Super Bowl LV Preview and Prediction

We made it, folks. We made it. After a wild NFL regular season with COVID-positive tests and irresponsible breaking of protocols, we have finally made it to Super Bowl Week. At one point this would not have been possible.

That being said, let's talk about the matchup for Super Bowl LV, as Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Big Game, while Tom Brady makes his record 10th appearance; this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are led by head coaches Andy Reid and Bruce Arians.

What makes this year's Super Bowl special is that the Buccaneers are the first NFL team to play in their home stadium for the Big Game, as well as the first Wild Card team to play in the Super Bowl since the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

However, due to the ongoing pandemic, COVID-19 health restrictions are limiting stadium capacity to 25,000 fans, marking it the lowest attended Super Bowl.

As we recap both teams' 2020 seasons, let's take a look back at their previous meeting from Week 12, where the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers 27-24 in Tampa. Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill went off with 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns.

The Chiefs finished the regular season 14-2 at the top of the entire AFC and NFL, beating the Browns and Bills en route to the title game. Their only losses came at home to the Raiders back in October, and then the final game of the season against the Chargers where the team rested their starters.

Kansas City's offense continues to be extremely productive, ranking first in the NFL in yards (6,653) and sixth in points scored (473).

Mahomes is continuing to prove he's a fresh face of the league, as he made the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, passing for 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, while rushing for a career high 308 yards and two scores.

Mahomes' main targets continue to be Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Kelce set tight end milestones with 105 catches for 1,416 yards and 11 scores. Mahomes' other reliable receivers this season were Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman, and Sammy Watkins.

In the backfield, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire stepped up and ran for 808 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 36 passes for 297 yards and a TD alongside Le'Veon Bell, who had 254 yards and two scores after being released by the Jets earlier in the regular season.

After spending his entire 20-year career with the Patriots, Brady, 43, signed with Tampa Bay over the offseason and led the previously underachieving team to an 11-5 record and second place in the NFC South. The Bucs beat Washington, New Orleans, and Green Bay to make their second Super Bowl appearance.

Tampa Bay's offense ranked 7th in league yards (6,145) and third in points scored (492), as Brady had plenty of reliable offensive weapons, including running backs Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette, wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Scotty Miller, and tight ends Rob Gronkowski (Brady's former New England teammate) and Cameron Brate.

Evans led all Bucs receivers with 70 receptions for 1,001 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Jones was the team's leading rusher with 978 yards and seven TDs, while also catching 28 passes for 165 yards and a score.

Tampa Bay's last Super Bowl appearance was Super Bowl XXXVII back in 2003, where the team coached by Jon Gruden soared past his previous and current team the Oakland Raiders 48-21 for their first ever title. This was also the Bucs' last playoff victory before this season.

My Super Bowl LV Prediction: Buccaneers 38, Chiefs 35.

Super Bowl LV MVP: Tom Brady

I expect a very competitive game from both teams, but I think Brady will edge Mahomes in this case for his 7th ring. Brady will pass for over 300 yards and give the Bucs their second title on a game-winning touchdown late in the game. 

Recap of the NFL in the 2010s: 2010

Well, it's now the month of July, and the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting our country, but it seems like sports are coming back.

That being said, it's been awhile since I last wrote for my blog, and I was originally going to write a whole article about each NFL season in the 2010s, but I realized that would be too hard to stuff every little detail from 10 years into one story.

Instead, I will go one-by-one and do a 10-part series on each NFL season in the 2010s, starting with the 2010 season, leading into a possible 2020 season if it doesn't get postponed or cancelled.

The new decade brought some more great moments, such as Jaguars QB David Garrard tossing a 50-yard hail mary touchdown pass to Mike Thomas, that was deflected by Texans safety Glover Quin and into the hands of Thomas, with no time remaining to give Jacksonville the 31-24 victory.

In Week 15, the Giants led the Eagles 31-10 halfway through the fourth quarter, but QB Michael Vick was able to turn Philadelphia around and tie the game up at 31-31, but that's not all.

With 14 seconds left, the Giants punted to WR DeSean Jackson, who dropped the ball, but picked it up and ran with it for the game-winning touchdown, giving the Eagles the 38-31 victory and becoming the first NFL player to win the game on a punt return as time expired.

