By Cordell Woodland
Special to the AFRO
Prepare your snacks, find a comfortable seat and make your final NFL pick of the season. It’s time for Super Bowl LVIII, when the Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) take on the San Francisco 49ers (12-5) beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
This is a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, a matchup that saw the Chiefs defeat the 49ers 31-20.
The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champs but this Chiefs team looks different from last year. The biggest change is that the defense is now the strength of the team.
The 49ers look different from their last Super Bowl appearance as well thanks to the additions of quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey.
There are so many questions surrounding this year’s game, including how many times can announcers work popstar Taylor Swift into the broadcast and, more importantly, what song would halftime performer Usher sing first. Our guess is, “U Don’t Have to Call.”
What is known is that this Super Bowl rematch will be full of stars both on and off the field. Here are five players you should keep an eye out for:
Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey is, by far, the best running back in the NFL. The NFL’s leading rusher comes into this game as arguably the best player on the field. McCaffrey is one of the few three-down running backs left in the league but he’s also the best dual-threat running back as well, considering his contributions as a rusher and a receiver. McCaffrey won AP Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony which further adds to his great year.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones called McCaffrey “a different breed.” Jones goes on to say: “He’s the best running back in the league. He’s such a dynamic individual. We have to make it hard for him to get to the second level.”
If the 49ers are going to dethrone the defending champs, McCaffrey will have to leave his fingerprints on this game.
Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best defensive units in football. Most elite defenses have an elite player on the defensive line and Chris Jones is that guy for the Chiefs. Jones, who’s in the last year of his deal with the Chiefs, has proven himself to be one of the best defensive linemen in the game. He can play on the inside or outside of the line and is a force in the run-and-pass game.
The 49ers will look to establish the run early against the Chiefs, so Jones will be a big factor in slowing down McCaffrey. The Chiefs were second in the NFL in sacks and Jones is tied for first on the team in sacks with 10.5. Jones will be relied on heavily to ignite a defensive spark against one of the best offenses in football.
Brandon Aiyuk
The 49ers have no shortage of star players on the offensive side of the ball led by guys like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deb Samuel and Trent Williams. 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk can get lost in the shuffle at times but his impact is always felt. Aiyuk led the 49ers in catches, receiving yards and is also tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns.
Aiyuk has been the deep threat for the 49ers offense all season and he’ll be relied on again in the Super Bowl to take the top off the Chiefs’ defense.
The Chiefs’ secondary has been one of their strengths defensively this year as they’re led by first-team all-pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and superior cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Aiyuk will look to produce some big plays for his offense.
Travis Kelce
The Chiefs haven’t been as explosive offensively this season compared to years past. That couldn’t be more evident when you look at the regular season numbers for tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce finished with his lowest total receiving yards (984) since 2015 and his lowest total touchdown receptions (5) since 2019.
The playoffs, however, have been a different story for Kelce as he leads all TE’s in receiving (262) and is tied for first for total receiving touchdowns (3). With everything on the line for the Super Bowl, Kelce believes his offense needs to take their game to another level.
“We have to start putting up more and more touchdowns as an offense. We know that’s going to be big
playing against this San Francisco team.”
George Kittle
The 49ers and the Chiefs each have their fair share of elite talent, especially at the tight end position. The Chiefs have Travis Kelce and the 49ers have George Kittle.
Kittle is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. He has moments where it feels like every time he catches the ball he might score. Kittle could be the one who slips past the defense in the Super Bowl considering the attention some of his teammates may garner. Kittle can beat defenses in the blink of an eye and he’s as tough to tackle in the open field as anyone.
Kelce thinks Kittle is playing as good as anyone right now. “When it comes to a complete tight end, I don’t know if there’s another one in the game playing at a higher level than George Kittle. It’s going to be motivating to try and play better than him on Sunday.”
