Prisco’s 2024 Super Bowl pick: The next Michael Jordan?Patrick Mahomes beats 49ers again, his legacy continues to grow

LAS VEGAS — Just four years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers played in the Super Bowl, a game the Chiefs won and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first Super Bowl victory.

Since then, Mahomes has won another, lost another and is trying to become a three-time Super Bowl champion this week against the 49ers he defeated four years ago.

We’re often asked what the first meeting means to the game.

not much.

The two teams participating in that game only had a total of 17 players. But even more telling were the statistical leaders in that game.

The leading passers are Jimmy Garoppolo of the 49ers and Mahomes of the Chiefs. The leading rushers are Raheem Mostert of the 49ers and Damien Williams of the Chiefs. The leading receivers in terms of yards are Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs and Kendrick Bourne of the 49ers. A total of four players were intercepted in this game. Three of those four players have left.

A constant?

Mahomes.

Here’s why I’m picking the Chiefs to beat the 49ers in Super Bowl 58 and defend the title, as Mahomes will win his third championship and send a message to Tom Brady that he’s coming for him notify.

Kansas City Chiefs (+2) vs. Kansas City Chiefs San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+)

This Chiefs team isn’t the flashy offense we’ve come to expect from Mahomes, but he’s found a way to address major issues on offense this season, including poor tackles and an inability to hold onto the ball. receiver. football. Now his team is on the precipice of history.

The Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back championships since the New England Patriots and Brady won titles in 2003 and 2004.

While Mahomes didn’t put up great numbers in the playoffs, he was consistent, capable, and made big plays when called upon without making any mistakes. Game manager? almost not. But he didn’t throw a single pick in three postseason games and was sacked just three times against a porous offensive line. This is important right now.

That’s not to say Mahomes can’t get hot and lead this team, even if there are issues. We know he can. But I think the Chiefs will start this game with Isiah Pacheco running the offense against a 49ers defense that allowed 5.6 points per rush in the playoffs. The 49ers were battered defensively and were besieged by the Green Packers and Detroit Lions. Andy Reid is smart enough to know that this is where he has to attack.

On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs have the best defense of the Mahomes era. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best coordinators in postseason history, but he faces a tough challenge from the 49ers’ high-scoring offense. Spagnuolo likes to use a lot of nickel and dime looks, but you can bet that if he does, the 49ers will attack that with Christian McCaffrey. The Chiefs, like the 49ers, are vulnerable to the run, and it will be even worse if they don’t step up their base defense.

Then there’s 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, making his first Super Bowl appearance. For those who still have doubts, this game could be his true proving moment. He has been so good this season that he put his name in the MVP conversation at one point. In both of the 49ers’ playoff wins, he was outstanding on drives late in games. That’s the definition of a quarterback, even if he does have some struggles at times in these games.

Purdy has been great on blitzes this year — first in the league — so Spagnuolo has to get creative in how he uses it. The secondary factor for the Chiefs is the intensity of the defense, whose disguises and late rotations may give Purdy pause.

Early on, I saw both teams running offense against weak rushing defenses. The game will end at a later date. But ultimately, this will be Mahomes’ time.

I can see it right now: With the 49ers leading 20-17 by three, Mahomes passed the ball to his own 25 with 2:20 left and two timeouts. From there, Mahomes had another magical moment, performing a surgical cut on the 49ers defense to set up the Chiefs’ game-winning touchdown, albeit with a field goal to tie the game.

That would give Mahomes three Super Bowl wins and one loss in the big game in six years as a starter. He could have easily played in two other games, going 21-3 in a playoff loss to the Bengals and seeing an offsides call negate a possible win over the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game Interception.

This man is on a mission. The mission is to beat Brady and become the greatest quarterback of all time. But let’s make it a little bigger. He might be on his way to becoming the next Michael Jordan, leaving ringless stars in his path that he stacks into the greatest players.

High praise, sure, but who are we to doubt Patrick Mahomes? Of course I don’t.

Pick: Chiefs 24, 49ers 20

Chiefs vs. Chiefs Who Wins With the 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl, what is the key X-factor that makes the pass side a must-defend? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side the Chiefs will face off against in Chicago. The 49ers are rolling out a bang, all from experts who are a staggering 22-5 in drafts involving San Francisco, and find out.