The season also saw some controversial calls like in a Week 1 matchup between the Lions and Bears, where Detroit WR Calvin Johnson thought he caught the game-winning touchdown as he jumped, snagged the ball, tapped both feet inbounds, fell to the ground, and let go of the ball.

However, the refs waived off the TD because Johnson did not maintain possession throughout the entirety of the catch. As a result, Chicago won 19-14.

This season was also the last for Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre, who spent 20 seasons in the NFL, a majority of them with the Green Bay Packers.

Favre continued to start every game until Week 13 in December, when he suffered a shoulder injury, causing him to miss next week's game and ending his starting streak at 297 games.

Favre also experienced controversy during the season when a report came out that he may have acted inappropriately towards New York Jets employee Jenn Sterger while both were with the team in 2008.

One of the biggest offseason stories was Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger getting suspended for up to six games, before being reduced to four, due to sexual assault accusations. Nevertheless, he led Pittsburgh to a 12-4 record and the AFC North crown.

One of the biggest offseason moves was the Eagles trading veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Redskins, but it didn't work out so well for Washington in the end as McNabb didn't live up to his earlier days and his team ended the season 6-10.

One of the biggest losses for the Skins was a Week 10 Monday night matchup against the Eagles, where Philadelphia demolished Washington by the score of 59-28.

From the first play of scrimmage, it was all Philly when Mike Vick launched a deep pass to DeSean Jackson for a TD. It was one of the best performances by an NFL QB ever as Vick passed for six touchdowns and 300 yards, and ran for 50 yards.

In a Week 12 game between the Titans and Texans, Houston WR Andre Johnson and Tennessee DB Cortland Finnegan got into a massive brawl, with both getting ejected from the game and fined as a result.

The year prior, the New Orleans Saints started 13-0 and won Super Bowl XLIV, but the division rival Atlanta Falcons took the top spot in the NFC South and the No. 1 seed at 13-3. Nevertheless, New Orleans finished 11-5 and second in the division, securing the No. 5 seed in the playoffs.

2010 also saw the emergence of Browns RB Peyton Hillis, who rushed for 460 yards through Cleveland's first seven games and had a signature performance against the Patriots in Week 9, rushing for 184 yards and two TDs. He finished the season with 1,177 rushing yards and 1,654 all-purpose yards, and as a result of his breakout season, he ended up on next season's Madden cover.

Two NFL rookies that emerged that year were St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford and Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, who both had solid seasons and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, respectively.

Patriots QB Tom Brady was the league's MVP for 2010, leading New England to the best record in football at 14-2.

However, the Pats' postseason run lasted for only one game, as they were upset by the No. 6-seeded division rival Jets, led by QB Mark Sanchez and head coach Rex Ryan, by the score of 28-21.

The week before, the most memorable moment of those playoffs came when the defending champion Saints visited the NFC West-champion Seattle Seahawks, who amazingly won the division with a record of 7-9.

The unthinkable happened when Seattle pulled off the 41-36 upset, with the biggest play being RB Marshawn Lynch breaking multiple tackles on his way for an incredible 67-yard touchdown. This play was dubbed the "Beast Quake."

The Green Bay Packers had an incredible playoff run as the No. 6 seed in the NFC. First they upset the No. 3-seeded Eagles in the Wild Card round, then the No. 1 seeded Falcons in the Divisional Round, and then the No. 2-seeded rival Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship, making it to Super Bowl XLV.

There, the Packers met up with the Steelers, who had won their sixth Super Bowl two years prior and were hoping to add a seventh ring to their collection.

In the game, Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers went 24-of-39, passing for 304 yards and three scores as he led the Packers to a 31-25 victory and won the game's MVP award. It was the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title ever.

Be on the lookout for my 2011 season article, which I will be working on next. Until then, stay safe and wear a mask!

A Look Back at March Madness in the 2010s

The month of March is here, which means spring is right around the corner. But for us sports fans, it also means it's the month of one of many people's favorite sporting events: March Madness!

