A Tremendous Bowl LIV rematch this isn't.
Certain, the Chiefs (4-2) are enjoying on the 49ers (3-3) on Sunday, however the present groups are very totally different from the variations that performed one another in February 2020 in Miami.
The Chiefs — who beat the 49ers, 31-20, to win Tremendous Bowl LIV — have simply 5 starters remaining on the 2022 roster from that championship group.
The 49ers have 11 starters remaining from that Tremendous Bowl squad (5 offense, six protection).
Right here’s the quantity that counts most: For the reason that two met within the NFL’s final recreation, the Chiefs are 30-9 and have been to a different Tremendous Bowl, and the 49ers are 19-20.
Each are nonetheless led by the identical head coaches — Andy Reid in Kansas Metropolis and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.
Each are additionally quarterbacked by the identical gamers — Patrick Mahomes in Kansas Metropolis and Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco. The distinction right here is that Mahomes stays one of many high two quarterbacks within the league, whereas the 49ers tried to exchange Garoppolo this season with second-year first-round decide Trey Lance.
However when Lance was injured and misplaced for the season within the 49ers’ opener, San Francisco was pressured to show again to Garoppolo, who has had a bizarre keep on the West Coast. Even when the 49ers have been advancing to the Tremendous Bowl, their followers believed it was regardless of Garoppolo, who has by no means been really embraced by the group’s trustworthy.
Conversely, the dynamic Mahomes is every thing to the Chiefs, who could be mediocre with out him.
“You don’t ever see folks play like that actually,’’ Shanahan stated of Mahomes. “There’s not many individuals within the historical past of soccer pretty much as good as him. [He] jogs my memory of [Hall of Famer John] Elway a ton watching him — simply how he’s a high thrower on the planet and the way in which he can transfer.
“He’s not at all times doing it simply with a flat-out 40 simply operating away from folks, however the way in which he feels area and might create time and as he does it, his imaginative and prescient down the sector with that arm expertise is hard to cope with.”
Mahomes’ favourite goal is tight finish Travis Kelce, who has an innate knack for getting open no matter protection.
“I believe Kelce might be top-of-the-line separators on this league with the perfect fingers on this league,’’ Shanahan stated. “So, whether or not he separates or not, he can catch that ball on guys, however often he does separate, after which he has received a quarterback that’s good at throwing, in order that’s at all times an issue.’’
The 49ers, on Thursday, made an enormous assertion by buying operating again Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers for 3 2023 draft picks (second-, third- and fourth-rounders) and a 2024 fifth-round decide.
It's unclear if McCaffrey, a 2017 first-round decide by Carolina, will play towards the Chiefs on Sunday. Although he may present an enormous raise, even in a restricted function, to a group that’s coming off a listless loss to the Falcons final week.
McCaffrey has rushed for 393 yards and two touchdowns this season and is the highest receiving operating again within the league with 33 receptions on 43 targets for 277 yards and one landing.
Shanahan is undoubtedly salivating on the probability to make use of the multi-talented McCaffrey, who’s a former 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver. If he's used towards the Chiefs, determine to largely display passes, outdoors zone runs and wheel routes from McCaffrey.
He joins a 49ers offense already laden with the gifted likes of tight finish George Kittle, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
All of it can do nothing however improve the efficiency of Garoppolo, who was intercepted twice final week.
When Shanahan was requested what second stands out most about Tremendous Bowl LIV, stated: “That we misplaced.’’
“I like considering of our group that 12 months,’’ he stated. “I felt like that 12 months we had the perfect group in soccer, however we ended up being the second-best as a result of we didn’t get it performed ultimately.”
Shanahan stated he “hadn’t watched’’ tape of that recreation “for some time’’ till this week.
“Yeah, I don’t like watching it,’’ he stated. “However this week it wasn’t about that. I needed to watch it for schematic causes and what our historical past is collectively.”
It’s a historical past that has seen loads of change in a brief time frame.
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