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!