Each year, people watch the Selection Show anxiously waiting to see if their school made the DI Men's college basketball tournament or not, while others just wait for all the schools to be revealed so they can fill out a bracket.

With the first college basketball tournament of the 2020s soon to take place, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at all 10 tournaments of the 2010s and make you go, "Oh, I remember that!" Here we go.

2010

The national championship was an instant classic, with Duke facing Butler, a non-Power Five conference school. The most memorable play was at the end when Bulldogs star Gordon Hayward's desperation shot bounced off the rim and out, handing Coach K and the Blue Devils their first national title since 2001.

Other stories from that tournament featured a couple first-round upsets, as 14-seed Ohio shocked three-seed Georgetown, and 13-seed Murray State eliminated four-seed Vanderbilt with a buzzer-beater, while in the second round, number-one overall seed Kansas saw an early exit in the hands of the ninth-seeded Panthers of Northern Iowa.

One of the more exciting Sweet 16 matchups featured Xavier and Kansas State, which is likely even more memorable because of Gus Johnson calling the game. Towards the end of the first overtime period, Xavier's Jordan Crawford hit a deep three to send the game to double OT, but the Wildcats still won 101-96.

This was also the only tournament appearance of Kentucky freshman point guard and future Washington Wizard John Wall, who was on a stacked Wildcats squad with future NBA talent such as DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson.

These Wildcats made it as far as the Elite Eight, as they got eliminated by West Virginia.

2011

This year's tournament was the first to expand from 65 teams to 68, with four First Four play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday right before the Round of 64 begins on Thursday.

One of those First Four teams who was most successful was VCU, as the Rams went on a Cinderella run and became the first 11-seed to reach the Final Four since George Mason in 2006.

Unfortunately, VCU lost their national semifinal contest against Butler, who returned to the national championship for the second straight year, only to lose once again, this time to three-seed Connecticut, led by star point guard Kemba Walker.

This was also the first Final Four since 2006 without a single top seed. Ohio State, the number-one overall seed, lost a heartbreaker to four-seed Kentucky in the Sweet 16, while Duke also fell in the Sweet 16 in the hands of five-seed Arizona, Kansas got defeated by Cinderella VCU in the Elite Eight, and Pittsburgh got eliminated early in the second round by eight-seed Butler.

There were also a number of first-round upsets, as 13-seed Morehead State shocked four-seed Louisville, and five-seed Vanderbilt lost in the first round once again to 12-seed Richmond, who reached the Sweet 16 along with 11-seeds VCU and Marquette, as well as 10-seed Florida State.

2012

History happened in 2012 when two 15-seeds knocked out two-seeds in the first round, as Norfolk State upset Missouri, while Lehigh defeated Duke. This also marked the first time since 2001 that a 15-seed advanced to the second round.

Other first-round upsets included 13-seed Ohio slipping by four-seed Michigan, and 12-seed and First Four team South Florida beating five-seed Temple, setting up a 12-vs.-13 matchup where Ohio won.

All four top seeds (Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse, North Carolina) made it to the Sweet 16, marking the first time since 2009. However, the Wildcats were the only one-seed to reach the Final Four.

Led by freshman forward and future NBA star Anthony Davis, Kentucky defeated Louisville in the national semifinal, and eventually Kansas in the national championship. Davis won the Naismith award, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and went number-one overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.

2013

This was the second year in a row that the number-one overall seed, as well as a school from the state of Kentucky, won it all, as Louisville defeated four-seed Michigan in the national championship. However, due to NCAA violations, the Cardinals' title was vacated years later.

En route to winning the title, Louisville was overcome with adversity when player Kevin Ware broke his leg in the team's Elite Eight matchup against Duke. Despite this, Rick Pitino's squad still beat the Blue Devils to advance to the Final Four.

This was also the second consecutive year where a 15-seed beat a two-seed when Florida Gulf Coast defeated Georgetown, as well as seven-seed San Diego State to advance to the Sweet 16, becoming the first 15-seed to do so.

A few other upsets included 14-seed Harvard stunning three-seed New Mexico in the first round, and 13-seed La Salle and 12-seed Ole Miss winning their respective first round games to face each other in the second round, with La Salle coming out on top.

