The Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers – who has a better chance of winning the trophy? Football coach Douglas Fryer analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the participating NFL teams.
The 58th Super Bowl will take place on the night of February 12th in Las Vegas. Interest in American football is increasing – the sporting event attracts millions of viewers from Germany to their televisions every year. In addition to the legendary halftime show, the romance between Kansas City player Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift and the popular commercials, sporty things shouldn’t be neglected. The duel is more exciting than ever in recent years. However, one team is ahead.
This injured player could be the Chiefs’ undoing
The Kansas City Chiefs go into the duel as defending champions. The team around superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38:35 last year. At the start of this year’s playoffs, the Chiefs were still shaky and rarely lived up to fans’ expectations. Kansas City had lost four of the last eight games of the regular season, including the home game against the actually inferior Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas.
About the author
Douglas Fryer (born in Newport Beach, California) has been head coach of the Berlin Rebels since 2022. He got his start in the German Football League with the Düsseldorf Panthers, where at the age of 32 he was one of the youngest coaches in the league. Previously, Fryer was active around the world as a player in the position of quarterback.
The team was increasingly targeted by the media. Shortly after the start of the season, it was announced that tight end Travis Kelce was dating singer Taylor Swift. At Chiefs games, the camera was repeatedly pointed at the box where Swift was watching the game. Because of their large fan base, football amateurs now also watched Kansas City games.
Just in time for the playoffs, coach Andy Reid’s team was back in form, first beating the strong offense of the Miami Dolphins, then the Buffalo Bills around star quarterback Josh Allen and finally the top team from Baltimore. However, the question remains: Will Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes be able to impress in Las Vegas? That depends on some other positions.
On offense, they have to rely primarily on teammates Isiah Pacheco (running back) and Rashee Rice (wide receiver). Both young stars increasingly developed into key players for the team. Pacheco amassed a total of 281 yards and scored three touchdowns in the three playoff games. Rice particularly shone against Miami with 130 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Chris Jones has been one of the best players for several years. The 29-year-old rarely misses a game and is an anchor on the Chiefs’ defensive line. The 49ers have to pay special attention to him.
But Kansas City is also missing an important player: Joe Thuney, the 31-year-old offensive lineman, is out due to injury. He is one of the most important “guards” for quarterback Mahomes and now has to be replaced against a defensive line of the 49ers that has it all. His absence could cost the team victory.
From “Mr. Irrelevant” to attending the Super Bowl
Even though the San Francisco 49ers’ last Super Bowl victory was almost 20 years ago, the Chiefs’ rival should not be underestimated. In the “semifinals”, the championship game of the NFC Conference, they prevailed against the secret favorites from Detroit and have tasted blood ever since.
However, the 49ers had to overcome a few hurdles before reaching the season finale. Important players were injured and they had to put a lot of trust in young star Brock Purdy. The only 24-year-old quarterback, who was selected 262nd in the 2022 NFL Draft – and therefore only the very last player in the league – played a strong debut season. But it was unclear whether “Mr. Irrelevant”, as the last player in a draft class is called, could repeat these achievements. After this season it is clear: he has a successful football career ahead of him.
But Purdy’s success is just a nice side effect. Regardless of him, the team consists almost entirely of stars with many awards: running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel are the key players in the San Francisco offense. Another advantage compared to the Chiefs is their coach Kyle Shanahan. In the modern era of the NFL, few other teams have a more qualified leader with such a coaching style. For him, the victory would also have a personal touch: He would like to follow in the footsteps of his father Mike Shanahan, who won the Super Bowl with his teams in 1997 and 1998.