SPECIAL EDITION: SUPER BOWL PREVIEW
Edition #53
Intro
The one event, 120 million people wait for.
The Super Bowl.
Oh, and I forgot to say… One Taylor Swift awaits…
The last two weeks have gone too fast. WAY too fast. But, we’re here. It is time for the Super Bowl!!!
It isn’t just Patrick Mahomes versus Brock Purdy. It’s Kelce vs Kittle, Moody vs Butker, Bosa vs Jones, etc.
All of these matchups? Depends on one game. Depends on 60 minutes.
Who’s going to win? We have a few guest analyses as well as my analysis. But the trophy isn’t given based on who has the best stats, it’s about who shows up in the end.
49ers? Chiefs? Who’s winning? How do ya know? This story & more, only on Sports Square.
SUPER BOWL PREVIEW
This is the one newsletter, I always, and ALWAYS have wanted to write.
The Super Bowl is one of my favorite events of the year. High stakes, high pressure, and while that might not feel good for a player (I know what happens in that stage), it makes it amazing from a fan’s perspective of the game.
Yelling if you get the TD
Yelling at the team/player if you make a mistake
Oh, yeah…'
That’s what I did when the Eagles gave up that big comeback last year… I don’t even know how many times I banged my head on the wall. I’m dead serious.
But, before we go into all the storylines everyone is talking about… Let’s talk about the underrated one.
Jake Moody vs Harrison Butker
Yes.
The two kickers.
This game is going to come down to them. It’s almost like a soccer shootout… One miss???
It
is
over.
Jake Moody has a history of missing. I believe he has trouble kicking from the right hash mark… 49ers fans??? They were not prepared for this. Why? Robbie Gould was so consistent.
This is what Jake Moody had to say… About himself…
"It's no different than in college. The posts are the same size. Ball is the same," Moody said during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night. "Holder and snapper are just as good, if not better in the NFL. Situationally, I guess it can be a little bit different. There's a lot more games that are decided by one or two scores as opposed to college. ... It's something that you learn, just being in those situations, you kind of learn how to deal with it, mindset."
"I've been in a bunch of big games, whether it's been in college or the NFL now, going through the playoffs. I feel like I'm prepared for it," Moody said. "It's the same kick; Just trust the routine, trust the process. It's no different than any other kick."
But what have you done for the 49ers man? You miss in clutch moments. That’s why, no one cares about the 21/25 FG’s you make, but they care about the ones you miss! Especially in clutch moments.
Brett Maher’s 4 PAT misses might have been a while back, but that thing is still in my head today.
What about Mr. Super Bowl Experience, Harrison Butker!? He had a few things to say about Moody.
"For Jake, he played at a big school at Michigan. I was at Georgia Tech, not quite as many eyes on us, but he played at a big school at Michigan," Butker said of Moody. "But it's the Super Bowl. It's the biggest football game you could play in. Just do what you've been doing, just stick to the routine, and don't get too far outside of yourself."
Yeah. Do that.
How many field goals will they make?
Every time I predict a high-scoring matchup? It is ALWAYS wrong, so this time, I will go with a low-scoring matchup. This game is going to be all FG’s. Kansas City’s offense isn’t as strong as in past years. The 49ers defense isn’t that amazing either, though it is the perfect matchup for what the Chiefs have.
What about the 49ers O? It’s amazing. It is perfect, but the Chiefs D and the 49ers O are just made for each other.
All these things, will not only cause punts, but what do you think are the only points that are going to get on the scoreboard?
F
G’s
Patrick Mahomes vs Brock Purdy
This might not be the biggest matchup, but do you only position that people care about if they don’t watch football normally? Quarterback.
We know the story of Brock Purdy. We should by now. But if you don’t? Here’s a recap.
BROCK PURDY RECAP
Purdy has undergone a meteoric rise from “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick of the 2022 draft to MVP finalist and starting quarterback in the Super Bowl in a span of less than 22 months.
Yes… 22 months.
“People can overlook you or may not think you’re the biggest, the fastest, the strongest,” Purdy said. “But if you believe in yourself and you think that you have what it takes and you truly do believe that and you don’t give up on it, then you can achieve it.”
