The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs make it look straightforward, however making it again to the Tremendous Bowl is simply as powerful as getting there for the primary time. Although they’re set to play of their fourth Tremendous Bowl in 5 years on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers are making their first look since falling to the Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LIV on the conclusion of the 2019 season.
It’s a Tremendous Bowl rematch, that includes lots of the identical faces and storylines. However wanting again to that sport, it’s straightforward to marvel why it took so lengthy for the rematch to occur. When the 49ers noticed a 10-point fourth quarter lead evaporate in Miami that yr, they and plenty of others felt they have been simply getting into their championship window with a younger, thrilling roster and training employees to match.
They’re nonetheless in that window, however they’ve bumped into quite a lot of points alongside the best way, together with a season by which they missed the playoffs solely. The Chiefs, in the meantime, picked up one other Tremendous Bowl win within the ensuing time and are the defending champions. Each groups have seen quite a lot of success, however how a lot have they actually modified for the reason that first assembly?
The top coaches haven’t modified
Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid confronted off within the first assembly, and the previous continues to be attempting to show he can deal with large video games in addition to the latter. Shanahan has a fame for choking within the largest of video games, courting again to when the Falcons misplaced a 28-3 result in the Patriots in Tremendous Bowl LI whereas Shanahan was offensive coordinator.
The subsequent day, Shanahan signed on to be the 49ers’ head coach, and it solely took him a pair seasons to make it to the Tremendous Bowl matchup with Reid and the Chiefs. However once more, that sport additionally noticed Shanahan’s workforce surrender a double-digit lead and solidified the “choker” label, and two subsequent NFC Championship losses haven’t helped.
Whereas the pinnacle coaches stay the identical, Shanahan and Reid’s staffs have seen some work. Over time, the 49ers noticed a number of coordinators and place coaches discover their method into head teaching gigs — all of Mike McDaniel (then run-game coordinator, now head coach of the Dolphins), DeMeco Ryans (then inside linebackers coach, now head coach of the Texans), and Robert Saleh (then defensive coordinator, now head coach of the Jets) included.
On prime of them, there’s guys like Mike LaFleur (passing sport coordinator, now with the Rams) and Bobby Slowik (offensive assistant, now with the Texans) who have been vital to the 2019 49ers. The largest names new to the 49ers’ employees are defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and assistant head coach/operating backs coach Anthony Lynn, each of whom are former head coaches.
Then there may be Reid, maybe the most-respected coach in soccer coming off yet one more season by which basically everyone agrees he was glorious. Reid is lucky to nonetheless have Steve Spagnuolo as his defensive coordinator, because the Chiefs have been dominant on that facet of the ball all season lengthy. That 2019 Tremendous Bowl victory was throughout Spagnuolo’s first season within the function.
The largest title now not on the Chiefs is offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who’s presently on the lookout for a brand new dwelling after one season serving in the identical function with the Commanders in 2023. All in all, the Chiefs have had remarkably little turnover on the teaching employees, which is simply how Reid likes it.
These gamers are nonetheless round for the Chiefs:
DL Chris Jones
QB Patrick Mahomes
WR Mecole Hardman
TE Travis Kelce
TE Blake Bell
G Nick Allegretti
Okay Harrison Butker
LS James Winchester
Mahomes and Kelce are arguably the perfect gamers at their positions, and so they’re nonetheless the muse of 1 the league’s greatest offenses. Chris Jones is the one participant returning on the defensive facet of the ball, although once more — he’s arguably the perfect at what he does.
The Chiefs rank second within the league in complete protection, so turnover appears solely to have helped them. Plenty of new faces on either side of the ball was ok to win the title a yr in the past and might be once more this time round.
And these are the blokes remaining for the 49ers:
LB Fred Warner
LB Dre Greenlaw
DE Nick Bosa
DT Arik Armstead
DT Kevin Givens
WR Deebo Samuel
TE George Kittle
FB Kyle Juszczyk
P Mitch Wishnowsky
Bosa was a rookie and Warner was nonetheless coming into his personal in 2019, however now the pair kind the nucleus of the 49ers’ protection, together with each Greenlaw and Armstead, who have been additionally on the workforce in 2019. On the offensive facet of the ball, the trio of Samuel, Kittle, and Juszyczyk are vastly vital items, however the 49ers have undoubtedly improved their core with QB Brock Purdy, RB Christian McCaffrey, and WR Brandon Aiyuk.
Turnover hasn’t actually been an issue for both workforce, with high quality provides wherever gamers have been misplaced (for essentially the most half).
Swapsies
Lastly, there are a pair gamers who switched from one workforce to the opposite for the reason that 2019 assembly. Kick returner Richie James is now with Kansas Metropolis, and can begin within the Tremendous Bowl. On the opposite facet, cornerback Charvarius Ward is beginning for the 49ers and is considered one of their solely constant corners.
