15 last-minute thoughts on Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl LVIII is being played today! Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will square off for the Lombardi Trophy in what will act as a revenge game from Super Bowl LIV.  There's so much to say about the game. If you've been busy with everyday life and want to catch up […]

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) hands off to running back Isiah Pacheco (10) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl LVIII is being played today!

Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will square off for the Lombardi Trophy in what will act as a revenge game from Super Bowl LIV. 

There's so much to say about the game. If you've been busy with everyday life and want to catch up with what to follow and monitor on today's game, you've come to the right place. Below are my 15 last-minute thoughts on the big one, starting with the one I can't get out of my head!

The big thought: The matchup that will actually define the Super Bowl

Everyone knows about Patrick Mahomes versus Brock Purdy. Travis Kelce versus Fred Warner. Even Nick Bosa versus the Chiefs' OL and Chris Jones versus the 49ers'. 

But the matchup that has first popped into my head every morning and that I've been going to sleep thinking about for two weeks now is a different one: 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo. 

I'm telling you, that's where it's at this Sunday. That's the matchup you want to watch. The Niners want to run the ball from condensed and heavy formations. That's all fine and well because they're absolutely great at it. But there's a problem.

Kansas City wants San Fran to line up in such looks so they can play their own favorite game: Hide-and-seek, hiding their defensive back blitzes. No one blitzes a DB as much as Spags in the NFL. 

Now granted, Shanahan can look to counter that in plenty of ways, including hot routes/sight adjustments from Brock Purdy. Both of these coaches are Xs and Os mad geniuses. And today, Spagnuolo's unit has the talent to make it an even match, though. I can't wait to see which coach out-schemes the other in the biggest one of them all. 

14 more thoughts on Super Bowl LVIII between Chiefs and 49ers

  1. One of Purdy's biggest and most unexpected strengths has been his poise in the pocket. Sure, the scheme helps him but it's him extending plays on a weekly basis. Can he do it against Spags' defense? He finished with the fourth-lowest pressure-to-sack percentage in the league. 
  2. Speaking such stat, which is valuable as it describes how often a pressured QB takes a sack, no one is better at it than Mahomes. You can pressure him 10 times and only bring him down once. That will matter on Sunday.
  3. When the Baltimore Ravens rattled Purdy on Monday Night Football back on Christmas, the first read was consistently taken away from him. With physical cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage, Kansas City will try to do the same. Can they execute? 
  4. Who doesn't love to talk some quarterbacks? We all do. But both offenses want to run the ball in this game, as both the Niners and Chiefs have struggled when the ball is kept on the ground. Both teams will be interested in running to the sidelines, too.
  5. Speaking of the sidelines, the Chiefs will want to focus on them when they pass, too. Cover 3 is the Niners' bread and butter which means there will plenty of opportunity to flood such areas of the field. 
  6. Nick Bosa will have to earn the right to play on Sunday. He's healthy and ready to go but chances are Andy Reid will make his life impossible with roll-outs, running away from him, and more. If he's going to be a factor, he'll either need to enter berserk mode or move around to keep the Chiefs guessing. 
  7. Obviously, Travis Kelce will be on everyone's radar but I'm expecting a big day from Rashee Rice. The 49ers love to play zone, with Cover 3 being their most used coverage. Among players with a minimum of 50 targets, Rice leads the NFL in EPA/target versus zone.
  8. Warner might just be a nightmare for Kelce. The Chiefs might try to stay away from No. 54 altogether, but watching Warner match up against him will be epic. 
  9. Speaking of the Niners' defense, I wonder if they change things up drastically. You see, they don't do a whole lot of that fancy stuff like Spags. They're the most static defense in the league, with little disguising and few blitzes/stunts. That could be a recipe for disaster against Mahomes. 
  10. Purdy has been great at pushing the ball downfield this season, ranking first in passing grade in attempts 20+ yards deep per PFF. Mahomes has been 29th. Although context is key (SF's playmakers are much better than KC's), it's an insane stat to think about these days. It speaks volumes about the Niners QB. 
  11. Related to the above stat, the Chiefs love to blitz with Cover 2 coverage behind it, meaning it's tougher to throw it deep versus the blitz. However, Purdy has also been great throwing deep over the middle of the field, which will be open versus Cover 2 looks. The majority of his big-time throws came in such area of the field (9).
  12. Red zone concepts will be wild on Sunday. Shanahan and Reid are perhaps the two most creative coaches in the league.
  13. Speaking of creativity, Reid ran the Lombardi Sweep from the T-formation at last year's Super Bowl. I'm dying to see what he has in store for us on this one, there are always some wild formations and concepts from all Eras on his game plans.
  14. I'm imploring you: Don't be the guy at the pary knocking the shots of Taylor Swift and corresponding storylines. You enjoy the game and let others enjoy it, too. The more NFL fans, the better.  

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