What did this last pick do???
He set a franchise record for yards passing (4,280), became the first Niners QB in more than two decades to throw at least 30 TD passes (31), and led the league in both passer rating (113) and yards per attempt (9.6).
THE REAL DEAL:
Who is this?
Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes is one of the premier players in the NFL, who is still yet to hit his prime after being named the NFL’s MVP in only his second season as a professional (2018) and leading the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowls LIV (2020) and LVII (2023); he was named MVP of both games. In the 2022 season, Mahomes won his second NFL MVP award.
Yeah. That’s a good deal of good stuff.
Alright… The comparison???
I think the WRs are going to come into play here. Brock Purdy has Samuel, Aiyuk, Kittle & CMC. Mahomes? Kelce & Rice.
But the QB comparison?
Brock Purdy will outpass Mahomes.
Mahomes will outrun not only Purdy but also CMC. This is a bold take, for sure, but the Chiefs D is another level.
Here’s the thing, though. Mahomes will still make the clutch plays… Passing.
PREDICTIONS:
Brock Purdy: 310 yds
Patrick Mahomes: 283 yds
Purdy Rushing Yards: 13 yds
Mahomes Rushing Yards: 94 yds
GUEST OPINIONS
Before we continue the deep analysis, a few 5-star subscribers of Sports Square have spoken out.
PREDICTION BY BASEBALL-BRO28 ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITE:
In his 4th career Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes II proves his point in being the GOAT. Despite Mr. Irrelevant of the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy playing tremendously well, Kansas City defeats San Francisco 28-30 after a costly, late 4th quarter fumble by 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, giving Mahomes his 3rd career Super Bowl ring, almost certainly locking his spot in Canton.
My comment: Aiyuk! Aah. I think you’re right! (Btw, even if he doesn’t win the SB, he’s still gonna make Canton, no matter what…)
PREDICTION BY ARJUN NAIR. 5-STAR SUBSCRIBER AT SPORTS SQUARE:
Deebo Samuel will get a lot of first downs coming off of an injury. The Niners’ defense will COOK with many stops. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk will help CMC with blocking, inevitably leading to 2 touchdowns by Christian McCaffrey. Brock Purdy will throw 1 interception, while Pat Mahomes will throw 0. Both QBs will get sacked 0 times. By the second half, Mahomes would start helping the Chiefs and getting one touchdown to Travis Kelce and 1 rushing touchdown. That won’t be enough though because Deebo will get another touchdown. The only other good drive the Chiefs will get is a field goal and the same with the 49ers to end the game off with a 27-17 score, helping the 49ers get their 6th Super Bowl win.
MY COMMENT: Another very different way to see this game, and I cannot not agree with what you just said. Just look at the last Super Bowl! The Eagles were up by like 10 or 18? The Chiefs just romped them home in the end. That’s a good mentality (comeback), but the 49ers have been very good this season when they score first, and this is when Kyle Shanahan is a defer first guy.
PREDICTION BY ETHAN ATKINSON. A FIVE-STAR SUBSCRIBER AT SPORTS SQUARE.
I think that the team with the better defense will win. Both teams have amazing offenses and the score will be high. In the end, the 49ers defense will be in the lead with less than 2 minutes left, and Patrick Mahomes will march down the field and either win or force overtime and win. The game will be close, but the Chiefs will win 100%.
MY COMMENT: Completely agree, and once this guest section is over??? I’m going to talk about that amazing defense. Or defenses!
PREDICTION BY AARUSH. A FIVE-STAR SUBSCRIBER AT SPORTS SQUARE.
The 2024 Superbowl. Most people think it’s a clash between the two best offenses, having two superstars in CMC and Patrick Mahomes. And while they’re not wrong, the roots of the match, the way the match will swing, will be on the shoulders of the defense, mainly Chris Jones and Nick Bosa. You could argue that Jones is better than Bosa, who is anyways having an off-year. But football is a team sport, and the Niners have Charvarius Ward, Fred Warner, Chase Young, and others. The 49ers win 24-21.
