🏆 SUPER BOWL LVIII PREGAME THREAD - SF 49ERS vs KC CHIEFS 🏆

A very different match-up then it was in 2019

49ers defense is worse
49ers offense is better
Chiefs defense is better
Chiefs offense is worse

My keys to this game. I think the team who runs the ball better is going to win this game. If both teams are close to equal at rushing then it comes down to who executes better in the red-zone. It should be a good one. 49ers 27 Chiefs 24

Originally posted by Bloodless:
A very different match-up then it was in 2019

49ers defense is worse
49ers offense is better
Chiefs defense is better
Chiefs offense is worse

My keys to this game. I think the team who runs the ball better is going to win this game. If both teams are close to equal at rushing then it comes down to who executes better in the red-zone. It should be a good one. 49ers 27 Chiefs 24

49ers defense is worse (but costs more than double)

Originally posted by 49ersRing:
Look, just a day ago people were convinced that the colors in the logo determined who went to the Super Bowl. Thinking that Vegas is fixing things is a step up from that.

Lol, fair enough.

BANG BANG

Originally posted by Patton:

Originally posted by Bloodless:
A very different match-up then it was in 2019

49ers defense is worse
49ers offense is better
Chiefs defense is better
Chiefs offense is worse

My keys to this game. I think the team who runs the ball better is going to win this game. If both teams are close to equal at rushing then it comes down to who executes better in the red-zone. It should be a good one. 49ers 27 Chiefs 24

49ers defense is worse (but costs more than double)

The obvious thing to blame is Wilks. Rex Ryan today absolutely blasted our defense. Saying it was incredibly predictable that he could tell what defense we were running on every play from watching it on TV. If a former defensive coach says that, you got to take that seriously.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by 49ers9797:

Originally posted by Oscar8325:
Just watched the AFC game, not impressed by the Chiefs at all. I think it was more the Ravens choking than Chiefs being better.

Ravens D is the best in the league. Better than ours. I don't think KC not putting up more than 17 means much headed into this game.

They're also down their all-pro LG with might be a torn pec. He missed that game. They were getting pressure up the middle.

I thought the 49ers would dominate DET's interior OL since it was banged up. It did not play out the way I thought.

Same.

Originally posted by boast:
unless KC decides to wear white. as the "home" team, they get the choice.

why do they get to choose?

Originally posted by Bloodless:
A very different match-up then it was in 2019

49ers defense is worse
49ers offense is better
Chiefs defense is better
Chiefs offense is worse

My keys to this game. I think the team who runs the ball better is going to win this game. If both teams are close to equal at rushing then it comes down to who executes better in the red-zone. It should be a good one. 49ers 27 Chiefs 24

I generally agree with you.

I have some big concerns-

mahomes is a magician

Can't let moody decide the game at the end

I felt Kyle blacked out in the last SB and went against his own plan. Need to stay balanced the whole game.

it's unbelievable that the defense is unreliable since midseason.

Originally posted by DonnieDarko:

Originally posted by boast:
unless KC decides to wear white. as the "home" team, they get the choice.

why do they get to choose?

It alternates by conference every year. Last year NFC chose first. This year AFC.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
I believe Omenihu is out with a torn ACL.

Joe Thuney, the 49ers are actually a lot more healthy than they are.

Originally posted by DrEll:

Originally posted by BrockIsHim:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by bmvanthiel:
We got a lot of things we need to clean up. And Mahomes isn't going to help us like Goff and Love did. But with that said, we are a hell of a team. We're healthy and have been lucky as well. We just need to play to our potential now.

Agreed. Need that locked in Dallas/Philly level of performance.

Originally posted by LambdaChi49:
I feel much better going into this SB compared to SB 54.

I felt pretty good going into Super Bowl 54. Our defense was hell on wheels and I thought we could neutralize Kansas City enough and we could outscore them because their defense was pretty weak at the time. I also hadn't lost confidence in Jimmy G. This time, Mahommes is the made man, an even better QB than back then, but the supporting cast is far weaker at receiver. Running back is far better, but Kelce doesn't seem quite the same. Problem is their defense is lights out now. I do think their defense is a better matchup for us than Baltimore. It's going to be a serious chess match. We can win, but right now I'm not confident in Kyle/Wilks over Spagnuolo/Reid.