Nine-seeded Wichita State of Missouri Valley Conference went on quite a run, as they upset one-seed Gonzaga in the second round, and eventually two-seed Ohio State in the Elite Eight, becoming the first nine-seed and MVC school to reach the Final Four since 1985.

One of the more exciting games of the tournament included Michigan-Kansas in the Sweet 16. Wolverines star Trey Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and overtime, as he hit a deep game-tying three to send the game to OT. Michigan came from behind to beat the Midwest region's top-seeded Jayhawks 87-85.

Ohio State also had some clutch moments of their own, when Aaron Craft hit a game-winning three-pointer to beat 10-seed Iowa State in the second round, while LaQuinton Ross knocked down a three of his own to eliminate five-seed Arizona in the Sweet 16.

2014

One year after reaching the Final Four, the Shockers of Wichita State entered the tournament undefeated, becoming the first team since UNLV in 1991 to do so. However, the Shockers suffered their first loss to Kentucky in the second round.

For the second time in three years, powerhouse Duke faced a first-round elimination, this time as a three-seed against 14-seed Mercer.

Not only that, in three of the four 12-vs.-5 first round games, the lower seed won. The results were North Dakota State over Oklahoma, Harvard over Cincinnati, and Stephen F. Austin over VCU.

Another notable upset in the tournament featured 11-seed Dayton beating six-seed Ohio State, as the Flyers were able to reach the Elite Eight, only to fall to Florida.

The Gators were the number-one overall seed entering the tournament, and were able to reach the Final Four.

However, Billy Donovan's squad was upended by seven-seed UConn in the national semifinals, who went on to beat eight-seed Kentucky to win their second title in four years. The Huskies were led by star point guard and current Washington Wizard Shabazz Napier that year.

Kentucky was able to reach the national championship thanks to a few clutch shots from Aaron Harrison, as he nailed game-winning threes in the Wildcats' Sweet 16 game vs. Louisville, their Elite Eight matchup against Michigan, and the national semifinal vs. Wisconsin.

2015

The big story coming into 2015's March Madness was Kentucky entering the tournament unbeaten, one year after Wichita State did the same thing.

The Wildcats made it further than the Shockers, reaching the Final Four in Indianapolis, but Wisconsin, led by star Frank Kaminsky, was able to knock them off their undefeated perch in the national semifinal.

The Badgers then faced Duke in the national championship, the first one with two one-seeds since 2008. The Blue Devils were able to escape with the 68-63 title victory, with Tyus Jones being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

While three one-seeds reached the Final Four, the only school that didn't was Villanova, as they got eliminated in the second round by eight-seed NC State, resulting in a crying Wildcats piccolo girl being shown on TV and going viral.

The other team to reach the Final Four was seven-seed Michigan State, as Tom Izzo's Spartans were the champs of the East Region, only to lose to eventual champion Duke in the national semifinal.

The first round saw two 14-vs.-3 upsets: UAB over Iowa State and Georgia State over Baylor. Georgia State won on a three-pointer made by RJ Hunter, as his father and head coach Ron Harper fell off his stool celebrating in excitement.

2016

Probably the best tournament of the decade, this March Madness had quite a few buzzer beaters, such as 11-seed Northern Iowa eliminating six-seed Texas with a half-court heave by Paul Jesperson in the first round, and seven-seed Wisconsin knocking out two-seed Xavier when Bronson Koenig nailed a three-pointer in the second round.

The second round was not so lucky for the UNI, as the Panthers gave up 10 points in 30 seconds to three-seed Texas A&M, forcing overtime and eventually double OT, with the Aggies escaping with the remarkable 92-88 comeback victory.

This tournament had its upsets too. 15-seed Middle Tennessee shocked the basketball world by upsetting two-seed and tournament favorite Michigan State, while 14-seed Stephen F. Austin upset three-seed West Virginia, and 12-seed Little Rock beat five-seed Purdue.

10-seed Syracuse originally had slim Final Four chances, but made it regardless. Jim Boeheim's squad made a remarkable run in the tournament, with one of their big victories coming against top seed Virginia in the Elite Eight, as the Orange overcame a 15-point deficit en route to the win.

