoring defense (17.5 points allowed per game) is more than just a thumper in the run game. He had a career-high four interceptions.
WR Deebo Samuel: An exciting rookie during the 49ers’ last trip to the Super Bowl, Samuel is now an established do-it-all offensive threat as both a receiver and runner. He caught seven touchdowns and ran for five more while compiling 1,117 yards from scrimmage.
CB Charvarius Ward: The sixth-year veteran earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors after he established himself as one of the league’s shutdown corners. His 23 passes defensed led the NFL, and Ward also grabbed a career-high five interceptions.
LT Trent Williams: The 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro first-teamer is making his first trip to the game’s biggest stage. The 330-pound blindside blocker was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, and is one of only eight players still active from that class.
San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel (19) scores a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks’ Jamal Adams (33) in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Five keys to victory
Pressure Mahomes with discipline: The Chiefs’ future Hall of Fame quarterback can make magic, but even he will struggle under pressure. It will be important to keep him from escaping, though: While nobody will mistake Mahomes for a sprinter, he has proven capable of hurting defenses when scrambling outside the pocket.
Which Chase Young?: The former No. 2 overall pick has not been the game-wrecker many expected when the team traded for him midseason. Aside from a few splashy plays in the run game, he has disappointed as a pass rusher (2.5 sacks). His effort has been inconsistent, so the question is: Which Chase Young is going to show up in Las Vegas?
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Hot start: The 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit against Detroit, and a 21-14 fourth-quarter disadvantage against Green Bay in the divisional round. Attempting a similar comeback against a Kansas City team that knows how to put opponents away is unwise.
Stop Travis Kelce: If there’s any unit equipped to stop Taylor Swift’s boyfriend (191 yards and three TDs in two postseason games), it’s the 49ers. All-Pro linebackers Warner and Dre Greenlaw have to go up against Kittle in practice every day.
Split the uprights: After a solid regular season that saw rookie Jake Moody make 21-25 field goals, he has missed a field goal in each of his last three games. Can the 49ers rely on Moody to make a clutch kick with a championship on the line?
Three fun stats
— By now, every NFL fan knows that Brock Purdy was the last pick in the 2022 draft. Adding to his improbable story, Purdy will become the only seventh-round selection to start a Super Bowl at quarterback when he takes the field Sunday.
— McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, is the first league-leading rusher to appear in a Super Bowl since Seattle’s Shaun Alexander in 2005. If the 49ers win, McCaffrey would be the first leading rusher to win a Super Bowl since his father Ed’s teammate Terrell Davis did so with the 1998 Denver Broncos.
— Some quarterbacks struggle when the defense brings heavy pressure, but not Purdy. According to USA Today, Purdy has thrown for 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions when attempting passes against five or more pass-rushers.