And the 49ers have an offense that can go toe to toe with Reid/Mahomes now. Deebo isn't a rookie, Aiyuk > ESanders, CMC > Mostert, and now there's Brock. If the 49ers need to win a shootout, they can play that game.

And no Tyreek Hill this time

Sherman, Moseley, Williams, Ward >>> Ward, Lenoir, Thomas, Gibson.

And although the talent on our d-line should be better on paper this year, that 2019 line was playing at a higher level than this overpriced bunch of goons…

Just for fun, PFF grades

This years team:

C. Ward – 82.6
A. Thomas – 71.5
Gipson – 73.6
Lenoir 72.5

Our 2019 team:

Sherman – 88.9
Moseley – 70.0
J. Ward – 84.2
K Williams – 77.2

Originally posted by DonnieDarko:

Originally posted by boast:
unless KC decides to wear white. as the "home" team, they get the choice.

why do they get to choose?

home teams in the NFL get to choose which uniform they want to wear. this is why the Niners wore their home reds for two games on the road this year (@LAR, @AZ).

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
I believe Omenihu is out with a torn ACL.

He was a good Niner too. I definitely think we missed having him in the D-line rotation at times this year. It will definitely help that he can't suit up for the Chiefs. I wish him nothing but the best recovering from his ACL tear.

We saw the Lions and Packers have success trying to widen the 49er defense. Toss plays, reverse plays were effective in the run game. The Packers and Lions both had incredible success running bubble screens but under utilized them. Packers got two easy 12 yard plays running a WR screen to Watson and a disguised wide RB screen to Wilson. Lions converted an early 3rd and 9 with a slot screen to ASB. They threw one to Gibbs right before the end of first half that he would have scored on but he slipped and caught the ball with one knee on the ground and ended up getting tackled at the 2.

Andy Reid is going to feel pretty good about replicating his game plan for the Ravens against the 49ers. Ravens and 49ers are both near the tops of the league in percent playing zone. The schemes are different, but some of the key personnel are very similar. Reid wants you out of shell coverages with deep safeties. He wants to create room in the middle of the field, and to force safeties into man coverage or single high so he can take deep shots. He wants width between the linebackers. Andy Reid comes out with script plays and on the first possession against the Ravens he throws a WR screen to Rice. Linebackers are way inside, safety is way deep and its 10 yard gain before Rice is touched. I think he throws 3 TE screens to Kelce in the first half. Expect to see more of that. Reid wants Warner and Greenlaw getting pulled to the flats. He wants Brown and Gibson having to crash down on the run or wide to attack screens. And thats when Scantling goes deep against man or single high or Pacheco gets a big hole up the middle.

So what does Wilks do? Well, Mahomes is too good against the blitz. Rushing 5 is usually not the best idea. Mahomes is also notoriously difficult to sack. Chiefs are routinely top 3 in sacks against. We are going to see more nickel packages that are soft against the run. More 4 man lane, contain style pass rushes. And hope that their run game doesnt kill us and that their receivers dont make the big play. Sit back and absorb. Not a strategy that I am particularly excited about, but its one we are well rehearsed at and that's worked against everyone except Lamar and Burrow. I think we can disguise better. Move Bosa around the line more. And I'd love to see some coverage 8 played when Gregory is in. Let him drop back into a shallow zone on Kelces side and play spy from there. If you cant set the edge or get pressure on the QB, might as well drop back and clog the zones.

Originally posted by Heroism:
woww

#Chiefs pass rusher Charles Omenihu suffered a torn ACL vs the #Ravens, sources tell @BleacherReport.

Omenihu was a huge part of KC's defensive surge, recording 7 sacks and 2 FF in 11 games — and had a strip sack on Lamar Jackson that resulted in a turnover vs Baltimore.

A… pic.twitter.com/UL21HZMqvN

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 29, 2024

Wow huge loss for them. We all know how good he was. Idk if he starts for them but I'm sure he was a huge depth piece for that d line.