The time is finally here. Super Bowl LVIII is just days away and the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers get set to battle the AFC Champion and defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers reached this point after upending the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round followed by a win over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game. The Chiefs took the long route to get back to Las Vegas with a home win over Miami on Wildcard Weekend, a win over the Bills in Buffalo in the Divisional Round, and finally, a win at Baltimore in the AFC Championship game. The opening kick for this matchup is set for 6:30 PM EST on Sunday.
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The San Francisco 49ers arrive in Las Vegas after a 12-5 regular season that earned them a bye in the opening round of the NFC playoffs and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the Divisional Round, the 49ers upended the visiting Green Bay Packers 24-21. The Niners' defense stood tall in the final minutes, preventing the Packers from driving down the field to either tie or win the game. In the NFC Championship game, the Niners took down the upstart Detroit Lions in a thrilling 34-31 win. The Niners trailed 24-7 at halftime but roared back with 17 straight points in just eight minutes in the third quarter and pulled away in the fourth quarter to pick up the win. Brock Purdy led the way with 267 yards passing and a touchdown along with 48 yards rushing. The Niners' defense held the Lions to just seven points in the second half to help aid in the comeback.
“Every year is just so unique,” 49ers All-Pro TE George Kittle said about getting back to the Super Bowl three years later. “That's what makes it so difficult. … You can't keep everybody; you can't pay everybody. You have to fill gaps, you have to bring new guys in. You have to try to keep your culture. There are just so many interchanging parts, and so to continue and sustain winning as many regular-season games as we do, making the playoffs, it's very difficult.”
Ain't come here to talk it out, let's get into it.#DoItForTheBay x #FTTB pic.twitter.com/P6IEYJhunE
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 27, 2024
The 49ers come into the Super Bowl primed to get that elusive title that has alluded the franchise since 1995. They have a second crack at the Chiefs in a four-year span with some key different pieces from the last go-round. The 49ers have Purdy at quarterback this time around and the second-year pro has done nothing but win since taking over as the team's top quarterback. He's guided the 49ers to a record of 7-3 against playoff teams this season and has led the team to an average of 29 points per game in the playoffs. Running back Christian McCaffrey is now the featured back and is coming off a season in which he accumulated over 2,000 yards of total offense and 21 touchdowns. He's added to those totals with five touchdowns in the playoffs and over 200 yards of total offense. The Niners come in with a healthy offensive line and a receiving group that is as healthy as they've been all season, most notably Deebo Samuel.
D efensively, the Niners defense comes in with one of the best front fours in football. Overall this season, the Niners' defense has allowed just 19.8 points per game to teams that made the playoffs. They have struggled a bit in the playoffs, allowing nearly 28 points per game. However, the Niners' defensive group has tightened up in the second half by allowing a total of 22 points in the second half of their two games.
Key Injuries: CB Ambry Thomas is questionable.
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