The year's star player was Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, as he led the two-seeded Sooners to the Final Four. Hield also won that year's Naismith award.

But the cherry on top was the nail-biting national championship game between Villanova and North Carolina. The Tar Heels seemed to have sent the game to overtime when Marcus Paige hit a game-tying three with four seconds to go, but the Wildcats still had enough time to rush down the court with Kris Jenkins knocking down a three-pointer of his own with zeroes on the clock, securing Villanova their first national title since 1985.

2017

North Carolina bounced back one year later, as Roy Williams' squad took care of business and beat Gonzaga in the national championship.

Besides Gonzaga, this year's Final Four saw a couple other unusual schools: Oregon and South Carolina. The Ducks reached their first Final Four since 1939, while the Bulldogs and Gamecocks both made their first Final Four appearances ever.

Last year's national champion Villanova entered the Big Dance as the top overall seed, only to see their repeat chances disappear in the second round in the hands of eight-seed Wisconsin. No crying piccolo girls were to be found this time.

Wisconsin's next game against Florida in the Sweet 16 had an exciting ending. Down 83-81 with four seconds left in the OT period, the Gators inbounded and Chris Chiozza was able to rush down the court and knock down a running three at the buzzer to advance Florida to the Elite Eight.

Another game with an exciting ending was the Elite Eight matchup between Kentucky and North Carolina. After Malik Monk of the Wildcats hit a game-tying three with seven seconds left, Luke Maye hit a jumper with 0.3 remaining to lift the Tar Heels to the 75-73 victory.

11-seed Xavier made a solid run in the West Region, barely sneaking by two-seed Arizona in the Sweet 16 but getting eliminated by one-seed Gonzaga.

Another big story was Northwestern of the Big Ten punching their ticket to the Big Dance for the first time ever, as the Wildcats made it as far as the second round.

2018

History was once again made in 2018 when a 16-seed beat a one-seed for the first time ever, as UMBC shocked Virginia.

In that same region, the Ramblers of Loyola-Chicago became the next 11-seed to reach the Final Four, with clutch victories against Miami, Tennessee, Nevada, and Kansas State. The school's chaplain Sister Jean also became the darling of the tournament.

However, Loyola-Chicago was upended by Michigan in the national semifinal.

The Wolverines were the number-three seed in the West Region entering the Final Four, with one of their big tournament victories coming in the second round against six-seed Houston thanks to a three-pointer at the buzzer by Jordan Poole.

Michigan faced one-seed Villanova in the national championship, and the Wildcats had the momentum for the most part, thanks to a scorching hot performance by Donte DiVincenzo, as he dropped 31 points and handed Villanova and head coach Jay Wright their second title in three years.

One of the most exciting games of the tournament featured Duke and Kansas in the Elite Eight. With the game tied at 72-72 and little time left, Blue Devils senior Grayson Allen's shot rattled around the rim and out, resulting in overtime and the Jayhawks winning 85-81 to advance to San Antonio.

2019

The final tournament of the 2010s proved to be a huge turnaround for Virginia, as the one-seeded Cavaliers finally won the national title under head coach Tony Bennett.

En route to winning it all, the Cavaliers faced three-seed Purdue in the Elite Eight and forced overtime thanks to a shot at the buzzer by Mamadi Diakite, and UVA won the game to advance to the Final Four.

The Cavs then faced five-seed Auburn in the national semifinal. The Tigers were up by two with little time remaining and seemed to have won when Virginia's Kyle Guy missed a potential game-winning three.

However, a foul was called on Samir Doughty of the Tigers, resulting in a livid Bruce Pearl and Guy knocking down three free throws to give the Cavaliers the 63-62 victory.

In another exciting national championship, Virginia faced three-seed Texas Tech. With under 15 seconds left, De'Andre Hunter hit a game-tying three to send the game to overtime, with the Cavs finally winning it all 85-77.

The star player of college basketball that season was Duke's Zion Williamson, as the number-one overall-seeded Blue Devils narrowly escaped with victories against UCF and Virginia Tech, but were knocked out by two-seed Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

Other notable players in 2019's tournament were Duke's RJ Barrett, Murray State's Ja Morant, Maryland's Bruno Fernando, UCF's Tacko Fall, Purdue's Carsen Edwards, Michigan State's Cassius Winston, Auburn's Jared Harper, and Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver.