MY COMMENT: Stars vs a normal NFL team… Guess who wins???
DAVID. A FIVE-STAR SUBSCRIBER AT SPORTS SQUARE.
The 2024 Superbowl. A match of offensive….. X-factors. Yeah, you heard me right. The way the match tilts will not be CMC or Patrick Mahomes, but rather Deebo Samuels and Rashee Rice. Now, Niner fans will argue that Deebo is a certified superstar. However, he has been outshined by Brandon Aiyuk’s impressive play. I’m not talking about the receiver Deebo anyway. I’m talking about when Kyle Shannahan runs a jet sweep with Samuels. Rashee Rice is a rookie achieving things that most veterans can only dream of. But Deebo isn’t just your average receiver/running back. He is a pro bowler and the heart of a star-studded 49ers team. The 49ers win 24-21.
Haha! Sounds so similar to what Aarush said up top! Because both of you are touching on the same points! Stars vs Patrick Mahomes! Who wins?
The answer is Patrick Mahomes.
Defenses
Chiefs
This is going to be the main problem for Brock Purdy & CMC. Maybe Deebo?
Who’s going to stop these guys?
Chris Jones
L’Jarius Sneed.
CHRIS JONES:
10.5 sacks? Are you kidding me?
L’JARIUS SNEED:
78 COMB? 2 INTS?
That may not be eye-popping numbers for you…(Especially if you’re a 49ers fan), but it is good. Ya can’t say anything against that, but if you want to, debate with me in the comments!
49ers
Nick and Chase? You better get those arms ready. Or whatever you need to use to tackle. Because Isiah Pacheco is coming to town!!!
(Music) He sees when you're lining up at the line. He knows when you’re scared of him. He knows when you can tackle or not, so why don’t you break him? (Music)
I don’t know what I did there… That was weird…
This run defense needs to be good, and that is F I N A L.
You might have just seen the score of the 49ers vs Lions game and be like.. domination by the 49ers, but it really wasn’t…
Yeah. That’s a problem.
Kittle vs Kelce
The K’s, except one, has a girlfriend who is a pop-star sensation and is performing in JAPAN right now.
We’ll talk about Swift in a moment, but let’s talk about the play of the TE’s.
This game may just decide, who the best tight end is in the NFL right now.
This season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards with 984 yards and 1,020 yards.
Pro Football Focus has Kittle and Kelce ranked as the top two tight ends, respectively, this season. Kelce narrowly had a higher receiving grade and posted a higher pass-blocking grade (77.5) than Kittle. But the 49ers tight end’s run-block grade (80.1) was nearly double Kelce’s (45.9).
That’s crazy.
But who’s going to do better today???
Kelce and there is only one reason why, and it doesn’t accuse the 49ers of ANYTHING.
The only reason this is happening is because Kelce is a target and the only REAL & GOOD target.
This way, Kelce will get more yards & catches.
Taylor Swift.
There is so much drama around her, that I can’t not include her in this special American Football edition.
I have a feeling, that this relationship isn’t going to last long. Now, I’m not a relationship expert, but this is just that feeling.
But, the NFL is going to reap the reward while it lasts, and yeah!
FINAL PICKS FROM ME
I think this is the year…
Patrick Mahomes…
Wins back-to-back Super Bowls.
But let me tell you why I say this. It isn’t going to be Purdy’s or CMC’s fault.
It is going to be on Jake Moody… He misses too many clutch FGs.
No. No. No. I have NO bias whatsoever. As much as I hate the 49ers, I don’t hate Purdy, CMC, or Bosa. These guys deserve to win an SB but against the Chiefs? Never. Never. Never. I’m making a hot take right now, that Patrick Mahomes will never lose a Super Bowl.
49ers fans.. If my prediction is right, then this one should be too… You guys are going to win the Super Bowl next year.
Conclusion
This one took me a while to write, so I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to question my decisions or want to rage/agree with our guests today, shoot me an email at sportssquare.substack.com, and I’ll make sure to send it to them.
Otherwise, stay safe, enjoy time with family, and have a great Super Bowl weekend. We’ll be back on Monday!
Mahomes already lost SB LV