The biggest upset in the first round was 13-seed UC Irvine beating four-seed Kansas State.

This was truly a remarkable decade for March Madness and college basketball in general, and I can't wait to see what the next decade holds for the spring tournament.

As a Maryland fan, I have high hopes about the team's championship chances. After all, this year's Final Four is in Atlanta, and the last time the Terps won it all was in 2002 and where? You guessed it, Atlanta!

Happy March, folks!

Super Bowl LIV Preview

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my first blog post for the Harry Lichtman Sports Blog! As you can probably tell, my name is Harry Lichtman. I used to write for publications such as The Bottom Line student newspaper for my alma mater Frostburg State University, as well as the Montgomery County Sentinel newspaper in Maryland. Here I hope to continue providing my thoughts on sports and possibly other topics.

First off, it's Super Bowl Weekend, and it feels weird that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots didn't make it this year, as they got eliminated by the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card round. It's also been a very somber week in the world of sports due to the tragic passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in California.

That being said, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2nd. The 49ers enter the Big Game as the number-one seed in the NFC, while the Chiefs enter the game as the number-two seed in the AFC. This is also Kansas City's third appearance in the Big Game and first in 50 years, while it's only San Francisco's seventh appearance and first since 2013.

The last time these two teams met was Week 3 in 2018, where the Chiefs won 38-27. Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes had a stellar afternoon, as he went 24-of-38, passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns, while Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo tossed two touchdowns and 251 yards on 20-of-30 passing. But a notable moment from that game was Garoppolo suffering a torn ACL in the fourth quarter, ending his season early.

Fast forward to now, Garoppolo has recovered and played the full 2019 season, and along with pass catchers like tight end George Kittle, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders, running backs Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco's offense, helmed by head coach Kyle Shanahan, finished second in the NFL in points scored with 479, and fourth in yards with 6,079.

One interesting story heading into the Super Bowl is the emergence of 49ers running back Rasheem Mostert. Previously, the 27-year-old went undrafted in 2015 and got cut by five different teams, but the 49ers were able to stand by him, as he shined in the 2019 NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, rushing for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Mostert's 220 yards were the second-most rushing yards in a postseason since Eric Dickerson's 248 yards in 1986.

However, another big aspect of San Francisco's season was the stellar defense. With the addition of defensive end Nick Bosa, the number-two pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Niners D ranked second in the NFL in fewest yards allowed with 4,509, and first in fewest passing yards with 2,707. Bosa had an incredible rookie season with 47 tackles, nine sacks, and two fumble recoveries, playing on a stacked defensive line with players like DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford, the former Chief.

Defensive back Richard Sherman led the team in interceptions with three, as he hopes to win his second Super Bowl after winning one with the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks back in 2014.

Meanwhile, Mahomes continues to be the franchise quarterback that the Chiefs have needed, leading an equally impressive offense with receivers like the speedy Tyreek Hill, veteran Sammy Watkins, and rookie Mecole Hardman, as well as star tight end Travis Kelce. During the season, Mahomes passed for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns, despite missing two games due to a patella injury.

Kansas City's defense had been a flaw in previous years, but has improved significantly in 2019. The D ranked 7th in points allowed with 308, behind a strong defensive line of Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Emmanuel Ogbah; Jones and Clark were both Pro Bowl selections. Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu is in his first season with the Chiefs, and recorded four interceptions, two sacks, and 75 tackles, earning him his second career AP first team all-pro selection.

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid is in his 21st season as an NFL head coach, as he hopes to erase his history of postseason failures with his first Super Bowl title. His previous Big Game appearance was back in 2005 when his Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Patriots 24-21.

And now without further ado:

My Super Bowl LIV Prediction: Chiefs 34, 49ers 31

I see this as a huge offensive battle, unlike last year's Super Bowl. I think Mahomes will pass for over 400 yards and lead a game-winning drive in the last two minutes against that tough Niners defense.

Enjoy the game everybody!